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Frequently Asked Questions

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Eco 3 Eco 5 FC-30/50

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Your by-product can be safely stored after your cycle in a closed container safe from moisture until you are ready to use it!

Foodilizer is a light, dry, nearly bacteria-free nutrient-rich soil amendment which can be used in gardening applications. Check out our FoodCycler® 101 articles below to learn how you can use your Foodilizer in the garden.

Composting with Foodilizer: How to Supercharge Your Compost Game the Easy Way

The Science Behind FoodCycler®: FoodCycler & Foodilizer Explained

Methane gas is emitted during the decomposition process of organic materials in an anaerobic ("no air") environment. Methane is 28 times more insulative of atmospheric heat than CO₂, and is therefore a huge contributing force to global climate change. Since the FoodCycler® aerates the food waste while heating and pulverizing (an aerobic environment), those environmentally damaging methane gases are not produced during the cycle.

The FoodCycler® food waste recycler greatly reduces food waste volume, odors, liquids, bacteria and eliminates methane gasses that would otherwise be generated by putting your food waste in the trash.

The FoodCycler uses a multi-phase cycle, which aerates and pulverizes food waste to a fine, dry, odourless powder which can be used in gardening applications.

When inserting your Bucket:
  1. Hold onto the Bucket handle tightly.
  2. Insert the Bucket into the unit cavity.
  3. Rotate the Bucket to the right or left until it drops into place, and sits level with the top of the FoodCycler opening.
  4. If the Bucket does not sit flush in the unit, twist the Bucket slightly in small rotations of up to 60° in each direction until it seats correctly.
For all other unit inquiries, please contact Customer Support.
Once the unit beeps and/or shuts off following a cycle, the Bucket is safe to handle - though may still be quite warm. Please exercise caution when handling the Bucket directly after a cycle.
Yes you can! Like most appliances, the FoodCycler® is not intended to function in below-freezing temperatures. The FoodCycler® must be in a closed, dry environment where there is no risk of it being rained on or otherwise subjected to the elements.

The chart below show the FC-30 "Do's & Don'ts" - for more information, visit the FC-30 Product Page!

Avoid carboard, oils & fats, candy & gum, most "comportable" plastics, and beef, pork, and lamb bones. Please cut these up prior to: Paper towel/tissue, corn cobs & husks, whole vegetables, and fibrous plants. Only add these in small amunts: sauces, dairy products, jellies, jams & puddings, starches, pork & lamb bones, and hard pits. Everything else is good to go!

 

  1. Secure the lid to the locked position and press Start. Let the unit run for 10-20 seconds, or until you can hear the grinding arms start to turn. You can pause the cycle by opening the unit lid, and try removing the Bucket.
  2. If unsuccessful, check the food content. Is it solid and won't budge? If so do not try step 1 again, but proceed to the next step.
  3. You may need to loosen the end product inside the Bucket. Unplug your unit, add boiling water to the Bucket, enough to moisten the contents. Let the Bucket it sit for about ten minutes. Using a long kitchen utensil, move the Bucket contents around to free it from the grinding arm. Now try the cycle again for 10-20 seconds, and try removing the Bucket.
  4. If unsuccessful, repeat step 4 until the Bucket gear disengages.

Prior to seeking customer support, we recommend that customers try a few troubleshooting steps on their own:

Manual Reset (manually shutting down the unit to reset to its original program settings)

  1. Ensure that the unit is plugged in.
  2. Press and hold the Start/Power button for three seconds, or until you hear a beep. The unit should shut off if it was “on”.
  3. Unplug the unit and wait one minute.
  4. Plug the unit back in and wait ten seconds.
  5. Press Start/Power once, as you normally would to start a cycle.
You’re done! If the unit is still malfunctioning in some way, please contact FoodCycler™’s Customer Support Team. "

If dried food waste is stuck to the Bucket, soak in warm soapy water to remove. While the Bucket can be cleaned in the dishwasher, doing so may reduce its lifespan. If the Bucket is jammed due to food waste coagulating along the bucket interior and blades, we recommend pouring in boiling water and letting the Bucket contents soak before attempting to remove the blockage. Any residue stuck to the Bucket is caused by the oil/grease or moisture content of the unit cycle. For an all-natural clean, try cycling citrus peels by themselves! This will also help to eliminate any trapped odors in the unit's ventilation system.

It's normal to notice some dried food debris stuck to the sides or bottom of your Bucket after a cycle.

Tip: dry by-product can actually serve as a beneficial "dry mix" addition for the next cycle. As long as the grinding blade can fully rotate after emptying the Bucket, you can proceed to fill it for the next cycle.

Each cycle consumes an average of 0.9 kWh per cycle, which is roughly equivalent to having a desktop computer running for the same amount of time as the cycle. Depending on where you live, each cycle should not cost you more than a couple of cents.

The FoodCycler® has built-in sensor technology that monitors the dryness and humidity of the food waste. Once complete, the unit will stop the cycle automatically.

  1. Remove the back panel of the unit and feel along the upper, inner ledge of the unit cavity (directly above where it says Reset Filter light when the back panel is in place) until you find a small round button.
  2. Press and hold for upwards of 3 seconds until you hear a beep. The filter light should turn off!

This is normal! The unit could be emitting an odor for a variety of reasons.
The carbon filtration systems in each FoodCycler® are required to ensure a near-odorless cycle. They last approximately 500 cycle hours, or 3-4 months with regular use.

Even if the ‘Replace Filter’ light has not gone on yet, you may need to switch out your filter carbon. Similarly, you can continue cycling even if the filter light has gone on and no odors are apparent.

Filter life is determined by the moisture quantity in the food waste, and the natural odorousness of each cycle. If you are cycling rotten, smelly or potent food wastes (such as rotting food scraps, fish or old cheese) your filters may not last as long as if you were cycling simple veggie scraps and coffee grounds.

Tip: Running a cycle of mostly citrus peels will not only help keep your Bucket clean, it also eliminates any trapped odours in the unit's ventilation system. 

The FoodCycler® food waste recycler greatly reduces food waste volume, odors, liquids, bacteria and methane gasses that would otherwise be generated by putting your food waste in the trash.
The FoodCycler uses a three-phase cycle which aerates and pulverizes food waste to a fine, dry, odourless powder which can be used in gardening applications.

For more details, visit our How It Works page!
2.5L (0.66 gallons)
We recommend keeping the contents below the indicator line level to avoid jams. For more information, visit the FC-30 product page!
Yes, you can add additional food waste to the FoodCycler® FC-30™ once the cycle has already begun. For best results and to avoid extending the cycle period, we recommend adding food waste early in the cycle - or within the first hour and a half of cycling. Adding food waste midway through the cycle may result in unprocessed food waste at the end of the cycle, as this extends the dehydration and grinding process. If this occurs, we recommend starting a second cycle until the food waste has been completely broken down.
Yes, the FoodCycler® FC-30 can process fish and chicken bones. Large bones may cause jams or damage the unit's Bucket grinding gears.

If dried food waste is stuck to the Bucket, soak in warm soapy water to remove. While the Bucket can be cleaned in the dishwasher, doing so may reduce its lifespan. If the Bucket is jammed due to food waste coagulating along the Bucket interior and blades, we recommend pouring in boiling water and letting the Bucket contents soak before attempting to remove the blockage. Any residue stuck to the Bucket is caused by the oil/grease or moisture content of the unit cycle. For an all-natural clean, try cycling citrus peels by themselves! This will also help to eliminate any trapped odours in the unit's ventilation system.

It's normal to notice some dried food debris stuck to the sides or bottom of your Bucket after a cycle.

Tip: dry by-product can actually serve as a beneficial "dry mix" addition for the next cycle. As long as the grinding blade can fully rotate after emptying the Bucket, you can proceed to fill it for the next cycle.

CAUTION: Do not reach your hand into the FoodCycler® Eco 5™ Bucket, as the blades are extremely sharp.

Each cycle consumes an average of 1.5 kWh per cycle, which is roughly equivalent to having a desktop computer running for the same amount of time as the cycle. Depending on where you live, each cycle should not cost you more than a couple of cents.

The FoodCycler® has built-in sensor technology that monitors the dryness and humidity of the food waste. Once complete, the unit will stop the cycle automatically.