Frequently Asked Questions

After you replace your carbon filter pellets, press and hold the Power button for 3 seconds, release, and then hold again for another 3 seconds until you hear an audible tone to reset the Carbon Filter Replacement reminder.

This is normal! The unit could be emitting an odour for a variety of reasons.
The carbon filtration systems in each FoodCycler® are required to ensure a near-odourless 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 odours are apparent.

Filter life is determined by the moisture quantity in the food waste, and the intensity of odours of each cycle. If you are cycling rotten, smelly or potent food wastes (such as rotten meat, 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 multi-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!

5L (1.3 gallons)
We recommend keeping the contents below the indicator line level to avoid jams. For more information, visit the Eco 5 product page!

Yes, you can add additional food waste to the FoodCycler® Eco 5™ 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® Eco 5™ can process fish, chicken, pork, lamb and other small bones. Large bones can cause jams or damage all units’ Bucket grinding gears.

The chart below show the "Do's & Don'ts" of FoodCycling - for more information, visit the Eco 5™ Product Page!

 

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Methane gas is emitted during the decomposition process of organic materials in an anaerobic ("no air") environment. Methane is 30 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 at all.

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Each cycle consumes approximately 0.8-1.5 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.

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• Hard, dense bones (beef, pork, lamb and bison)
• Candy or gum
• Cooking oils and greases
• Hard pits (peaches, apricots, nectarines)
• Nuts and other hard shells
• Pineapple leaves
• Watermelon rinds

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Yes you can! Please be aware that, 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.

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Your by-product can be stored after your cycle in an open-air container for a period of one week. After this one-week period, you can store the by-product for up to a year in a closed-top container, if preferred.

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• Fibrous herbs & plants (celery, parsley, etc.)
• Corn cobs & husks
• Paper towels/tissue
• Pineapple leaves
• Whole fruits & vegetables

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• Cake
• Rice
• Bread
• Pasta
• High sugar fruits (grapes, bananas, melon, oranges and pineapple)
• Sauces
• Jams
• Jellies
• Peanut butter

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In the Eco 5™ FoodCycler®, a typical cycle takes between 4-9 hours for the food waste to become completely dehydrated and processed into the by-product

For the FC-30 and FC-50 units 4-8 hours (with an average of 5 hours) for the food waste to become completely dehydrated and processed.

The time needed depends on the amount of food waste being processed, the density of the food wastes and the moisture levels contained in each. Please note that these estimates exclude the unit's cooling time which lasts less than a half hour on average.

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We advise that you keep the lid closed til the cycle is complete to prevent the cycle from being prematurely or improperly finished, or from lasting longer than usual. The only exception is if you add more food waste to the unit while it is recycling, but we strongly recommend that you take care when opening the lid mid-cycle as the food waste and bucket get very hot during the process so it is strongly recommended to keep the lid shut.

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The carbon filters last between 3-4 months with regular use, or 500 cycle hours. The life expectancy of the carbon filters is determined by the moisture content of the food waste, and the natural odours of the food waste. Denser, wetter and smellier food wastes will go through filters much faster than simple veggie scraps and egg shells.

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Yes, the FoodCycler® Eco 5^TMcan process fish, chicken, pork, lamb and other small bones, while the FoodCycler® FC-30 and FC-50 can process fish and chicken bones. Large bones can cause jams or damage all units’ bucket grinding gears.

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The removable grinding bucket is dishwasher-safe. However, you don't really need to clean it at all! If the bucket is not jammed with processed food waste, you can simply continue to add food waste to the bucket and cycle as usual. Any residue stuck to the bucket is almost always a cosmetic issue, and 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.

If dried food waste is stuck to the bucket, soak in warm soapy water to remove.

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

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