Bokashi vs Compost Tumbler: The Best 2 Step System for Summer Scraps

Why a 2 step system works so well in summer

When the weather heats up, kitchen scraps build up fast. Think melon rinds, corn cobs, salad trimmings and barbecue leftovers. Without a good compost system, all that organic goodness can end up in landfill, creating smells and greenhouse gases instead of feeding your soil.

At Maze, we find the most practical setup for busy Australian households is a two step system:

1. Step 1 – Indoors: Collect and pre treat your kitchen scraps in a sealed kitchen caddy or bokashi style bin for clean, convenient indoor composting.
2. Step 2 – Outdoors: Transfer those pre treated scraps into a compost tumbler to finish breaking down into rich, crumbly compost for your garden.

This approach keeps your kitchen tidy, your bins smelling fresh, and your garden thriving, even in the peak of summer.

Step 1: Indoor collection with a bokashi style setup

While we do not sell a traditional bokashi bucket with bran, we see many of our customers pair a bokashi fermenting system with our kitchen compost bins for a simple indoor routine.

On the Maze side, handy products like our 7 L Kitchen Caddy with Compostable Bags and other options in our Kitchen Compost Bin collection make capturing scraps incredibly easy. You can:

• Keep a caddy on the bench or under the sink.
• Line it with compostable bags for clean emptying.
• Tip the contents into your bokashi bucket or directly into your outdoor compost tumbler.

If you already use bokashi, the process looks like this:

• Add food scraps to your bokashi bucket.
• Sprinkle bokashi bran (or follow your chosen bokashi method).
• Seal the lid and let the scraps ferment rather than rot.
• Drain bokashi “tea” as directed by your system for use as a liquid feed or diluted drain cleaner.

From the Maze perspective, this ticks all the indoor composting boxes: sealed containers, reduced smell, and a neat way to keep kitchen benches clear while still diverting household waste from landfill.

Step 2: Move bokashi to a compost tumbler outdoors

This is where the magic really happens. Once your bokashi bucket is full and has fermented, you need a place to “finish” it. That is where a Maze compost tumbler shines.

In our Compost Tumbler collection you will find models like:

• Easy Turn 245 L Maze Compost Tumbler – ideal for families with plenty of summer scraps.
• Geared twin tumblers – great for building a continuous composting routine, filling one side while the other matures.

How bokashi to compost works in a tumbler

Taking bokashi to compost is straightforward:

1. Open the tumbler and add a layer of dry browns such as shredded paper, cardboard or dry leaves.
2. Tip in your bokashi bucket contents, spreading them out.
3. Add another thin layer of carbon rich material to balance moisture and odour.
4. Close the lid and give the tumbler a few turns to mix everything together.

Because the bokashi material is already largely pre digested, decomposition in the tumbler is usually faster than with raw scraps. In warm summer conditions, you can get beautiful, dark compost in a matter of weeks instead of months, especially if you:

• Turn the tumbler regularly.
• Maintain a good mix of wet “greens” and dry “browns”.
• Keep the contents as moist as a wrung out sponge.

Benefits of a bokashi + tumbler system

1. Great for summer smells

Summer heat can make traditional food scrap buckets unpleasant. With a sealed caddy and/or bokashi bucket, then a closed compost tumbler, odours are greatly reduced. The tumbler’s lid keeps flies, rodents and pets out, which is a huge plus in Aussie backyards.

2. Simple, low mess routine

A good easy composting setup is one you actually stick to. With Maze products, your routine can be:

• Scraps into the kitchen caddy.
• Empty into bokashi bucket or straight into the tumbler.
• Once the tumbler is full, let it mature while you start a new batch (this is where twin tumblers are especially handy).

This rhythm turns household waste reduction into a habit rather than a chore.

3. Faster, richer compost

Because bokashi partially breaks down food first, your tumbler becomes a finishing stage rather than starting from scratch. The result is:

• Quicker breakdown of tough items like citrus, bread or small bones (depending on your bokashi system’s instructions).
• Nutrient dense compost that your plants will love.
• Less worry about turning a heavy, smelly pile – the tumbler design makes aeration easy.

4. Ideal for smaller spaces

If you have a courtyard, small backyard or even a compact urban garden, a compost tumbler takes up far less room than a traditional heap. Pair that with benchtop caddies from our Kitchen Compost Bin range and you have a complete compost system that works even in tighter spaces.

Bokashi vs compost tumbler: they are stronger together

We are often asked which is “better” in the bokashi vs compost debate. From our experience working with home composters across Australia, they actually work best as partners:

• Bokashi or sealed indoor collection handles high volume, smelly kitchen scraps easily.
• The compost tumbler is the perfect outdoor finisher, transforming those pre treated scraps into crumbly, garden ready compost.

If you do not have a bokashi bucket, you can still enjoy great results simply by using a Maze kitchen caddy indoors and feeding your tumbler regularly. If you do have bokashi, your tumbler will work even more quickly.

FAQs

1. Can I put bokashi straight into my compost tumbler?

Yes. Once your bokashi bucket has finished fermenting according to the instructions for your system, you can add the contents directly into a Maze compost tumbler. We recommend mixing it with carbon rich material such as shredded cardboard, dry leaves or paper to balance the moisture. Turn the tumbler regularly and the bokashi will break down into finished compost surprisingly fast.

2. Do I need bokashi to use a compost tumbler?

No, you can use a Maze compost tumbler very successfully without bokashi. A simple composting routine might be:

• Collect scraps in a Maze kitchen caddy.
• Add them to the tumbler along with garden clippings and dry browns.
• Turn the tumbler a few times each week to aerate.

Many households then add bokashi later if they want to handle meat, dairy or more challenging scraps, or if they simply want to speed up the process.

3. Is this 2 step system suitable for small households?

Absolutely. Even a single or couple can produce a surprising amount of kitchen scraps, especially in summer when fresh fruit and salad are on high rotation. A compact tumbler from our Compost Tumbler collection, paired with a neat bench top caddy from our Kitchen Compost Bin range, makes an ideal easy composting setup for smaller households and smaller gardens.

A summer friendly system that actually sticks

By pairing indoor collection or bokashi with an outdoor compost tumbler, you create a compost system that is clean, fast and realistic for everyday life. Summer scraps turn from a smelly problem into a soil boosting solution, helping your garden handle heat, drought and heavy harvesting.

At Maze, our goal is to make household waste reduction simple, so more Aussies can keep organic matter cycling through their soil instead of sending it to landfill. With the right combination of kitchen compost bins and compost tumblers, your summer composting routine can be easier than ever.