Fragen & Antworten

Your soilkind can basically be filled at any time, even during composting. You can add new kitchen waste until the maximum level of the upper chamber is reached. This is determined by the lower edge of the funnel. The capacity of the upper chamber is approx. 2 l. During drying and shredding, the volume of the organic waste is reduced by approx. 80%, so that approx. 10 l of organic waste can be filled in until the chamber is full.

However, make sure not to dispose of too much waste at once to avoid overfilling the chamber.

What you can dispose of in soilkind:

Almost all organic foods that fall into the category of organic kitchen waste. The best quality compost can be achieved by composting large quantities of vegetables, fruits and coffee grounds.

• fruit and vegetable waste (cut into small pieces < 5cm if they have long fibers e.g. banana peels, pineapple, spring onions)
• coffee filters, coffee grounds and tea bags – Remove the string before putting the bag in the composter.
• soft shells (egg shells, shrimp)
• nuts

Compost is a natural source of nutrients for plants. Dispose of as little processed food as possible in soilkind, as they contain a lot of salt and fats. Too much of them can affect the quality of the compost.

Food waste that cannot be added because it can block the motors and damage the mixing system:

• fruit pits
• bone
• kitchen paper
• wood
• alcohol
• oil / fat / cheese
• soups / sauces: remove excess water through a sieve

If you want to learn more about this topic, be sure to check out our relevant blog post .

The organic waste thrown into soilkind is shredded in the first chamber, dried and transferred to the second chamber once it reaches a certain humidity level. Due to the strong reduction in volume, this collection process (“collecting mode”) can take several days, depending on the amount thrown in and the water content, or even more than a week if the amount of waste is very low. The actual composting process over 48 hours takes place in the second, lower chamber and only starts after 100% of the pre-processed organic material has been collected in the lower chamber . After this time, you can remove your fresh and ready-to-use compost from the compost container. While composting is taking place in the lower chamber (the display informs you about the progress of composting), new waste can be put into the upper chamber at any time. This is prepared for the subsequent composting and “temporarily stored” in the upper chamber. The next composting sessions then often start more quickly because new starting material is already prepared in the upper chamber.

see "My soilkind takes an unusually long time to dry"

This depends primarily on how often and how much organic waste is disposed of. The moisture in the organic waste has a significant impact on the drying time. If you frequently put large amounts of wet organic waste into soilkind, this can lead to a longer drying time.

In addition, you should regularly clean the lint sponge. A clogged lint sponge can affect the airflow in the composter and slow down drying. So clean the sponge regularly to ensure that air circulation is optimal.

This video may help you.

If the drying chamber is filled too full or if large quantities (more than 2 liters) of waste are put into the device at once, the fresh air inlet in the drying chamber may become blocked. In this case, drying will take longer than usual.

This video may help you.

Also make sure that the activated carbon cartridge is filled and assembled correctly.

Make sure the sealing screen is firmly in place and free of activated carbon pellets, as these could otherwise impair ventilation.

This video may help you.

see "My fill level indicator on the display (x% collecting) does not change."

This depends primarily on how often and how much organic waste is disposed of. The moisture in the organic waste has a significant impact on the drying time. If you frequently put large amounts of wet organic waste into soilkind, this can lead to a longer drying time.

In addition, you should regularly clean the lint sponge. A clogged lint sponge can affect the airflow in the composter and slow down drying. So clean the sponge regularly to ensure that air circulation is optimal.

This video may help you.

If the drying chamber is filled too full or if large quantities (more than 2 liters) of waste are put into the device at once, the fresh air inlet in the drying chamber may become blocked. In this case, drying will take longer than usual.

This video may help you.

Also make sure that the activated carbon cartridge is filled and assembled correctly.

Make sure the sealing screen is firmly in place and free of activated carbon pellets, otherwise these could impair ventilation.

This video may help you.

It is possible that soilkind will occasionally make noise. This may be particularly noticeable when adding fibrous material. These noises usually disappear on their own after about half an hour.

However, if the noise persists, we recommend checking the following steps:

1. Make sure that there are no fibers caught on the mixing elements. Sometimes fibrous material can wrap around the mixing elements and rub against the chamber wall. Try to carefully remove the fibers.

2. Add about 100 ml of water to the upper chamber. Adding water reduces friction and softens the fibers, making them easier to shred.

soilkind has an efficient activated carbon filter, which normally enables very low-odor operation. However, depending on the composition of the compost, noticeable odors reminiscent of roasted food can occur, especially during the hygienization process. This cannot always be avoided due to the temperatures required for hygienization.

If odors also occur, please check the following causes:

1. First, check that the lid is properly fitted. A lid that doesn't close properly can cause odors to escape.
   
   

2. Check if the activated carbon cartridge is exhausted and needs to be replaced.

3. Check that the sealing screen of the activated carbon cartridge is correctly positioned. A damaged or incorrectly seated seal can cause odors to escape. Then make sure that the activated carbon cartridge is correctly inserted.
   
   The following video may help you.

If the error message “Motor blocked!” appears on the display of your soilkind or the motor in the drying chamber no longer rotates, a possible cause could be that too much waste, too hard, too tough or non-compostable items have been put into soilkind.

To fix it, you can do the following:

1. Confirm the query on the display as to whether the motor should be unblocked by pressing the green button. A prompt appears asking you to rectify the cause of the blockage.
2. Remove the cover. The motor will be automatically and safely disconnected from the power supply.
3. Remove the blocked waste with a suitable tool (e.g. a fork, a spoon or a screwdriver) from the drying chamber and remove it. Often the blockage is located between the central mixing element and the so-called fixed shear element, in the middle area at the bottom of the chamber.

4. Optionally, add 100 ml of water.
5. Put the lid on.
6. Confirm the query on the display as to whether the blocking waste has been removed by clicking on the green tick. To do this, press and hold the button for a few seconds until the ring indicator on the display is completely closed.
7. The query on the display whether the unblocking should be started should be confirmed with the green check mark. The device checks whether the blockage has been removed and, if so, continues with the drying process. If the blockage has not been removed, you will be asked again to remove the blockage, see step 1.

If the compost contains components that are too hard or too fibrous, please follow the instructions on the display and confirm, that automatic unblocking should be started.
soilkind will now check whether the blockage can be removed and will continue composting if necessary. If the problem persists, please contact our support team.

We recommend not unplugging soilkind, in particular to avoid unpleasant smells. It is important that the organic material in soilkind is fully processed, in particular to prevent the formation of mold. If you are away for a longer period of time and want to switch off soilkind, we recommend starting the throw out process twice in a row and then cleaning all removable parts under running water. This empties both chambers (first the composting chamber and in the second run also the drying chamber). At the end there are only very small amounts of organic material in the device, which are sanitized due to the temperature effects so that no further decomposition processes can take place. Please note: No compost is produced during the throw out process! The compost container then contains a so-called dry granulate, which should not be used to fertilize plants. You can save this material and put it back into soilkind at a later date and complete the composting (since it is already dry, the composting process starts much faster). Alternatively, it can be disposed of regularly in the organic waste bin.

Your soilkind compost will be most effective if it is mixed into soil - this will ensure healthy and strong plant growth. Alternatively, you can spread soilkind compost on larger areas, such as raised beds or lawns, and work it into the soil with a rake or small rake. In general, you should mix compost to used soil in a ratio of 1:10. Then water the compost-enriched soil to “reactivate” the compost.

Important: Too much compost can represent an oversupply of nutrients for the plants and can also have a negative effect on plant growth. A continuous layer of compost should not be applied to the plants, as this is very rich in nutrients and can lead to over-fertilization. If the compost contains a high proportion of oils/fats, it can also lead to reduced water permeability.

If you are away for a longer period of time and soilkind is not being filled for a longer period of time, you can also empty your soilkind during an ongoing composting process or a partial filling in collecting mode. To do this, press the manual ejection button (“Throw out”) on the soilkind display or in the app. An active composting process is immediately aborted and a safe sterilization process lasting up to 3 hours is started before the composting chamber is emptied. During this ejection process, no compost is produced, but rather dry granules. To completely empty both chambers, this process can be repeated several times in succession (until no more material has been fed into the compost container). At the end of each manual ejection, the compost container must be emptied and a new transfer from the upper chamber to the lower chamber must be started. This is done by opening and closing the lid. Activate the ejection button by holding it down for a few seconds until the progress bar is full. Confirm by pressing the green check mark if you are sure that you want to start the process.

Important! The dry granulate produced is not compost. Therefore, do not use the dry granulate directly on your plants. You can initially store the dry granulate temporarily and then refill it into soilkind later so that it can be completely composted in a new attempt. Alternatively, the dry granulate should be disposed of in an organic waste bin.

soilkind has an integrated water tank - you will find it next to the compost container at the bottom of your composter. Water is an important factor in composting. With our innovative sensor technology, we have developed a composting method that works according to the model of nature. A relevant factor for this? The moisture content of the compost.

Depending on the type of organic waste you are disposing of (wet vs. dry), soilkind removes the water from the waste in the first chamber when it is shredded. To do this, the organic waste is heated. The resulting exhaust air contains water vapor, which is fed into an integrated condenser, where it cools down and is collected as condensate.

When enough organic waste has been collected and composting starts in the second chamber of soilkind, the moisture content of the compost is adjusted to an optimal level using water from the tank, which is required for a rapid microbiological decomposition process. During the entire composting process, the sensors check at regular intervals whether the moisture has changed, e.g. due to evaporation. In this case, some water is added from the tank.

This is the difference to devices that work with a single-chamber system. Here it is often not possible to regulate the humidity optimally, which is why your organic waste is only shredded and dried, but not properly composted.

soilkind works with its own water circulation system so that the water is kept in the device as best as possible and used for composting. If you dispose of a lot of food with a high water content, the water tank must be emptied regularly up to the mark. The app and the display inform you about this.

If, however, you want to compost a lot of very dry waste, less water will be produced than is needed for composting and you will have to fill the tank with water up to the mark. The display and the app will also inform you about this.

Good to know: You can simply pour excess water out of the tank and use it for your plants. The water contains important nutrients and is a real booster for your green friends.

soilkind can be flexibly placed in various indoor spaces, such as a storage room, a pantry, a kitchen, a dry cellar, a hallway or a conservatory.

In certain phases of the process, such as drying and composting, noises can occur that indicate the active decomposition of the organic materials. The fans that cool the exhaust air produce a slight noise, comparable to a fan. When the fresh waste is shredded and dried in the upper chamber, noises can be caused by the breaking of hard components and the friction of the organic waste on the mixing elements. Under certain circumstances, fibrous components can become jammed on the mixing elements and thereby produce a humming noise due to friction on the chamber wall. This should disappear on its own after about 30-45 minutes. We recommend setting up the composter in a place where the noise is not perceived as disturbing.

It is important that the composter has enough air on all sides, at least 3 cm, ideally more than 5 cm - a room with a window is ideal. The floor should be flat, solid and insensitive to moisture. You need a power connection and enough space to fill soilkind and to be able to remove the compost container, water tank, funnel and activated carbon filter.

soilkind is not suitable for the garden, balcony or terrace due to the power connection and potential moisture penetration from outside.

Please do not place soilkind in a closet or other narrow, enclosed space.

The noise level of soilkind is L(PA) = 39 dB during composting and drying and L(PA) = 24 dB in standby mode.

We recommend placing the composter in a location where the noise is not perceived as disturbing.

In certain process phases, such as drying and composting, noises can occur that indicate the active decomposition of the organic materials. The fans for cooling the exhaust air produce a slight noise, comparable to a fan. When shredding and drying the fresh waste in the upper chamber, noises can be caused by the breaking of hard components and the friction of the organic waste on the mixing elements. Under certain circumstances, fibrous components can become jammed on the mixing elements and thereby produce a humming noise due to friction on the chamber wall. This should disappear on its own after about 30-45 minutes.

However, if the noise persists, we recommend checking the following steps:

1. Make sure that there are no fibers caught on the mixing elements. Sometimes fibrous material can wrap around the mixing elements and rub against the chamber wall. Try to carefully remove the fibers.
2. Add about 100 ml of water to the upper chamber. Adding water reduces friction and softens the fibers, making them easier to shred.

With soilkind we want to do something for the earth. That's why we designed our composter to be very energy efficient and to use the heat generated during the composting process. In addition, an efficient heat exchanger ensures that the heat required for processing is retained in the device as best as possible and is not lost.

On average, soilkind's energy consumption is around 7-8 kWh per complete composting cycle. This consumption includes the energy for both composting and pre-processing the waste in the upper chamber. Usually, 1 composting cycle per week is enough to process the kitchen waste of a family of 4. If there is a very high volume of waste and a high proportion of processed food, 2 composting cycles per week are usually required.

The actual power consumption varies, as it depends heavily on the amount of organic waste and the amount of water in the kitchen waste to be processed. The more water the food contains, the more energy must be used for pre-drying (longer drying time)! 

If the device is to be transported, moved or shifted, the transport lock must always be activated. To do this, remove the water tank. To activate the transport lock, press the lever down and turn it anti-clockwise to the vertical position. To start up the device, the transport lock must be released. To do this, turn the lever up clockwise to the horizontal position and press it in.

In general, the transport lock is used to make soilkind safe for transport. When the transport lock is activated, the sensitive load cell is relieved and secured so that it is not damaged during transport. The transport lock must be activated, especially when returning the product.

You may be charged for any damage caused during return shipping due to failure to take out transport insurance for your soilkind. For questions about activating transport insurance, see “How do I pack my soilkind composter?”

see "My soil child is blocked".

Too high a fat or oil content of the organic material in the drying chamber can lead to Blockage of the transfer channel between the two chambers. As a result, the dried material is no longer transferred to the composting chamber and the composting chamber is not properly ventilated. The % indicator in collecting mode on the display does not change even though the drying chamber is full. The blockage can be removed via the maintenance opening of the transfer channel.

This video may help you.

If the upper drying chamber is filled too high or if large quantities (more than 2 litres) of waste have been put into the device at once, the Opening the ejection paddle This can lead to already dried material no longer being transferred to the composting chamber and composting not being able to start. The % display in collecting mode does not change even though the drying chamber is full.

This video may help you.

If the drying chamber is filled too high or if large quantities (more than 2 litres) of waste have been put into the device at once, the Fresh air intake in the drying chamber. In this case, drying takes longer than usual.

This video may help you.

If the organic material in the drying chamber contains too much fat or oil, this can lead to a blockage in the transfer channel between the two chambers. As a result, the dried material is no longer transferred to the composting chamber and the composting chamber is not properly ventilated. The % display in collecting mode on the display does not change, even though the drying chamber is full. The blockage can be removed via the maintenance opening in the transfer channel.

This video may help you.

If the upper drying chamber is too full or if large quantities (more than 2 liters) of waste have been put into the device at once, the opening of the ejection paddle can become blocked. This can lead to already dried material no longer being transferred to the composting chamber and composting not being able to start. The % display in collecting mode does not change even though the drying chamber is full.

This video may help you.

If the drying chamber is filled too full or if large quantities (more than 2 liters) of waste are put into the device at once, the fresh air inlet in the drying chamber may become blocked. In this case, drying will take longer than usual.

This video may help you.

To ensure that your compost is processed without any odors, soilkind uses a multi-stage activated carbon filter. Depending on how often you make compost and what food scraps you put in it, we recommend that you change the activated carbon in your soilkind cartridge every 3 to 6 months.

Make sure that the activated carbon cartridge is filled and assembled correctly.

Make sure the sealing screen is firmly in place and free of activated carbon pellets, as these may otherwise impair ventilation.

This video can help you.

soilkind is very low-maintenance. You don't have to clean the interior. The filling shaft, the lid and the compost container can be removed and washed by hand. After each composting cycle, the lint filter sponge in the funnel should be rinsed under running water. Otherwise, no manual cleaning is necessary. Soilkind takes care of that for you.

As soon as you remove the lid of the soilkind and the funnel, you can safely remove residues and clean the upper chamber at any time. The motor stops automatically as soon as you open the lid. Sometimes very solid, starchy deposits form on the wall of the upper chamber. In this case, we recommend pouring in 1 glass of water (200 ml) and disposing of lemon or orange pieces if necessary. The water dissolves the deposits and makes them soft, the fine citrus fibers gently "sand" the layer away. The water evaporates again during the drying process and the dissolved deposits and citrus residues are composted in the next composting cycle. If the funnel is dirty, you can remove it and clean it under the tap with water. The lint filter should be cleaned regularly (every week or after each composting cycle). You can also rinse the lid, the top cover and the compost and water container with lukewarm water.

1. Check if there is an accessible WiFi signal available and check if your soilkind is within range. Try moving your device closer to the WiFi router.
2. Please check your firewall and router settings.
3. Restart the device. To do this, unplug the device, wait 10 seconds and then plug it back in. If the saved connection data is correct, the device will try to reconnect.

Note: The device should not be restarted during composting, otherwise the composting process will be aborted.

4. Reconnect the device to the cloud. To do this, remove the device from your app. Press and hold the WiFi symbol on the soilkind display (approx. 4 seconds) until you hear a beep. The WiFi settings on the device are now reset. Then unplug the device. Wait 10 seconds and plug the device back in. Repeat the onboarding process described.