What All Three Models Share

All three composters run on the same core technology: a living colony of microorganisms, ReencleMicrobe™, that ferments food waste rather than drying or grinding it. This is not a dehydrator. It produces actual compost.

Because the biology is the same across the range, every model accepts the same inputs and produces the same results:

• Meat, fish, dairy, and most cooked food alongside fruit and vegetable scraps
• Continuous daily use with no batch cycles and no need to empty before adding more
• Odour controlled through heat, ventilation, and an activated carbon filter
• No plumbing or drainage required

One point worth being clear about: volume reduces noticeably within 24 hours, but compost that is ready for planting takes roughly 30 days of curing inside the machine. If you are mulching rather than planting directly, no curing time is needed.

Essential vs Prime vs Gravity Pro at a Glance

* Prime dimensions sourced from UK product page. W/D orientation may vary from other published specs. Confirm before purchase.

Who Should Choose the Reencle Essential

The Essential came out of a clear pattern: people living alone, people in small flats, and people whose pets kept triggering the sensor on the Prime were all asking for a simpler option. Reencle stripped the model back to what those buyers actually need.

The result is a composter with the same chamber size and daily capacity as the Prime, at £100 less, with no automatic features. For the right household, that is not a compromise. It is the correct configuration.

Choose the Essential if:

• You live alone or with one other person. The 0.7 kg daily recommended capacity handles food waste from 1–2 people without straining the machine. You are not paying for headroom you will never use.
• Your kitchen is compact. At 304 mm wide, the Essential has a smaller footprint than either the Prime or the Gravity Pro.
• You have pets. The Prime opens automatically when it detects nearby movement. Cats and dogs trigger it too. The Essential has no sensor and no auto lid. It opens when you lift it, nothing else.
• You prefer simple operation. Three buttons: power, dry, and deodorize. No app to set up, no sensor to manage, no lid mechanism to maintain.
• You want the lowest entry price. At £399, it is the most accessible point in the Reencle range. The composting performance is identical to the Prime.

Who Should Choose the Reencle Prime

The Prime has been Reencle's flagship UK model. The gap between it and the Essential is narrower than the price suggests: same composting performance, same chamber, but the lid opens automatically when you approach.

That single feature is the entire case for the Prime over the Essential.

Choose the Prime if:

• You have a 1–3 person household with regular daily cooking. The Prime handles the same volume as the Essential: up to 1 kg per day. The hands-free lid makes adding scraps mid-cook, with wet or full hands, noticeably easier.
• You add scraps multiple times a day. If you are opening the composter at breakfast, lunch, and dinner, the auto lid earns its keep. If you add scraps once a day at most, manual operation is no inconvenience.
• You want a proven UK track record. The Prime has more UK customer reviews behind it than any other model in the range.
• You do not need app connectivity or data tracking. Like the Essential, the Prime runs offline with no account or setup required.

Deciding between the Prime and Gravity Pro specifically? See our dedicated Reencle Prime vs Gravity Pro comparison.

Who Should Choose the Reencle Gravity Pro

The Gravity Pro operates at a different scale. Its recommended daily input is 1 kg and its maximum is 1.5 kg, meaningfully more than the Essential or Prime. It also connects to an app, includes a built-in scale, and gives you a 22-litre chamber, significantly larger than the 14 litres in either smaller model.

It is built for heavier daily use.

Choose the Gravity Pro if:

• You have a household of four or more. More people means more food waste. At 1 kg per day maximum, the Essential and Prime can hit their ceiling in a busy family kitchen. The Gravity Pro gives you real headroom.
• You have an active garden. More compost output means more material for beds, raised planters, and lawns. If you are regularly putting compost to use rather than storing it, the Gravity Pro keeps pace.
• You want to track your environmental impact. The app logs daily, weekly, and monthly contributions. If data keeps you motivated, or if you are tracking waste reduction for personal or work goals, that visibility is useful.
• You want to monitor without being in the kitchen. For households where the composter lives in a utility room or out of sight, app connectivity makes checking in practical.

Reencle Essential vs Prime vs Gravity Pro: Running Costs

All three composters are always-on appliances. They run continuously to maintain the temperature and environment the microorganisms need. Your actual running cost depends on your electricity tariff.

Using the Ofgem Q4 2026 price cap rate of 26.32p/kWh:

• Essential 40 W average draw (estimated), approximately 0.96 kWh per day. Around 25p per day, roughly £91 per year.
• Gravity Pro 47 W average draw, approximately 1.13 kWh per day. Around 30p per day, roughly £109 per year.
• Prime 52 W average draw, approximately 1.25 kWh per day. Around 33p per day, roughly £120 per year.

The Prime draws more power than the Gravity Pro despite being the smaller machine. Its motion sensor and automatic lid mechanism account for the difference. The annual gap between the cheapest to run (Essential) and the most expensive (Prime) is approximately £29.

The detail most buyers miss: Essential and Prime compost the same amount

The Essential is Reencle's entry-level model, but it is not a smaller one. It has the same 14-litre chamber and the same daily capacity as the Prime. The £100 price difference buys exactly one functional upgrade: a motion sensor and an automatic lid. The composting performance is the same.

Buyers often assume entry-level means less capable. In this case it does not. If the automatic lid would not change how you use the machine day to day, the Essential is not the inferior choice. It is the more efficient one.

UK households throw away approximately 6.7 million tonnes of food each year, accounting for around 70% of all UK food waste. The average household discards food worth roughly £470 per year. All three Reencle models handle the waste that tends to accumulate, the chicken carcasses, the cheese rinds, the leftover rice, including meat and dairy that a garden compost bin cannot take, converting it to usable compost rather than landfill.

Is the Reencle Essential smaller than the Prime?

In terms of composting capacity, no. The Essential has the same 14-litre chamber and the same daily limit as the Prime (0.7 kg recommended, 1 kg maximum). It is slightly more compact in footprint and lighter by 0.2 kg, but it processes exactly the same amount of food waste.

Can I put meat and dairy in all three models?

Yes. All three use the same ReencleMicrobe™ fermentation process and accept the same inputs: fruit and vegetable scraps, meat, fish, dairy, cooked food, and most food-soiled waste. Hard bones, shellfish shells, and large fruit pits should be kept out of all models as they can damage the machine.

Is the Gravity Pro worth the extra cost for a couple?

For a 1–2 person household, probably not. The Essential and Prime handle up to 1 kg of food waste per day, which comfortably covers typical output for two people. The Gravity Pro's larger capacity and smart features are built for heavier daily use. If you are not approaching the Essential or Prime's daily limit, you are paying for capacity you will not use.

Why is the Essential cheaper than the Prime if the capacity is the same?

The £100 difference covers automation. The Prime has a motion sensor and an automatic lid that opens when you approach. The Essential has no sensor and is operated manually. The composting process, what the machine does with the food and how well, is identical.

How long does it take to get finished compost?

Volume reduces noticeably within the first 24 hours. Compost that is ready for planting into soil takes roughly 30 days of curing inside the unit. If you are mulching rather than planting directly, no additional curing time is needed after the machine has processed the waste.

Do any of the models need Wi-Fi?

Only the Gravity Pro connects to Wi-Fi and uses an app. The Essential and Prime run entirely offline. Plug them in and they operate. No account setup or app required.

Which model suits pet owners best?

The Essential. The Prime's motion sensor can trigger when pets walk past, causing the lid to open unexpectedly. The Essential has no sensor. The lid only opens when you press it. For households with cats or dogs that have access to the kitchen, that distinction matters.

What is the warranty on each model?

The Essential comes with a 2-year warranty. The Prime and Gravity Pro both come with a 1-year warranty.

The bottom line

The right Reencle depends on how much automation you want and how much food waste your household generates. Not on which model composts better.

And the scraps? Whichever model you choose, the onion skins, chicken carcasses, leftover rice, and cheese rinds all go in. All three Reencle models convert them into compost using a living microbial culture, accepting the meat and dairy that a garden compost bin cannot. About the same counter space as a bread bin, and roughly 30 days to produce compost you can actually use.