Composter Stiga RECYCLING KITCHEN 8217 3434 05 Instructions Manual

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DEUTSCHDE
Können Ratten in meinen Komposter gelockt werden?
Ratten und Mäuse suchen nach Wärme und Essbarem. Sorgen Sie dafür, dass der Kompost stets ausreichend 
von der Erdschicht bedeckt ist. Dadurch verringert sich das Interesse der Tiere. Überprüfen Sie, ob die Bo-
dennetze richtig liegen und am unteren Brettrahmen befestigt sind. Sorgen Sie dafür, dass sich zwischen der 
Einfüllvorrichtung und dem daran anschließenden Brett kein Spiel befindet. Stellen Sie ebenfalls sicher, 
dass die Erdfilter mit Erde gefüllt sind.
Mein Kompost ist zu hart und zu trocken. Was kann ich dagegen tun?
Im Verlauf warmer Sommerwochen kann der Kompost zu trocken werden. Bewässern Sie den Kompost 
von oben und nicht über die Einfüllvorrichtung. Besprengen Sie ihn so lange (3 bis 4 Eimer Wasser), bis 
der Kompost richtig feucht ist. Achten Sie darauf, dass sich der Komposter nicht unter einem Dach befindet, 
damit Regenwasser eindringen kann. Entfernen Sie die oberen grünen Isolierblöcke, die sich nur im Winter 
auf dem Deckel befinden sollen.
Weshalb fließt Sickerwasser aus dem Fußpedal? 
Kontrollieren Sie, ob sich die Einfüllvorrichtung auf der höchsten Schmalseite befindet. Sie kann nach der 
Montage eingesunken sein. Beim Befüllen mit stark feuchtigkeitshaltigen Abfällen, wie sie z.B. nach dem 
Einmachen entstehen, schichten Sie Streu z.B. trockenes Gras oder Späne dazwischen. Sorgen Sie stets da-
für, feuchte und trockene Materialien abwechselnd zu schichten, um die Feuchtigkeitsbalance zu erhalten.
Verkaufsbedingungen:
Bestimmte Teile von Stiga Kitchen sind anfälliger für Verschleiß. Das betrifft Einfüllvorrichtung mit Fuß-
pedal, Messer und Messerhalter. Diese sowie alle weiteren Komposterteile können Sie bei Ihrem Stiga-
Händler bestellen. Stiga gewährt auf alle Teile außer Einfüllvorrichtung mit Fußpedal, Messer und Messer-
halter (für diese Teile gilt das gesetzlich geregelte Reklamationsrecht) eine Garantie von 5 Jahren. Darüber 
hinaus garantieren wir, dass alle Ersatzteile mindestens noch 7 Jahre erhältlich sind, nachdem das Produkt 
vom Markt genommen wurde. 
Die Garantie umfasst keine Schäden, die durch normalen Verschleiß, falsche Bedienung, Nachlässigkeit 
oder Fahrlässigkeit entstanden sind. Dies gilt ebenfalls für solche Produkte, die nachträglich in ihrer ur-
sprünglichen Ausführung verändert wurden. Eine vollständiges Ersatzteilverzeichnis kann bei allen Stiga-
Händlern eingesehen werden. 
Es gelten die im Land des Käufers gültigen gesetzlichen Vorschriften. Die darin geregelten Rechte des Käu-
fers werden durch diese Garantie nicht eingeschränkt.
Nordisches Umweltzeichen
Dieses Produkt erfüllt die Anforderungen für Kompostbehälter gemäß dem Nordischen Um-
weltzeichen.
Alle Teile des Komposters lassen sich wieder verwerten. Die Kunststoffteile sind darüber hi-
naus mit dem Qualitätssiegel für Kunststoff versehen.
Weitere Informationen zu Produkten und Händlern finden Sie auf unserer Website www.stiga.de.
Wir wünschen Ihnen viel Freude mit Stiga Kitchen!
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Thank you for choosing Stiga Kitchen.
Stiga Kitchen is a totally unique warm composter. It works according to a new, patented method – under-com-
posting. This means that the breaking down process takes place under a layer of soil. Faster breaking down, no 
odour and no flies are just some of the advantages. 
The method is simple, odourless and tolerant compared with the traditional ways of composting. No particular 
prior knowledge is required in order to succeed with Stiga Kitchen. 
Composting household waste near to the user is very good for the environment. Why transport heavy waste many 
miles away to incinerate it in a refuse station when it is so simple to compost it yourself? Contact your local 
authority to find out the applicable composting requirements.
To help you use your Stiga Kitchen in the best and simplest manner, we would like to share our experience that 
we have gained over many years of testing and development work.
The pictures in the installation instructions show how to assemble your Stiga Kitchen. For environment reasons, 
only the bottom row of the framework has been pressure-treated. This is generally sufficient protection against 
decay for many years, although one way of extending the lifetime of the composter is to treat all the boards with 
regular wood oil. This does not affect the process in any way.
Below are a few practical tips:
Select a location close to the kitchen door. There should ideally be an outside light that illuminates the compost-
er. The site should not be covered with asphalt or concrete slabs. Stiga Kitchen must be in contract with the 
ground – soil, grass or gravel all work well. The composter works best in semi-shade, but it should not be placed 
under a roof as rainwater has a positive effect.
The Stiga Kitchen is 160 cm long in total, 80 cm wide and 72 cm tall. You need an area slightly larger than this 
that is completely flat. If the site is sloping, level it out. Make sure that the area under the feeding device is firm 
and flat. If the ground slopes a little, the feeding device should be on the highest short side. Secure the bottom 
net to the framework, e.g. using a staple gun or small nails, before laying out the bottom layer of boards. Other-
wise there is a risk of the net moving a little, allowing mice or other vermin to find their way in.
The feeding device is secured with ground spikes that is hammered down into the ground. (See picture 7 in the 
installation instructions). It is important for both ground spikes to be hammered all the way down. Otherwise the 
feeding process is made more difficult. If you come up against a stone, try again, possibly angling the spike a 
little.
Assemble Stiga Kitchen according to the installation instructions. When you get to the insulation, you need to 
cut out a hole for the feeding device. Assemble the two insulation boards with the cutting instruction at the bot-
tom. Use a toothed bread-knife and carefully cut out a hole. The green side of the insulation should be facing in 
towards the compost to provide a hard and robust surface.
You need to cut out a lid in one of the top insulation blocks. Use the bread-knife and cut along the groove (see 
picture 15). You now have a hexagonal hole in the insulation block. The hole should be threaded over the hopper. 
Note that the narrow edge of the insulation block should fit tightly against the gable with the wide edge facing 
the centre.
The green insulation block is winter insulation (see picture 19). The block with the hole for the hopper is always 
installed, however. The other two blocks should only be used in the winter when the average diurnal temperature 
is below freezing point. This usually means from December to February.
The two boxes with grille bottoms are soil filters and must be filled with peat soil. Otherwise there is a risk of 
the open composter attracting vermin. First lay a fibre cloth (supplied) in the bottom and even it out. Fill the 
boxes with peat soil. The peat soil is light and retains moisture well. A 50-60 litre sack is the right amount for 
both boxes. Feel free to plant a few plants or grow lettuce, dill, radishes, etc., in these soil filters.
As a rule, Stiga Kitchen can deal with most of our kitchen waste. All types of food waste such as leftover meat, 
poultry including small bones, fish leftovers and shellfish. Bread, fruit and vegetables are also fine, even the pa-
per serviettes you used at dinner can be placed in the composter. Note that some fruits are difficult to break down 
as the peel contains large quantities of pesticides.
The following may not be composted: plastic, glass, metal, nappies, cigarette butts, vacuum cleaner bags, large 
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An initial precondition for composting is sorting at source, with the compostable waste being placed in a special 
container. This container should ideally hold around 4-5 litres. It is better to empty the container every one to 
two days than to collect waste for several days.
Stiga Kitchen is designed for a family of up to 6-7 people or a family that produces 2-3 litres of household waste 
every day. The composter will also eat up a little more waste once a week, such as after a party or a family dinner.
The Stiga Kitchen is now ready to be filled.
Pull the handle all the way out. Open the hatch and empty the container into the hopper. The insulating lid is only 
used during the winter months. Take the impact crusher and press down the waste until the bottom area feels 
compacted. Move the handle forward. If you feel that it is difficult to move, press down the foot pedal to help. 
Repeat the procedure until the hopper is empty and then close the hatch. Finish off by pressing the handle for-
ward to the forward limit position. The hatch (weight: 0.45 kg) is now locked by the handle. 
There is now a pile of household waste in the middle of the compost. The pile should be covered with soil. You 
can use topsoil from your garden, old compost or bagged soil which you can buy. If you use purchased soil, it is 
important that this has been organically produced and has a microlife like topsoil. Light peat soil should be 
avoided in the composter. Fill at least 180 litres. This is equivalent to approximately half the composter when 
the insulation is in place. 
Lift the soil filters and check the soil layer after a couple of weeks. If the waste is showing through, take a garden 
trowel and scoop soil over from the sides. Repeat the check after a couple more weeks. There should always 
be a layer of soil over the waste. Otherwise the process stops, odour is generated and vermin try to get into the 
composter. It is common to have to check this for the first few months.
Now all you have to do is empty the waste container every day or couple of days and allow the composter to take 
care of the rest.
Below are a few common questions from Stiga Kitchen users:
Do I need to fill with sprinkling material?
No, during our tests we have used normal household waste without sprinkling material. Institutions producing a 
large amount of wet material may occasionally be forced to use sprinkling material.
Can I add garden waste?
The large amounts of garden waste that are produced after mowing the lawn and raking up leaves should not be 
added to Stiga Kitchen all at once. However, small amounts can be good for the breaking down process.
Can I place bones in the composter?
Bones from pork chops or chicken seldom cause any problems. Larger bones from hunting and slaughter, as well 
as cattle bones, should not be placed in the composter.
How much soil does Stiga Kitchen produce?
A composter that is working normally breaks down large volumes. 100 litres of waste only makes 2-5 litres of 
composted earth. This generally means 1-3 buckets of earth a year.
How long does it take to produce composted earth?
This varies considerably according to where in the country the composter is situated and what type of waste is 
being filled. A guideline is that it takes approximately 3-6 months to break down the waste once the composter 
is up and running. It also takes slightly longer during the first year. The finished soil should feel slightly damp 
and homogeneous. However, don’t harvest the composter too early. Larger volumes in the container have a pos-
itive impact on the heat and the breaking down process, particularly during the winter. A full composter contains 
approximately 350 l of compost/soil and has a total weight of around 300 kg.
What should I do if the composter freezes or does not become warm?
Even a warm composter can freeze. It is important for the composter to be topped up regularly, i.e. several times 
a week. The heat from the breaking down process also heats the outer layers in the composter. Note that the waste 
should be at room temperature. Don’t keep it outside in the winter while waiting to fill it in the composter. You 
should also ensure that the green insulation block on the top is in place, as well as the lid for the feeding hopper. 
Snow around the composter is not a problem. Leave it where it is, but clear it from around the lid and the feeding  
						

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device. If the composter freezes, you have to wait until the temperature rises before topping it up again. The proc-
ess then starts up again automatically. If the feeding devices freezes solid, the metal parts can easily be thawed 
out using e.g. a hot-air gun from the outside.
What should I do if my composter starts to smell?
The most common cause of odour is where the layer of soil that should cover the active compost is not intact. 
This may be because there was too little soil from the beginning and/or it was too dry. It may also be due to top-
ping up have taken place too quickly or in excessively large amounts. Note that the capacity is 6-7 adults. Pull 
the earth from the sides up over the middle, and keep an eye on whether layer of earth cracks again. Also ensure 
that the soil filters are filled with soil.
Might I get rats in my composter?
Rats and mice are attracted to heat and food. By monitoring the covering layer of earth, you reduce the interest 
shown by rats. Also check that the bottom nets are in the correct position and that they are fixed to the bottom 
framework of boards. Make sure that there is no play between the feeder and the board that connects to the feed-
er. Also ensure that the soil filters are filled with soil.
My composter is hard and too dry. What should I do about this?
During hot spells in the summer, the composter can become too dry. In this case, it is important to fill with water 
from directly above, not via the feeder. Fill with plenty of water (3-4 buckets) until the compost feels a little more 
watery. Make sure that the composter is not standing under a roof so that rainwater can find a way in. Remove 
the upper green insulation blocks, which should only be in the lid in the winter.
Why does leachate run out by the foot pedal? 
Check that the feeding device is on the highest short side. It may have sunk after installation. When you fill with 
watery material, e.g. after jam-making, intersperse it with sprinkling material, e.g. dry grass or sawdust. Be sure 
always to mix very wet material with dry matter to retain the moisture balance.
Purchasing conditions:
Some of Stiga Kitchen’s parts are more exposed to wear. These are the feeding device with foot pedal, blade and 
blade holder. These parts as well as other parts in the composter may be purchased or ordered from your Stiga 
dealer. Stiga gives a 5 year guarantee on all parts apart from the feeding device with food pedal, blade and blade 
holder (these parts come with the statutory claim entitlement). We also guarantee that spare parts can be ordered 
for at least 7 years after the product has been withdrawn from the market. 
The guarantee does not cover damage that has arisen through normal wear, incorrect operation, neglect or care-
lessness, nor if the product has been modified from its original version. A complete list of spare parts is available 
from all Stiga dealers. 
The purchaser is covered the national laws of each country. The rights to which the purchaser is entitled with the 
support of these laws are not restricted by this warranty.
Nordic Eco-labelling
This product satisfies the requirements in accordance with Nordic Eco-labelling for compost 
holders.
All parts of the composter can be recycled. Plastic parts are also marked with the plastic grade.
You can find more information about products and dealers on our website www.stiga.com.
Good luck with your Stiga Kitchen!
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