What is it?

A food waste disposal aid to reduce the content and smell of your household bins.

Good points?

Operation is simple with only one button to contend with which starts the process of first drying and then grinding up your kitchen scraps.

Once complete, the contents of the device's two litre bucket is reduced to around 0.34 litres of what Sage call "EcoChips" which are essentially odourless charred food crisps that can then be easily removed.

This method of disposal reduces landfill size and prevents needless methane gas being released into the atmosphere. One household can reduce their waste by up to 80 per cent which is a score for those of us who lug refuse bags out to the bins every night.

Filters are used to prevent odours escaping while the gadget dehydrates its contents which works extremely well. Not only will your kitchen remain pleasant, but flies won't be attracted to the finished product which your neighbours will appreciate.

Bad points?

The device is rather large compared to the two-litre waste bucket it holds and is close in dimensions (27.5 x 32 x 36 cm) to a multi-function coffee machine.

Most homes will have a use for such a unit, but affordability might be an issue that prevents significant take-up. Operation can take hours to complete so, unless you are able to limit waste to a small amount, you will likely be left with an excess of stinky food.

Best for ...

Those living alone in small flats with no access to garden composting or proper food recycling.

Avoid if ...

You have large amounts of waste and can't afford the army of FoodCycler units to take care of it.

Score: 7/10.

Sage FoodCycler, £419.95 (sageappliances.com)