The industrial uses of L-cysteine are summarized and alternative synthesis routes are critically considered. The electrosynthesis of L-cysteine free base and the acid salt form of the product at solid electrodes are reviewed. The performance of several flow-through parallel plate cell designs is shown to be very dependent upon the electrolysis conditions. The role of current density and the rate of mass transport in the cells is discussed. It is seen that the choice of electrode material, the flow conditions within the cell, the provision of turbulence promoters and the operating current density are critical factors in obtaining a high fractional conversion and a high current efficiency with a reasonable electrolytic power consumption.