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To help you find the best garbage disposal, we have tried out plenty of top models, testing them for disposal capabilities, favoring products with powerful motors that can make short work out of most food items and those that are made from highly durable components, such as galvanized steel. We also preferred disposals that were extremely easy to install, shipping with all necessary hardware, and those that were relatively quiet and excelled with keeping the sink clean. Speaking of excelled, check out the products that made our best kitchen appliances list.
The best product we tried was the InSinkErator Badger 5 Garbage Disposal, which is made from durable galvanized steel components and features a powerful ½ hp motor, with a space saving design that fits most common sink setups. We also liked how easy it was to set-up, with a quick install mount, and that it features a grind capability that easily handles most food stuffs. Keep reading to learn more about the InSinkErator Badger 5 Garbage Disposal and the other items on this list.
The InSinkErator Badger 5 Garbage Disposal is a powerful item, boasting a ½ hp Dura-Drive induction motor that easily grinds up most foodstuffs. The disposal features a continuous feed design, which is great, and comes with a fantastic two year home service warranty, so they’ll pay for both plumber and parts should anything go wrong within that time frame. We also liked the plug-and-play install, which takes only moments, providing you already have an InSinkErator disposal.
The install is extremely easy if you have the aforementioned InSinkErator disposal, just requiring a simple swap, but it can be significantly more difficult if this is your first disposal or if you are swapping out from a different brand (though some other brands will work.) Additionally, the components are, for the most part, highly durable, containing both galvanized steel and stainless steel, but much of the grind chamber is made of plastic, which could turn off certain consumers. Once you have it set up, celebrate by making a drink in the best espresso machine. Or, put your feet up while cooking a meal using the best automatic pot stirrer.
The Waste King L-1001 Garbage Disposal features a similarly powered motor to our top pick, ½ hp, while featuring a larger-than-average 27.3 ounce grind chamber, which amounts to less cleanup, and comes with all necessary components for a dishwasher hookup. We also liked how compact and lightweight it is, helping with both install and use, and the continuous feed design, another feature in line with our top pick. Speaking of easy to install and use, check out our best gas range reviews if you are in the market for a new cooker.
Though this does come with a two year warranty, which is in line with our top pick, it is a limited warranty, and only includes replacement and parts, and not in-home service. Also, this requires a full install and, though it does include all necessary components, the procedure is somewhat complicated for the uninitiated. This is not as easy as plugging in the best waffle maker and making breakfast. Pair this with the Chef-Right Magnetic Seal Sink Drain Strainer, which uses a magnet to form a seal between the sink flange and strainer for an unbeatable sink disposal system.
The Waste Maid 10-US-WM-058-3B Garbage Disposal is a beast, despite its budget-friendly price tag, with a ½ hp motor that includes anti-jam stainless steel impellers and a corrosion proof turntable. We also liked the proprietary “bio shield” technology, which helps to reduce odors associated with wet food scraps and the continuous feed design, which handles disposal jobs quickly and efficiently.
Though this does come with a similar two year warranty to our top pick, it only includes parts or replacement, and does not pay for a plumber to come to your home and fix any issues that may arise. Additionally, this does not ship with any tools intended to handle the kinds of jams that can occur with garbage disposals. These devices are more complicated than say, the best single serve coffee maker, but they make your kitchen run smoother.
This Moen GXS75C GX Series Garbage Disposal is a versatile and powerful product, featuring a ¾ hp vortex motor that can handle just about any food scrap imaginable, and proprietary “soundshield” technology that effectively reduces, and in some cases eliminates, noise during use. We also loved the limited lifetime warranty, though it was difficult to find information about, and the excellent integration with most common septic tank designs.
Though this product does offer an easy install if you already have a universal bracket set up, it can be somewhat difficult to go in fresh, though it does ship with the aforementioned bracket. Also, the rubber splash guard cannot be removed, for cleaning purposes, requiring removal of the entire disposal. Garbage disposals are as handy to a kitchen as the best hand mixer or microwave.
This KitchenAid Continuous Feed Garbage Disposal is ten inches tall, which is several inches shorter than the standard of 16 inches tall, making it the best garbage disposal for farmhouse sinks, as space tends to be cramped with those kinds of products. It boasts a powerful ¾ hp motor that spins at 1725 rpm and pulverizes food scraps, thanks to a two stage grinding process. We also liked the five year warranty, which includes in-home service should anything go wrong during that time frame. You might want to also consider some of the best cookware, to make your kitchen ready for anything.
Though the item is shorter than most other items on this list, it is extremely heavy, at 20 pounds, which could make installation somewhat difficult. To that end, it does require a full manual installation, and tools are not included. Another powerful garbage disposal you can check out of Amazon.com is the InSinkErator Evolution Excel Garbage Disposal. It shows superior yet quiet performance with three grinding stages, has permanent lubricated upper and lower bearings, and a 10-year limited warranty. The Evolution Compact 3/4 HP Compact Garbage Disposal is another option on a smaller scale, but still powerful enough to crush tough materials, like chicken bones. Add an additional 3 or 4 year protection plan to make sure you and your product are covered. Your kitchen may also be ready for the best toaster to make breakfast easy.
The GE GFC525V Continuous Feed Garbage Disposal features a quick-spinning ½ hp motor, 2800 rpm, that excels with grinding up food scraps. It also comes with anti-jam grinding blades, to further assist with efficiency, and a large capacity turntable made from galvanized steel, helping to house the scraps after being ground up. The removable splash guard is great, for the purposes of cleaning, as is the light and compact form factor.
Though many of the components on offer are made from stainless steel and galvanized steel, there are some plastic parts, including the external casing. Also, this product only comes with a one year warranty, which is the shortest to be found on this list. Speaking of keeping your kitchen clean and easy, the best oven cleaner will keep your oven looking fresh.
To help narrow down to the above list, we tested disposals for speed and efficiency, ensuring they could handle nearly any food scraps that commonly wind up in sinks. We made sure the motors on offer were powerful, no less than ½ hp, with rapid rotations and blades that effortlessly split apart food particles. To that end, we preferred products with large grind chambers, as large as 27 ounces, to house residue in between cleanings.
We really enjoyed models that offered some manner of anti-jam protection, be it in the form of an easily accessible reset button or a feature built into the grinding blades themselves. We also liked products with removable splash guards, for easy cleaning, and those that included some kind of sound dampening technology, making some of the above disposals whisper quiet while in use.
As far as installation goes, most of the above products do require a full install, which can get complicated, though many, such as our top pick, integrate nicely with universal mounts. This means that if you already have a disposal installed, chances are you’ll be able to easily swap it out for a new one without too much of a headache. Finally, we were attracted to long-lasting warranties, often with in-home service included, such was the case with our top pick and our number five pick.
