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The Best Garbage Disposal

Last updated on August 15, 2024
Categories Kitchen Tags

We looked at the top 11 Garbage Disposals and dug through the reviews from 60 of the most popular review sites including and more. The result is a ranking of the best Garbage Disposals.

Best Garbage Disposal

Our Review Process

Don't Waste Your Money is focused on helping you make the best purchasing decision. Our team of experts spends hundreds of hours analyzing, testing, and researching products so you don't have to. Learn more.

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Our Picks For The Top Garbage Disposals

View All Recommendations
Product Overview
Key Takeaway
Pros
Cons
 Top Pick

Moen Stainless Steel Septic-Safe Garbage Disposal

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Moen

Stainless Steel Septic-Safe Garbage Disposal

Keep odor-producing foods from sticking up your trash can by utilizing this garbage disposal instead. It's safe for septic systems and is powerful enough to grind food into miniscule particles that are easy to rinse away. It even features a built-in power cord for instant use.

Overall Take

Runs QuietlyThis garbage disposal is constructed using SoundSHIELD for a quieter operation.

 Runner Up

Waste Maid 3-Bolt Food Garbage Disposal

Waste Maid

3-Bolt Food Garbage Disposal

Constructed using stainless steel, this garbage disposal is extremely reliable. It utilizes a three-bolt mounting system and is easy to install. Homeowners will appreciate the powerful motor and ability to continue to feed the disposal while it's running.

Overall Take

Most EconomicalStick to your budget with this affordably priced garbage disposal.

Pros
" This is a continuous feed type disposal where you can continuously add food wastes without stopping."
Cons
"A bit loud"
 We Also Like

InSinkErator Evolution Ultra Quiet Garbage Disposal

InSinkErator

Evolution Ultra Quiet Garbage Disposal

A 1.0-horsepower motor makes this garbage disposal one of the most powerful on the market. You'll be able to attack even the most stubborn waste with this disposal. Thanks to SoundSeal technology, you'll also get a quiet grinding experience from start to finish.

Overall Take

Long Lasting MotorThis garbage disposal is durable and outfitted with a special LeakGuard Liner.

Pros
" Extremely quite and efficient."
Cons
"Is quite expensive"
 Strong Contender

InSinkErator Badger Space Saving Garbage Disposal

InSinkErator

Badger Space Saving Garbage Disposal

Fully galvanized internal parts will ensure this garbage disposal runs reliably for many years. If you're on a budget, you'll love the price on this garbage disposal, which also has an easy-to-install mounting system. It's extremely small, making it ideal for households with limited space under the sink.

Overall Take

Easy to InstallMade using galvanized steel components, this garbage disposal is a reliable choice.

Pros
" All internals are galvanized, and the machine is known to be extremely durable."
Cons
"On a side note, you will need to buy a separate power cord for the Badger 1 since it doesn’t come with one"

Buying Guide

When dinner’s over and it’s time to clean up, what do you do with all the table scraps? Even if you scrape them into the wastebasket, there will still be some food that makes its way down the drain. A garbage disposal can make life easier, crushing up all that food so that it easily makes its way through your home’s pipes.

If your home came with a garbage disposal installed, you may not think much about how it works until it’s eventually time to replace it. You’ll likely find after a decade or so, your disposal reduces its efficiency or begins jamming excessively, at which point you’ll need to get a new one. As you start shopping, you may be amazed at all the choices.

Efficiency is the most important factor in a garbage disposal. One with a strong motor will be able to crush even the toughest food fragments. Others will struggle, forcing you to carefully monitor what you put down the drain. You’ll also find that some garbage disposals have built-in technology to prevent jams — a feature that will be very welcome if your current unit tends to clog easily.

If you’re replacing an existing garbage disposal, you should be able to make the switch easily, as long as you shut off power to the unit before you start working. However, if you’re installing from scratch, you probably will need a nearby outlet and switch installed. You’ll need to contact a professional electrician to take care of that.

Once your disposal is installed, it’s important to realize that it’s not a trash can. You’ll still need to scrape the majority of your food into the garbage, using the disposal only for food scraps. You should also avoid pouring grease or coffee grounds down the drain since that can cause issues. With a combination of the right disposal and good upkeep, you can keep your household plumbing healthy for many years.

Don't just take for granted what one reviewer says. Along with our own experts, DWYM analyzes the top expert reviews of the leading products and generates a score you can actually trust.
18

Products Considered

We identified the majority of the garbage disposals available to purchase.
11

Products Analyzed

We then selected the leading and most popular products for our team to review.

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60

Expert Reviews Included

In addition to our expert reviews, we also incorporate feedback and analysis of some of the most respected sources including: Disposal XT, Wise Pick, Dispose Tips, Consumer Reports, Garbage Disposal Reviews and Tips.

48,616

User Opinions Analyzed

We also incorporate user reviews from the leading retailers including

Our experts reviewed the top 11 Garbage Disposals and also dug through the reviews from 60 of the most popular review sites including and more. The result is a ranking of the best of the best Garbage Disposals.

DWYM is your trusted roduct review source. Our team reviews thousands of product reviews from the trusted top experts and combines them into one easy-to-understand score. Learn more.

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The Best Bang For Your Buck

Waste Maid 3-Bolt Food Garbage Disposal

Key Takeawy

Constructed using stainless steel, this garbage disposal is extremely reliable. It utilizes a three-bolt mounting system and is easy to install. Homeowners will appreciate the powerful motor and ability to continue to feed the disposal while it's running.

What other experts liked

This is a continuous feed type disposal where you can continuously add food wastes without stopping.
- Disposal XT
March 29, 2019 | Full review
Bio-Shield is another top feature of this product and hinders the growth of bacteria, thereby this preventing odor from building up inside the unit.
- Wise Pick
November 14, 2019 | Full review
It is the best sink disposal with the torque master balanced crushing process, which attributes good turntables and armatures as the heart of the system.
- Dispose Tips

What other experts didn't like

The noise insulation capability of this garbage disposal is poor but is totally expected for a low budget disposal.
- Disposal XT
March 29, 2019 | Full review
A bit loud
- Wise Pick
November 14, 2019 | Full review
The waste maid is made up of 99% plastic material except for some parts like mounting neck, internal blades, drive shaft and feed tube which is the negative part in terms of operation.
- Dispose Tips

What to Look For

  • If you’re looking for a garbage disposal, the higher the horsepower, the more crushing power you’ll get. The InSinkErator Evolution Garbage Disposal is by far the most powerful, with 1.0 horsepower and three stages of food grinding. This means you can put almost any type of food waste into it, and it will crush it into tiny pieces.
  • With the InSinkErator Badger Garbage Disposal and the General Electric Continuous Feed Waste Disposal, you get only a 1/3-horsepower motor, which means you may find they have a tougher time grinding up hard waste, verses models that have a 0.5 horsepower motor.
  • One feature that sets some garbage disposals apart from others is continuous feed. With this feature, you’ll be able to continue to add food to the disposal while it’s running. Most of the disposals you’ll buy today have this feature, including the InSinkErator Evolution Garbage Disposal, InSinkErator Badger Garbage Disposal and the General Electric Continuous Feed Waste Disposal.
  • Garbage disposals are known for emitting a disruptive motor-driven sound while they’re running. But there are varying degrees of noisiness. The InSinkErator Evolution Garbage Disposal builds in SoundSeal technology, which combines advanced insulation with an antivibration mount and tailpipe for extremely quiet operation. The General Electric Continuous Feed Waste Disposal also features advanced insulation to keep noise at a minimum. You will find a bit of noise when you insert larger food items, but after that initial burst of grinding, it calms down quickly.
  • The combination of water and food particles can easily wear down even the best garbage disposal over time. Some options have stainless steel impellers that will resist rusting and keep your system healthy for many years. The InSinkErator Badger Garbage Disposal uses fully galvanized parts, which are known to be extremely durable. However, it can be prone to rusting over time.
  • Having to waste valuable time troubleshooting jammed garbage disposals is no fun. Today’s garbage disposals work to prevent jams using the latest technology. The InSinkErator Evolution Garbage Disposal has a sensor circuit to detect jams. Once one is found, it automatically increases the motor to power through them. Other disposals use stainless steel swivel impellers to battle clogs.
  • Although it does pack a powerful motor, the InSinkErator Evolution Garbage Disposal is by far more expensive than other garbage disposals, retailing for more than $350. Compare this to the InSinkErator Badger Garbage Disposal and the General Electric Continuous Feed Waste Disposal, both of which retail for less than $100.
  • If you’re limited in cabinet space under your sink, the bulkiness of the disposal will come into play. The InSinkErator Badger Garbage Disposal is only 7 x 7 x 12 inches and 12.8 pounds, compared to the InSinkErator Evolution Garbage Disposal, which is 13 x 12 x 12 inches and 25.5 pounds.
  • As long as you have a nearby outlet and switch already installed, you should be able to install your new garbage disposal without professional assistance. It’s important to shut off power to that area of the kitchen at the circuit breaker before you start the installation. The InSinkErator Badger Garbage Disposal and the General Electric Continuous Feed Waste Disposal both boast easy-to-install mounting systems.
  • Before you purchase a garbage disposal, make sure it’s compatible with the sink you already have. Some disposals, for instance, don’t fit certain types of cast iron sinks.

More to Explore

The InSinkErator Company launched garbage disposals in 1938, releasing the first 58 units to the market. However, it still took time for them to catch on. Though originally invented by John Hammes in his home workshop in 1927, it wasn’t until after World World War II, when kitchen modernization was a big trend, that garbage disposals really took off. By that time, InSinkErator faced competition from big brands, such as KitchenAid and General Electric. They continued to grow in popularity until, eventually, they became standard in most homes. Today, garbage disposals can be found in millions of kitchens across the world.

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