Buyer's Guide & Information

Best Batch Feed Garbage Disposal Reviewed

We have reviewed, rated and recommended the top batch food disposers on the market.

by Holly Curell

When it comes to garbage disposal systems, it’s not just about having a good, reliable product that is going to be able to grind up and dispose of all of your food waste. The shopping process is about picking the right garbage disposal system for your wants, needs, and lifestyle. Read the review on Best Batch Feed Garbage Disposal

You may think that shopping for a solid garbage disposal is really simple, and that there just can’t be that much variety on the market. Actually, there are tons of different brands and kinds of garbage disposals available online that come with a wide array of options, additions, sizes, functionalities, warranties, and more.

Best Garbage Disposal for Deep Sinks

We are going to give you a quick overview of what you need to be looking for in terms of features and qualities when you are shopping for a garbage disposal, and then we are going to take a look at some of the top selling, and top performing garbage disposals on the market so that you can choose the right one for you.

Preview

Product

Horse Power

Speed

Check Price

Waste King L-8000TC Controlled Activation 1...

Waste King

L-8000TC

1 HP

2800 RPM

KitchenAid KBDS100T 1 hp Batch Feed Food...

KitchenAid 

KBDS100T

1 HP

1725 RPM

Waste King 9900TC Controlled Activation 3/4...

Waste King 

9900TC

3/4 HP

2700 RPM

Waste King 9980TC Controlled Activation 1 HP...

Waste King

9980TC

1 HP

2800 RPM

GE 3/4 HP Batch Feed Garbage Disposer...

GE

GFB760V

3/4 HP

3100 RPM


How to Choose a Batch Feed Garbage Disposal

As you can see, there is a lot more in choosing the right batch feed garbage disposal than meets the eye. There are quite a few important things that you need to consider before just jumping in and buying one. Here are some key points to consider when you are shopping for your next batch feed garbage disposal system.

1. How often do you Cook and Eat at Home?

How often you cook and eat at home is something that is really important to consider. If you cook and prepare food at home quite a bit, you may or may not be using a garbage disposal that often, depending on the kinds of foods that you are preparing and using for your meals.

If you or you and your family eat out fairly often and don’t typically accumulate a ton of food waste in your garbage disposal, you may not need as powerful or as advanced of a disposal system.

2. How Often do You plan on Using Your Disposal System?

This facet to consider kind of goes hand in hand with how often you cook, prepare, and eat foods at home. Do you eat most of your meals at home during the day that end up producing a lot of food waste? Or are you busy during most of your work day and barely have time to eat breakfast and dinner at home.

Once again, if you eat and prepare food quite a bit at home, you want to make sure that you have a reliable, sturdy disposal system that can handle all of that food waste.

3. What kinds of waste will you be grinding?

Best Food Disposals

We believe that the kinds of food waste that you will be using in your disposal is another very important thing to consider. The softer, more flaky, or easily shredded foods are, the easier that they will be on your grinder.

Conversely, the more rigid, finicky, or inflexible food waste is, the harder your disposal system is going to need to be able to work to dispose of it.

That means that if you eat at home often, and have some thick waste, you are going to need better components and a higher horsepower to be able to grind it up.

4. Do you Want a Quiet Kitchen?

This is something that we believe that everyone should keep in mind when shopping for the right garbage disposal system: how quiet do you want or need your garbage disposal to be?

If you like having peace and quiet in your home, you will probably want to make sure that your batch prep disposal has some kind of soundproofing technology so that you don’t wake up or disturb anyone in the vicinity of your kitchen.

Choosing good soundproofing technology may also depend on whether you live in a house, apartment, or condo. If you live in a condo or apartment and have close neighbors, you may want to make sure that you get a soundproof or noise reduced disposal unit so that you don’t disturb your close neighbors.

If you are on a budget or don’t mind the noise, soundproofing may not be as high of a priority to you.

Check out our full guide on quiet garbage disposals for more information. 

5. What’s Your Budget?

Another important thing to consider when looking for a new garbage disposal is what’s in your budget? If you need something reliable and don’t want to break the bank, it’s really important for you to check out all of your options so that you know you are getting a low price for a reliable disposal.

If budget isn’t that much of a concern to you, you may want to go ahead and splurge on all of the bells and whistles to get a really nice, high tech disposal.

6. What Size Should Your Batch Feed Garbage Disposal Be?

This will, of course, depend on several factors: the size of the space available under the sink, level of usage (light or heavy) and the number of people in your household.

In general, it can be said that it doesn’t pay to economize too much. Cheaper versions of these hard-working home helpers often don’t have the stamina for the job long term and will end up costing you more money than you save.

The next thing to consider is if you have enough space under your sink. Bear in mind that some kitchen layouts mean that there's minimal spare capacity down there. That's not necessarily a massive problem as there are some smaller garbage disposal units on the market, although they are less powerful.

To know precisely, you’ll have to measure the space available (length/height/width) and compare them to the specifications of the units you’re looking at. If you don’t, you risk being disappointed and frustrated when you’re unable to fit the unit you’ve purchased.

Generally speaking, the higher the horsepower (HP), the larger the unit. Therefore, if you have limited space (in an apartment or studio, for example), you’ll have to opt for a less powerful unit.

7. How Strong Do You Want Your Motor?

The power (HP) of the motor in garbage disposal units varies between 1/3, 1/2, 3/4 and 1 HP, which are all suited to different levels of usage, as follows:

  • 1/3 HP:
    This lowest powered unit is perfect for 1 or 2 people, living in a small apartment or studio and especially if not in use every day.
  • ½ HP:
    For 2-4 family members. Even though this type has more power than the 1/3 HP, it should still only be used for light scraps and not for heavy, consistent use.
  • ¾ HP:
    This size is the most popular one among homeowners with small families. It can take on the toughest food waste, such as vegetable peels and small bones.
  • 1 HP:
    The most powerful unit available and ideal for families with 4-8 members or a kitchen with lots of heavy use.

5 Best Batch Feed Garbage Disposals Reviewed

Do you have a better idea of all of the essentials when it comes to finding the right garbage disposal? Now that you have a little rubric for how to check which batch garbage disposal is right for you, we want to go over five of the top selling and performing batch feed garbage disposals that you can find.

1. Waste King L-8000TC

Waste King L-8000TC Controlled Activation 1...
  • HIGH-SPEED MOTOR: The 1 HP, 2800 RPM (115v)...
  • EASY INSTALLATION: EZ Mount for a quick and...
  • BATCH FEED DISPOSAL: Activated by included...
  • 10 YEAR PROTECTION: 10-year Limited Warranty

The Waste King L-8000TC is a reliable batch feed garbage disposal from one of the leading companies on the market. Waste King not only boasts a great disposal, they actually have some of the longest warranties and best customer service in the industry.

This is a super powerful batch feed garbage disposal with a lot to offer, and happens to be on the lower end of the price range. Check out the full video review by On Point Reviews, below. 

"Great garbage disposal! I highly recommend this. It's easy to install and does a great job. Very powerful and will grind up just about anything you put in it. Slightly bigger than other garbage disposals. Well worth the money!" - On Point Reviews

Highlighted Features
  • A high speed, permanent magnet 2800 rpm motor that is super effective at grinding up your food and waste.
  • Includes a 36 inch power cord.
  • Removable splash guard.
  • Grinding components that are rust free, for a long-lasting garbage disposal.
  • One of the longest warranties in the industry.

2. KitchenAid KBDS100T

KitchenAid KBDS100T 1 hp Batch Feed Food...
  • Batch feed effectively manages large...
  • Motor rotates at 1725 rpm for effective...
  • Sound seal plus technology makes the disposer...
  • 1 horsepower motor

Kitchen Aid is another one of those companies where just about everyone recognizes their name. They have been a household name in kitchen appliances for years, and they deliver a pretty high quality batch feed garbage disposal as well. Let’s take a look at the Kitchen Aid KBDS100T.

Highlighted Features
  • Great for managing and grinding large quantities of waste.
  • A high speed, high powered motor that can grind waste at 1725 rotations per minute.
  • Soundseal plus technology and soundproofing that is perfect for keeping your garbage disposal quiet even when you are grinding rigid, loud, or stingy foods.
  • One total horsepower’s worth of strength in this small motor.

On the KitchenAid website, user JD calls this garbage disposal the "Best Ever!" They go on to say, "This is the 5th or 6th waste disposal unit we have had, 10th home. First, we have had units of differing power we knew from experience one wants a 1 horse unit. Having said that, the Kitchenaid unit is by far the best we have ever had. I love the magnetic switch/stopper and the grinding power is superb!"


3. Waste King 9900TC

Waste King 9900TC Controlled Activation 3/4...
  • HIGH-SPEED MOTOR: The 3/4 HP, 2700 RPM (115...
  • EASY INSTALLATION: Professional 3-Bolt Mount...
  • BATCH FEED DISPOSAL: Activated by included...
  • 10 YEAR PROTECTION: 10-year Limited Warranty

The Waste King 9900TC is yet another great and reliable disposal unit by Waste King. Waste King lauds this particular model as one of the best and highest performing batch feed garbage disposals on the market.

Here are some of the highlighted features and some of the other aspects of this particular garbage disposal that we liked the most.

Highlighted Features
  • A motor that delivers 2700 rotations per minute.
  • A long, 36 inch power cord that is included with this garbage disposal.
  • Grinding components that are totally rust free.
  • Batch feed operation, so like the other models, this does not require a wall switch to activate it.
  • One of the longest warranties in the industry from one of the most reliable companies in garbage disposals.

"With quick and durable installation methods, high speeds, and jam-resistant technology, Waste King residential disposals offer an eco-friendly and easy way to dispose of food scraps right at your kitchen sink." - Waste King


4. Waste King 9980TC

Waste King 9980TC Controlled Activation 1 HP...
  • HIGH-SPEED MOTOR: The 1 HP, 2800 RPM (115...
  • EASY INSTALLATION: Professional 3-Bolt Mount...
  • BATCH FEED DISPOSAL: Activated by included...
  • 10 YEAR PROTECTION: 10-year Limited

Here’s yet another great model from Waste King with their 9980TC model. This is by far the most expensive and highest technology of the waste king models that we are taking a look at today.

Here are some of the aspects of this particular Waste King model that we wanted to take note of.

Highlighted Features
  • A Vortex powered permanent magnet motor.
  • A motor that delivers a powerful 2800 rotations per minute.
  • It seems like every inch of this particular model is made with sturdy, rust proof or rust resistant stainless steel.
  • A sturdy 3 bolt mounting system.
  • One of the longest warranties in the industry.

Reviewer TechTux on the Best Buy website writes, "I was in need of a new garbage disposal due to my old one degraded to the point of leaking. I found this product to be a great alternative to other 1HP's on the market for twice the price. Installation was very easy and when running it is a lot quieter then my old unit."


5. GE GFB760V

GE 3/4 HP Batch Feed Garbage Disposer...
  • Heavy duty 3/4 horsepower permanent magnet...
  • EZ Mount installation with removable splash...
  • Super capacity with stainless turntable
  • DrainBoost technology, sound reduction...

The last stop on our journey is the GE GFB 760V. General Electric is another one of those companies that has been in the home appliance industry for over 100 years, and has delivered quality products that are second to none. Let’s have a look at some of the highlights of one of their top batch feed garbage disposals.

Highlighted Features
  • A 3/4 horsepower permanent magnet motor.
  • The highest rotations per minute of any motor that we have looked at so far at 3100 rotations per minute.
  • EZ mount installation.
  • Stopper and removable splash card included.
  • A huge interior capacity with a stainless steel turntable.
  • Sound reduction technology.
  • Stainless steel, anti-jam grinding blades.

One satisfied customer shared, "I am so happy with the G E Brand Batch Food Disposer, don't want any other fly by night brand!"


Differences Between Batch & Continuous Feed

The first thing that you need to know when it comes to garbage disposals is that they come in two different types, batch feed and continuous feed.

In this particular review, we are going to be covering batch feed disposal systems, but it is smart to have an idea of what both of these systems can do before you go into shopping, just so you know what they will have to offer.

Batch feed Food disposals

Batch feed garbage disposals, as the name suggests, allows you to grind up your food and kitchen waste in large batches. Here are some of the notes that we have on batch feed garbage disposals.

Pros
  • You have to have a rubber stopper on the top of them before they will work, which will help make sure that nothing will fall in the garbage disposal that doesn’t need to be there, like small silverware or jewelry.
  • Batch feed garbage disposals are awesome for large quantities of food because they are specifically built to handle them. So if you have tons of food scraps or waste, this would be ideal for you.
  • Allows you to completely fill the chamber before the garbage disposal will start to work. Even with a full load, it won’t have any problems grinding up the waste because that’s what it’s built for.
Cons
  • Not great for small quantities of food waste, or food waste that is slowly accumulating because it needs to be full to work. That could leave food waste to rot in your disposal until you can fill it.
  • These disposals take longer to grind up the waste.
Continuous feed Food disposals

Continuous feed disposals are some of the more common models that you will typically find in homes and apartments.

Pros
  • They do not have to be full for you to grind up the food or waste in your disposal.
  • If you don’t like having a messy kitchen, you can just keep throwing in waste and grinding it up as you work.
  • Continuous feed models are usually cheaper than batch disposal units.
Cons
  • Requires running cold water from the sink to work at its best.
  • Will continue to grind even if you drop a piece of silverware or jewelry down the drain which could cause serious damage to those items and the disposal.

In this particular article, we are just going to cover the big, batch disposal systems, for those of you who love to cook, use your kitchen, and may have a lot of food waste.

So now that you have a nice overview of the types of disposals on the market, let’s go ahead and take a look at seem of the things that you want to keep an eye out for when choosing a batch feed garbage disposal.


How does a Batch Feed Disposal Work?

In a batch feed disposal, food waste is collected, sometimes over a day, until the unit is full.

To start the process, the top safety cover is inserted, which automatically engages the motor.

When the unit is operating, it’s not possible to add any more food waste.

Inside the garbage disposal unit, there is a grinding chamber which contains rotating shredding blades to break down the food and mix it with water.

An impeller arm and plate work together to force the resulting liquid down the drain. 

How Batch Feed Disposal Work

People also Ask (FAQs)

Why does it take longer to grind waste when using a batch feed disposal unit?

It’s the fact that continuous feed garbage disposals run as and when food waste is presented that makes them more time efficient; they don't do the job any faster. A batch feed unit requires you to insert the stopper to trigger the grinding process.

For the average home, this isn't a problem and, of course, the batch feed unit has an additional safety feature of not operating unless it's closed, keeping stray fingers safe.

However, if you are continually dealing with a large amount of food waste and are repeatedly having to insert the stopper and wait for the grinding process, you may find that your preference is for a continuous feed unit. 

What happens to the waste after it is ground in the waste disposal unit?

The garbage disposal unit contains a grinding chamber with shredding blades. These blades break down the food, combined with water. An impeller arm and plate then force the resulting liquid down into the drain.

What to do if the disposal won’t turn on?

If your unit won't turn on when you insert the stopper and you don't hear the familiar humming sound, then you have an electrical problem, and the unit is not getting any current. Before getting in the professionals, there are many checks you can make to try to resolve the issue yourself that could end up saving you lots of hard-earned cash. Here's a checklist of possible problems (credit to the Spruce):

  1. 1
    Check it is plugged in. Obvious maybe, but failure to plug in any appliance is the most common source of problems, according to professionals.
  2. 2
    When you are sure it is plugged in, then locate and press the reset button on the bottom of the unit, which is a built-in circuit breaker. If the red button has ‘tripped’ you’ll find it is popped out slightly. All you need to do is to push it back in to complete the reset.
  3. 3
    If the reset doesn't work, then check the main service panel in your home to see if the circuit breaker has tripped. If so, reset the circuit breaker switch.
  4. 4
    Once you’ve ruled out those problems, then there may be a wiring problem with the switch that controls the disposal unit. Alternatively, the garbage disposal itself is faulty.
  5. 5
    Identify the relevant power switch that powers the disposal unit, which may be on the wall or possibly under the sink. Before touching this switch, turn off the circuit breaker that powers the disposal circuit at the main electrical service panel.
  6. 6
    Disassemble the switch that controls the disposal and inspect the wire connections. Occasionally, it may just be a loose connection that is the source of the problem. All that is needed is to tighten the wire connections.
  7. 7
    If no such problems are identified and the wire connections appear secure, the most likely explanation is that the switch is faulty and needs replacing.  
  8. 8
    Turn the power back on at the service panel and check if the disposal unit is now functioning. If it doesn’t operate normally, then it is time for a replacement unit to be fitted.
What to do if my batch feed disposal jams?

Problems like this are not generally hard to solve. We find it’s always way more effective to show than to tell when it comes to practical solutions, so here’s a video showing you how it’s done.

How can I prevent my water disposer from smelling bad?

This is a common problem, but there are some straightforward, cheap, and chemical-free ways to get rid of those nasty odors and keep your kitchen smelling nice and fresh. BUT be sure to check the manufacturer’s instructions of your unit before trying them as they may not suit every appliance. Click here to find seven simple tips to banish those smells. It's also important to regularly clean your garbage disposal. 

Is a plumber needed to install a batch feed garbage disposal?

If you are replacing an existing unit with a new one, then this is a relatively easy task for a reasonably competent DIYer. Watch this helpful video guide by Home Depot

Installing a garbage disposal in a position where there wasn't one before, on the other hand, calls for both plumbing and electrical skills. Only consider doing this if you are very experienced, but otherwise, our advice is to call in a professional.


Final Verdict

In the end, there was one particular model that stood out to us the most. In this case, the best happened to come first. The Waste King L-8000TC was the top dog in this comparison for a number of reasons.

This is one of the least expensive models that we looked at today, that also delivers the most power and highest rotations per minute in its pricing range.

With the extended warranty along with Waste King’s customer service and standing by their garbage disposal, it is hard to look any further than this batch feed garbage disposal. If you need a new garbage disposal today, this is the one for you.

Holly Curell is the editor extraordinaire for Plumbing Lab. Having grown up in Michigan, Holly has spent time living in New York, Virginia, & currently North Carolina, where she lives with her husband & family. Holly loves DIY & has years of experience with at-home plumbing problems that arise from having 3 kids & living in colder climates. When she's not writing about her plumbing knowledge, Holly enjoys reading, hiking & relaxing with family.

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