Buyers Guide & Information

Best Cheap Garbage Disposals Reviews

If you’re on a budget, this guide will help you find the right garbage disposal for your needs!

by Holly Curell

If you eat at home or prepare food often, you probably have a pretty good idea of why your garbage disposal is so important. If you aren’t throwing your food waste in the trash, there is a good chance that you are going to grind it up in your garbage disposal in your sink. That means that you need a reliable, powerful, working garbage disposal so that you can properly dispose of all of your food waste so that you can have a clean and quiet kitchen. Read this article before you buy a Best Cheap Garbage Disposals.

Have you ever had to shop for a garbage disposal before? Or did the home that you moved into already have a garbage disposal installed in the kitchen?

Regardless of whether or not you have had to change your garbage disposal or not, you are going to be in the market at some point. Now maybe you want a reliable garbage disposal, but you would rather not blow a ton of money on it. That’s totally understandable, which is why today, we are going to take a look at some of the best, cheap garbage disposals that you can buy.

First, we are going to take a look at some of the key factors that you should consider when shopping for a Cheap Garbage Disposals.

How To Choose The Best Cheap Garbage Disposals

Here is some criteria that you need to consider when you are shopping for a garbage disposal system.

How Often You Will Be Using it​

How often are you going to be using your garbage disposal?How often are you eating at home or how often are you bringing food home to eat?

​The amount that you are going to be using your garbage disposal is going to carry a lot of weight in choosing the right garbage disposal for you. If you are preparing and cooking food at home or bringing food home daily and are going to create a lot of food waste, you are probably going to want a nicer garbage disposal that is going to hold up better when used every day. We wouldn’t recommend getting a cheaper disposal now, because that could mean repair costs or a complete disposal replacement in your near future.

What Will You Be Using In Your Garbage Disposal?

This is a factor that many people don’t consider. What kinds of foods and food waste are you going to be using in your garbage disposal?

If you are going to be grinding up a lot of gritty, hard, or slimy foods that could be tough on your disposal, you may want to get one of the nicer disposals, in this review. This will just help you make sure that you don’t throw anything in the disposal that the blades and the motor can’t handle.

If you are only going to be throwing in mostly softer foods that grind more easily, you probably aren’t going to have to worry about getting the nicer, higher power disposals.

Noise Level​

We could all say that garbage disposals are pretty noisy. They can be more or less noisy depending on your kitchen and the layout of your house. sometimes exhaust fans used for cooling the kitchen can also increase the noise level. If noise carries easily in your house and you like keeping it quiet, you are probably going to want to get a garbage disposal that uses some kind of noise suppression device or technology so that you don’t disturb your house and maybe even your neighbors. Or maybe you more of a closed layout in your house so that your kitchen can trap noise pretty easily. In either case, the level of noise suppression that you are going to get out of your disposal is something that you are definitely going to want to pay attention to.

Size

Garbage disposal size is another important factor that you are going to want to take in consideration. Here are some of the questions that you may want to ask yourself first.​

  • How big is your household and how many people usually eat there during the day?
  • How big is your sink?
  • How big is the area beneath your sink?
  • How large is your existing garbage disposal, if you already have one?

If you are going to have a ton of food waste and debris that you are going to want to throw into your garbage disposal, and you have the room for it underneath the sink, you are going to need a larger model. If you have a smaller household or lack a lot of space underneath your sink, you are going to need a smaller disposal.

Price

What’s in your budget for a new garbage disposal? That’s the whole reason that you are reading this review right now, right?​

  • How much have you allotted for yourself to spend on a new garbage disposal?
  • What can you get for the price range that you have designated yourself?
  • Can you get all of the features in a garbage disposal that you want and need and stay within your budget?
  • Are you going to have to adjust your budget based on your assessed needs and preferences?

Best Cheap Garbage Disposal - Top Picks

Now that you have an idea of some of the key features and factors that you want to be looking for when shopping for a garbage disposal, let’s go ahead and jump into some of the best, cheap garbage disposals that you can find.

1. Waste King L-8000

The Waste King Legend Series 8,000 is the first of many cheap and reliable garbage disposals that we are going to be taking a look at together. We really like this Waste King because it gives you a lot of power and options, for a fair price.

The L-8,000 has a high speed motor that puts out 1.0 horsepower, and can run at 2,800 rotations per minute. So it can grind up just about anything that you have for it.

It is built with stainless steel, insulated grinding components that dramatically reduce the noise of the garbage disposal. It is really easy to open up and install. 

This pack comes with all of the hardware that you need to easily install and start using your disposal system. In the box you are of course going to get the disposal, a 36 inch power cord so that you can plug in your new disposal, and a removable splash guard that makes it really easy to clean.

The Waste King Legend Series 8,000 is the first of many cheap and reliable garbage disposals that we are going to be taking a look at together. We really like this Waste King because it gives you a lot of power and options, for a fair price.

The L-8,000 has a high speed motor that puts out 1.0 horsepower, and can run at 2,800 rotations per minute. So it can grind up just about anything that you have for it. It is built with stainless steel, insulated grinding 

PROS

  • Really powerful
  • Super quiet
  • Includes the power cord
  • Includes the splash guard
  • Lifetime warranty

CONS

  • Cheaply designed sink flange that dents easily
  • Some of the steps in the installation instructions can be unclear

2. Whirlpool GC1000XE

The Whirlpool GC1000XE is the next garbage disposal that we are going to be taking a look at.

The interesting thing about this unit in comparison to the last one is that this model is much smaller, but still packs a punch for a tinier disposal.

This is a ⅓ horsepower motor with a power output at 1725 rotations per minute. 

The continuous feed design of this particular garbage disposal prevents clogging, so that you don’t have an overflowing or messy sink.

It also comes with a one year limited manufacturer's warranty, should anything be wrong with your garbage disposal.

Apparently, this model comes with a power cord as well, and is really easy to install.

The Whirlpool GC1000XE is the next garbage disposal that we are going to be taking a look at. The interesting thing about this unit in comparison to the last one is that this model is much smaller, but still packs a punch for a tinier disposal. This is a ⅓ horsepower motor with a power output at 1725 rotations per minute. The continuous feed design of this particular garbage disposal prevents clogging, so that you don’t have an overflowing or messy sink. It also comes with a one year limited manufacturer's warranty, should anything be wrong with your garbage disposal. Apparently, this model comes with a power cord as well, and is really easy to install.

PROS

  • Includes power cord
  • Compact design
  • High power for a smaller unit
  • Warranty included

CONS

  • Can get shuffled around while being shipped
  • Noisier than other disposal units

3. InSinkErator Badger 5

The InSinkErator Badger 5 is another great and inexpensive disposal model that may be the right one for you. 

This is another powerful compact model that you can use to grind up your food debris and waste. This disposal packs ½ horsepower, and the rotations per minute of the motor is not listed in the power output.

This product is totally made in the United States, which is a plus if you are ordering in the US. The power cord is not included with the system, but you can buy a package for less than 10 dollars more that includes the power cord with it.

It is made up by a 26 ounce grind chamber with a galvanized steel grind system.

The InSinkErator Badger 5 is another great and inexpensive disposal model that may be the right one for you. This is another powerful compact model that you can use to grind up your food debris and waste. This disposal packs ½ horsepower, and the rotations per minute of the motor is not listed in the power output. This product is totally made in the United States, which is a plus if you are ordering in the US. The power cord is not included with the system, but you can buy a package for less than 10 dollars more that includes the power cord with it. It is made up by a 26 ounce grind chamber with a galvanized steel grind system.


PROS

  • 26 ounce unit that can hold a lot of waste
  • ½ of horsepower output
  • Made of durable steel
  • 2 year in home limited warranty
  • Really easy to install

CONS

  • Not as powerful as some of the other units
  • No apparent noise suppression technology or features

4. Whirlpool GC2000XE

Let’s take a look at another disposal from Whirlpool. 

This particular model, the GC2000XE, has a stainless steel sink flange and a one piece plastic stopper to keep your sink area clean.

It has a galvanized, stainless steel grinding wheel and shredder ring, for effectively shredding and disposing of your food.

It is equipped with an overload protector with a manual reset, and a ½ horsepower motor for grinding your food.

Let’s take a look at another disposal from Whirlpool. This particular model, the GC2000XE, has a stainless steel sink flange and a one piece plastic stopper to keep your sink area clean. It has a galvanized, stainless steel grinding wheel and shredder ring, for effectively shredding and disposing of your food. It is equipped with an overload protector with a manual reset, and a ½ horsepower motor for grinding your food.





PROS

  • ½ horsepower motor
  • Super affordable
  • Grind ring that protects your sink and kitchen from getting messy
  • Stainless steel for rust resistance and durability

CONS

  • Not as powerful as other motors
  • Good for everyday food scraps, but can’t handle anything too hard

5. Waste King L-1001

Let’s take a look at another Waste King Model with the L-1001. 

This is another ½ horsepower, continuous feed garbage disposal, but with a motor that puts out 2,600 rotations per minute.

What we love about this unit is that it does come with a 36 inch power cord.

It comes with a removable splash guard, and a space saving design so that it doesn’t take up too much storage space under the sink.

This disposal system also comes with a 2 year in home warranty to protect you and your disposal unit.

Let’s take a look at another Waste King Model with the L-1001. This is another ½ horsepower, continuous feed garbage disposal, but with a motor that puts out 2,600 rotations per minute. What we love about this unit is that it does come with a 36 inch power cord. It comes with a removable splash guard, and a space saving design so that it doesn’t take up too much storage space under the sink. This disposal system also comes with a 2 year in home warranty to protect you and your disposal unit.


PROS

  • Super cheap and affordable
  • Comes with a 36 inch power cord
  • 2 year in home warranty
  • ½ horsepower that puts out 2,600 rotations per minute
  • Comes with a removable splash guard

CONS

  • The mounting ring is not that great
  • It’s not a huge unit
  • This disposal is pretty loud

6. InSinkErator Evolution Essential

This is by far the most advanced and the most expensive of the cheap garbage disposals that we are going to be looking at today. 

The InSinkErator Evolution Essential has a lot of great features, including a Soundseal technology, which makes this disposal significantly quieter than other disposals.

It has two-stage grinding technology that can handle any waste, so you have nothing to worry about when it comes to tough food waste.

This model has a massive 40 ounce grind chamber, which is awesome for big households and massive amounts of food waste. 

It features a durable, stainless steel grind chamber and components, and a 6 year in home limited warranty.

This is by far the most advanced and the most expensive of the cheap garbage disposals that we are going to be looking at today. The InSinkErator Evolution Essential has a lot of great features, including a Soundseal technology, which makes this disposal significantly quieter than other disposals. It has two-stage grinding technology that can handle any waste, so you have nothing to worry about when it comes to tough food waste. This model has a massive 40 ounce grind chamber, which is awesome for big households and massive amounts of food waste. It features a durable, stainless steel grind chamber and components, and a 6 year in home limited warranty.

PROS

  • Massive grind chamber
  • Durable stainless steel components
  • 6 year in home limited warranty
  • Multigrind technology that can grind up just about anything

CONS

  • Significantly more expensive than the other models
  • Does not come with a power cord

Who Needs One of These Garbage Disposals?

If you are looking for a great quality garbage disposal and don’t want to break the bank, any one of these garbage disposals would be great for you. Just keep in mind the key factors that we gave you in the beginning of this article when you are shopping, to determine which garbage disposal would be best for you.

Final Verdict

In the end, there has to be one that stood out. For us, that was actually the first model that we looked at, the Waste King Legend Series L-8000. If you don’t have the money to shell out for the last InSinkErator that we looked at, don’t want to get a Best Cheap Garbage Disposal, and want to get everything that you need for a reasonable price, this disposal has everything that you need. It puts out 1.0 horsepower and enough RPMs to grind up anything, and it has insulated components that will make using your disposal much quieter.

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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