If you’re looking to find a way to help make the cleanup in your kitchen go faster than it does now, then a garbage disposal is going to be a great way to do so. Unfortunately, there are a lot of different thoughts and considerations that need to be taken in when it comes to finding the best garbage disposal. The following information is going to help make sure that you know exactly what you should be looking for when you start your search to find the best sink garbage disposal. In addition, you’re going to find plenty of product recommendations to help show you exactly what kind of product you should think about buying.
Best Sink Garbage Disposal - Comparison Chart
How To Choose The Best Sink Garbage Disposal
Horsepower
Even some of the smaller horsepower motors that you’re going to see are able to handle bones and other waste such as corn and carrots. Typically, the lowest you’ll see is a 1/2 horsepower motor but if you think your kitchen is going to have a tougher work load, then you might want to consider upgrading to a 3/4 or 1 horsepower motor because they will grind food better and reduce your chance of clogging the plumbing traps.
Auto-Reverse
This is probably one of the more important features that you’re going to find when it comes to a garbage disposal and it is often one of the most overlooked ones as well. With an auto-reverse feature, you’re going to be able to spin the blades in the opposite direction which can help to free up any food that may have gotten stuck in the disposer. If it doesn’t have this feature, you will have to use your hand to manually free up the disposer.
Electric or Hardwired
When you go to buy a garbage disposal, you’re essentially going to have two choices when it comes to the power source that is going to operate your garbage disposal. The first option is going to be to hardwire the disposal for electricity. While this is one of the better options, it is going to be hard to do if you do not have any previous experience with electrical. If you want something easier, than the electric option is going to be your best bet as it will just need to be plugged into the wall to get its power.
Stainless Steel
While stainless steel is not going to be able to handle everything that you put into it, it is certainly going to stand up better than any of the other materials. If you are thinking about spending the money on a garbage disposal system and you want to make sure that it is going to last for a long time, then stainless steel is the way to go. However, you should realize that it doesn’t always guarantee a longer life.
Warranty
When it comes to a garbage disposal, you want to make sure that you have a pretty solid warranty because you want to be covered if anything happens. In this case, the warranty will typically be an in-home warranty that allows them to come to your home to repair the problem. These warranties range from 1 year to 10 years to maybe even the life of the product, so be sure to pay attention to the warranty when you go to buy one.
Recommended Best Sink Garbage Disposal
1. InSinkErator Badger 5
With a 1/2 horsepower motor, this particular garbage disposal is going to provide you with plenty of power to help grind through the majority of foods you’re going to put into it. It is one of the more reasonably priced garbage disposals that you’re going to find and it also comes with a Dura-Drive Induction Motor to help make sure that you get all of the results you want to get.
The grind chamber is about 26 ounces and some with a steel grind system that works to produce a fine grind of all of the food that you throw into it. This ensures you are getting the results you want while also producing a fine enough food waste to not jam the garbage disposal.
When it comes to powering up this particular garbage disposal, it’s important to note that you need to make sure that you either have a power cord of your own or you purchase the kit that includes a power cord with it. In addition, this product is made in the U.S.A. and it comes with a 2-year in-home warranty to protect against any problems.
Pros
- Compact design
- ½ horsepower motor
- Dura-Drive induction technology
- 26-oz grind chamber
- One stage of grinding
- Quick mounting system
- Two-year limited warranty
- Made in the USA
Cons
- Some components may break faster than others
- In some instances, the unit may vibrate a lot
- Does not come with power cord
2. InSinkErator Evolution Compact
If you don’t want to go with the cheapest option out of them all and you don’t want to go with the most expensive option out of them all, then I think you’ll find that this particular option is going to be one of the best choices for you. It comes at a mid-range price point and offers some excellent features. The first and nicest feature is the SoundSeal Technology, which features advanced sound insulation to reduce the noise when compared to any other disposer you’re going to find.
Additionally, this garbage disposal will come with MultiGrind Technology that has two different grind stage that will quickly and easily grind all of the difficult food waste you wouldn’t trust to put into a normal garbage disposal. The
34.6 ounce grind chamber is also great because it has stainless steel components and will help to make it last that much longer for you.
Last but not least, you’re going to get a ¾ horsepower dura-drive induction motor and when it comes to the warranty, you can rest easy knowing that it comes with a four-year in-home warranty so that if anything goes wrong, they will come to you and help fix the problem.
Pros
- Durable construction
- 34.6-oz chamber
- Two stages of grinding
- Stainless steel components
- SoundSeal Technology to reduce noise
- ¾ horsepower motor
- Dura-Drive induction technology
- Quick mounting system
- Four-year limited warranty
- Made in the USA
Cons
- Even with insulation, unit can be loud
- Does not come with a power cord
- In rare cases, the unit may turn on but not grind
3. InSinkErator Badger 1
This is another garbage disposal that is produced by InSinkErator and comes with some of the better features that you’re going to find when it comes to a disposal. This comes with one of the highest horsepower motors that you’re going to find when it comes to a garbage disposal because it has a 1 ⅓ horsepower motor while typically you will only find 1 horsepower. In addition, it comes with a one-stage grind process that makes it easy to bring all foods so that it will easily quickly virtually liquify the foods that you put into it.
One of the best features of this disposer is also the incredibly easy installation that comes with it. Most garbage disposals that you find are difficult to install and ultimately lead to
frustration. However, this uses the Quick Lock sink mount so that you can easily just twist off the old disposer and twist on the new one.
Additionally, you are going to receive a one-year warranty that will cover anything that happens to go wrong with the disposer within the first year. Since this is an in-home warranty, you will be able to stay at home while they come to look at the disposer and fix it. This product is entirely made in the U.S.A. and it does not include the power cord, so you will need to purchase one separately if you wish to connect it this way.
Pros
- Durable construction
- 1 ⅓ horsepower motor
- Multi-stage grinding
- Stainless steel components
- Quick lock mounting system
- One-year limited warranty
- Made in the USA
Cons
- No power cord
- Shorter warranty than others in its class
- Can be quite noisy
4. Waste King L-2600
Once again, this is another product that is going to be one of the cheaper options out of all of the products that you have seen on this review and it does come with a lot of features that you’re going to like. For example, the 2600 RPM permanent magnet motor helps to offer more power than almost any other disposer on the market. In addition, the 0.5 horsepower motor works to grind all of the tough foods and it will require a decent sized power supply in order to operate it.
This disposer is a continuous-feed disposer so you will be able to continuously add in food. If you’re worried about the disposer jamming, that won’t be a problem with this unit because the stainless steel components work to reduce
jamming and the splash guard helps to make sure that the unit stays clean and does not leave behind a mess.
Last but certainly not least, the stainless steel grinding components on this unit are insulated which will help to give you a quiet grinding experience at all times when you use it. With the fast-and-easy mount system, you will have no problem installing this disposer with ease. And lastly, you’re going to enjoy the five-year warranty that will provide you with in-home service in case anything happens to go wrong.
Pros
- Durable construction
- ½ horsepower motor
- 2600 rpm capacity
- E-Z mounting system
- Corrosion proof
- Rust resistant
- Stainless steel impellers
- Insulated to reduce noise
- Five-year limited warranty
Cons
- Can vibrate a lot sometimes
- In rare cases, the motor may stop unexpectedly
- May not fit under your sink
5. Waste King L-1001
Another cheap option to add to the list of potential disposers that will work for you, this particular garbage disposal is going to add a ton of great features to give you one of the best experiences possible when you factor in the price. It comes with a high speed 2600 RPM motor along with a 1/2 horsepower motor that allows you to continuously feed the unit with food while it is running.
In addition to all of that, you’re going to get a power cord included with your purchase which makes it easy to power the unit because it can reach plugs that are far away from the place where you plan on using the disposer. Additionally, there is a removable splash guard that helps to keep the disposer clean and tidy for longer lasting use.
Additionally, this is one of the smaller garbage disposals that you are going to find on the market. The majority of people don’t like garbage disposals because they complain about the space that it takes up under your sink. However, this is going to come with a space saving compact design so that it will fit under your sink without taking up a ton of space. This unit also comes with a 2-year in home warranty so that you can rest easy if anything happens to go wrong with the garbage disposal.
Pros
- Durable construction
- Compact design
- ½ horsepower motor
- 2600 rpm capacity
- Corrosion proof
- Rust resistant
- E-Z mounting system
- Front reset button
- Two-year limited warranty
Cons
- Can be loud
- Some components may break down sooner than others
6. InSinkErator Evolution Excel
If you’re looking to find the best of the best and you don’t care how expensive it is or how much money you are going to spend, then you’re going to find that this is going to be one of the best options for you. It features a one horsepower dura-drive induction motor that helps to power all of the necessary components so that you get the best experience that you can get.
The SoundSeal technology ensures that you’re going to get an incredibly quiet experience whenever you go to use this disposer. WHile it will still make some noise, it is going to provide you with a quieter motor than any of the other
disposers on this review pose. In addition, you’re going to love and enjoy the MultiGrind technology. This technology works to provide three different grind stages that quickly will grind virtually any food waste.
The stainless steel grind chamber is 40 ounces which is one of the biggest chambers you will find and it also comes with stainless steel grind components as well to help ensure the longevity of the product that you have purchase. You will also receive a 7-year in-home warranty so that you will be covered if anything happens to go wrong within the first seven years of owning it.
Pros
- High-quality construction
- One horsepower motor
- Dura-Drive technology
- 40-oz chamber
- Three stages of grinding
- SoundSeal technology to reduce noise
- Quick mounting system
- Seven-year limited warranty
- Made in the USA
Cons
- Quite large
- May not fit under your sink
- Can vibrate significantly while in use
- Power cord costs extra
Who Needs This Product
A garbage disposal is great for a lot of different people and some are going to benefit from it far more than some other individuals. If you typically do a lot of cooking in the kitchen and you have a large cleanup with some food waste, then you’re going to realize that a garbage disposal is incredibly beneficial and something you’re going to want to strongly consider adding to your kitchen.
Final Verdict
Now that you have had the time to review all of the different features of a garbage disposal that you need to consider when you go to buy one, you should be ready to go ahead and buy one! When you do make your decision, be sure to keep in mind all of the important features discussed above as well as what is most important for you and your family. When it comes down to it, I think you’ll find that some of the product recommendations discussed above are going to be the perfect fit for you and your family.
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.