5 Garbage Disposals That Will Make Your Kitchen Cleanup A Breeze
A garbage disposal is a modern convenience that you don’t want to live without. This guide will help you select the right one for your needs.
The Benefits
- A convenient way to dispose of food waste
- Moves waste to a wastewater facility directly
- Prevents or cuts down on bugs and odor in your home
- Better for the environment
What To Look For
If you’re a first-time buyer or if you’re replacing your old garbage disposal, learning about the modern features and wading through technical data can be daunting. The good news is that it’s worth it. Having a garbage disposal in your home makes meal clean up a snap and helps reduce the waste you send to a landfill.
There are so many benefits to having a garbage disposal, you’ll want to buy right away, but how do you pick the right model, and what features do you really need to pay for, and which features are just added expenses?
That’s why our team of ShopOwl researchers put together this quick guide to help you choose the right garbage disposal for your needs.
How Do Garbage Disposals Work?
A garbage disposal uses blades to grind up food scraps and, with water, flushes them through your sink’s pipes. Once the food is ground, the impeller arm and plate force everything down the drain. If you have a dishwasher, it might also run through the garbage disposal, meaning any large particles are ground up, so they don’t cause a clog too.
This means that a garbage disposal can be a great benefit, not just in cleaning up before and after meals, but if you have a dishwasher too. It also gives your plumbing a break from large pieces that could cause a clog.
Garbage disposals are better for the environment by going directly to treatment facilities that are designed to handle food waste rather than landfills.1 Finally, the thing you’ll probably appreciate most is garbage disposals increase cleanliness in your home while making it easier to manage waste.
There are a lot of different brands on the market at different price points. You want something that will be easy to use and last a long time, but a high price tag is probably not what you’re looking for. It’s hard to find something that has all the features you want at a fair price.
What To Look For And What To Avoid
- Look For
- Stainless steel construction
- Higher RPM disposal
- Avoid
- Short-term warranties
- High horsepower but low RPM
Beware Of DIY Or Professional Installation
Some garbage disposals are fairly easy for a novice to intermediate do-it-yourselfer to install, others require more experience or a professional. Before you dive in and make the purchase, you need to decide if you’re going to do the job yourself or hire someone else to do it. If you hire a professional plumber to do the installation, be prepared for an extra charge.
If you’re going to do the garbage disposal installation yourself, a quick-mount unit is a good idea.2 You might also want to use a plug-in power source as opposed to a hardwired system. If you’re replacing an old garbage disposal yourself, you might want to stick with the same brand, so your coupling type is compatible.
What Else To Consider Before Buying A Garbage Disposal
Knowing if you need a comparable garbage disposal to your old one or one that’s made for easy installation might help you make your decision, but you’re not quite ready to make the purchase yet. The following information should help you make the final choice.
Size
One big consideration when purchasing a garbage disposal is how much power you’ll need. The smaller your family, the smaller the disposal unit. There’s really no reason to go big and expensive if you don’t need the power.
Positive And Authentic Reviews
Make sure to check with the ShopOwl algorithm before purchasing a garbage disposal, so you can get a clear understanding of what other customers liked and didn’t like about it. This will help you make a more informed purchase.
Auto-Reverse
Auto-reverse switches the blade direction to help unclog your unit. This is a handy feature if your unit gets jammed a lot, but it’s not necessary and can add a lot of expense. If you’re constantly putting in items that jam up your garbage disposal, a better option is to simply stop putting that type of item in the disposal. For example, bones can be difficult for some units, and not putting them in your garbage disposal can prevent jams and extend the life of your unit.
Close Full Analysis
Quality Rank A
100/100
After our algorithm searched over 5,000 data points and analyzed 52 variables, the InSinkErator Badger 5 Garbage Disposal received a perfect score for its quality.
Review Rank A
100/100
Our algorithm took a deep dive into the reviews and found 0% to be fraudulent or suspicious.
Value Rank A
100/100
Considering the perfect quality rank and perfect review rank, we’ve determined that this product has an A value rank.
Marketplace Rating:
Adjusted Rating:
Close Full Analysis
Quality Rank A
95/100
After our algorithm searched over 5,000 data points and analyzed 52 variables, the Whirlpool GC2000PE received a very high score for its quality.
Review Rank A
100/100
Our algorithm took a deep dive into the reviews and found 0% to be fraudulent or suspicious.
Value Rank A
95/100
Considering the very high quality rank and perfect review rank, we’ve determined that this product has an A value rank.
Marketplace Rating:
Adjusted Rating:
Close Full Analysis
Quality Rank A-
92/100
After our algorithm searched over 5,000 data points and analyzed 52 variables, the Moen GXP50C GX PRO Series received a high score for its quality.
Review Rank A
96/100
Our algorithm took a deep dive into the reviews and found 4% to be fraudulent or suspicious.
Value Rank A
95/100
Considering the high quality rank and very high review rank, we’ve determined that this product has an A value rank.
Marketplace Rating:
Adjusted Rating:
Close Full Analysis
Quality Rank A-
90/100
After our algorithm searched over 5,000 data points and analyzed 52 variables, the Waste King L-1001 Garbage Disposal received a high score for its quality.
Review Rank B+
87/100
Our algorithm took a deep dive into the reviews and found 13% to be fraudulent or suspicious.
Value Rank B+
88/100
Considering the high quality rank and strong review rank, we’ve determined that this product has a B+ value rank.
Marketplace Rating:
Adjusted Rating:
Close Full Analysis
Quality Rank B
85/100
After our algorithm searched over 5,000 data points and analyzed 52 variables, the Kitchen Aid KCDB250G received a moderate score for its quality.
Review Rank C
76/100
Our algorithm took a deep dive into the reviews and found 24% to be fraudulent or suspicious.
Value Rank B-
82/100
Considering the moderate quality rank and average review rank, we’ve determined that this product has a B- value rank.
Marketplace Rating:
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Citations
- https://www.citylab.com/environment/2017/08/garbage-disposals-new-york/538581/
- http://diyplumbingadvice.com/disposals/byinstall.html