Garbage disposals are a convenient, efficient, and eco-friendly way to manage the organic waste in your kitchen. They will save you trips to trash containers, and allow you to prepare food quickly and easily, like the master chef you were born to be. However, regardless of whether you’re looking to replace an old unit or shopping for the first garbage disposal for your home, you’re probably finding it a bit tough to weed out the best option for your home with so many models available on the market.
Luckily, we’ve done the legwork for you, and reviewed the best garbage disposals out there. Whether you’re looking for a high-quality model, something cheaper for a smaller household, or something that can put up with all your garbage, you’ve come to the right place. By going through our recommendations, you are sure to find the one model that is best suited to your needs.
Don’t leave this site without reading our handy buying guide, where we give you the inside scoop on what to look for when shopping for a new garbage disposal for your kitchen!
Read on to discover the best garbage disposals!
| Picture | Product | Price | Warranty | Power |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Waste King L-8000 | $$ | 20-year Limited Warranty | 1 hp |
 | InSinkErator Evolution Excel | $$$ | 7-Year "We Come To You" In-Home Parts and Labor Warranty. 3 Year Extended Warranty | 1 hp |
 | InSinkErator Badger 5 | $ | Full 2 Year Parts and In-Home Service Warranty | 1/2 hp |
In This Guide
Best Garbage Disposal Reviews: Our Expert Picks
1. Waste King L-8000: Best For Most People
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If your kitchen goes through a lot of food waste, you’ll love this heavy-duty option!
The Waste King L-8000 is our favorite recommendation for most people, as it offers the best value for your money. This high-powered model can deal with the most difficult food scraps for any large family or household. Plus, it offers durability and a great warranty for a very affordable price. If your kitchen goes through a lot of food waste, you’ll love this heavy-duty option!
Pros:
The Waste King L-8000 is very powerful and capable of grinding some of the hardest and trickiest food scraps, like fruit pits or fibrous vegetables. Its high-speed motor and high horsepower (1 HP) make it a great choice for large households with as many as 8 members, as it will break down just about anything to the tiniest of shreds.
For less than $130, the Waste King is a very durable choice, as the stainless steel components can withstand years of use without losing their edge.
You’ll love how easy it is to install the Waste King. The unit comes with everything you’ll need to set up this garbage disposal, so if you have some DIY experience you won’t really need any professional help. Plus, you won’t need to have any experience with electrical work, as it comes with a pre-installed power cord.
This model will also save you time on cleaning. The Waste King features a removable splash-guard, which makes maintenance a no-brainer.
We were pleasantly surprised by the high value for your money that this model offers. For less than $130, the Waste King is a very durable choice, as the stainless steel components can withstand years of use without losing their edge. What’s more, this model has the best warranty on the market, a 20-year limited warranty!
Cons:
The Waste King runs a bit loud, but as it operates very quickly, so you won’t have to put up with the noise for long.
Another thing to keep in mind is that the L-8000 is larger than older garbage disposal models, so make sure that you have enough space under your sink before purchasing it.
2. InSinkErator Evolution Excel: Best Quality
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The ISE Evolution Excel can handle the heaviest of food scraps, including bones!
The InSinkErator Evolution Excel is hands-down the best quality garbage disposal on the market: it has a powerful motor, all stainless steel components, and ultra-quiet operation. The ISE Evolution Excel can handle the heaviest of food scraps, including bones! This is another heavy-duty model that can easily handle the garbage of a large family or household. If you’re looking for a quiet garbage disposal, you needn’t look any further than the ISE Evolution Excel.
Pros:
This model is an excellent choice for large families with children. It’s very powerful, quick, and has a high horsepower (1 HP), so that it can literally break down anything you throw its way. The ultra-quiet operation makes it suitable for homes with children and babies, as you won’t have to worry about waking them up when you want to do some kitchen work.
The powerful Dura-Drive Induction Motor and high-quality blades provide the quick and easy grinding of food scraps. The alloy stainless steel blades’ “3-Stage Multigrind Technology,” paired with the jam-assist function, ensure that everything goes through without a hitch.
It’s very powerful, quick, and has a high horsepower, so that it can literally break down anything you throw its way.
The ISE is also very durable. A LeakGuard liner keeps the garbage disposal in place and allows it to operate without any leaks. The high-quality of the components is backed by an excellent 7-year warranty, although if you take good care of your garbage disposal, it’s bound to last much longer.
Cons:
The ISE Evolution Excel is the priciest recommendation on our list, so it may not be ideal if you’re on a tighter budget.
Another thing to keep in mind is that the sink drains a bit slowly when the baffle is placed, which is normal for this garbage disposal, but may be a bit bothersome for some users.
3. InSinkErator Badger 5: Best For Small Households
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For small households and medium-duty work, the Badger 5 is an excellent choice: affordable, durable, and easy to install.
We come back to the InSinkErator for our top recommendation for small households – and this time with the Badger 5 model. The Badger 5 is a lot cheaper than our other recommendations, but it can’t handle the same amount of waste or intensity of food scraps. For small households and medium-duty work, the Badger 5 is an excellent choice: affordable, durable, and easy to install.
Pros:
Although the Badger 5 is the most budget-friendly option on our list, it’s still quite powerful. It can easily grind down lighter food scraps. Its ½ HP allow it to handle grinding fibrous vegetables and most of the basic organic waste, but not fruit pits or bones. Its HP value makes the Badger 5 suitable for 2-3 person households.
The compact design of this model further makes it a space-efficient and practical choice for smaller homes. The Badger 5 can fit under just about any sink, and if you’re replacing an old ISE unit, the Badger 5 will fit right into the pre-existing hardware!
Although the Badger 5 is the most budget-friendly option on our list, it’s still quite powerful.
ISE models always come with good durability, and the Badger 5 is no exception. It features a powerful Dura-Drive Induction Motor just like the Evolution Excel (although with less horsepower), as well as galvanized steel components which are resilient to rust and very long-lasting.
Cons:
The ISE Badger 5 has the shortest warranty out of our recommendations of just 2 years. However, with proper use and maintenance, this model can serve your home for much, much longer.
With that said, keep in mind that the Badger 5 is suitable for lighter, medium-duty use – if you try grinding bones or eggshells, you’re likely to decrease the lifespan and functionality of this product.
Lastly, the Badger 5 runs quite loud.
Conclusion
We chose the Waste King L-8000 as the best option for most people because it offers the best value for the price. The L-8000 is powerful enough to handle difficult organic waste and work continuously throughout the day. It works fast and clean, so that large households with lots of waste can really stand to benefit from this garbage disposal unit. Not to mention, it comes with the best warranty on the market!
The InSinkErator Evolution Excel stands at the top of garbage disposal units thanks to its high-quality components and powerful motor. The Evolution Excel is another great choice for large households, as it can grind large quantities of food scraps, as well as hard organic waste – even bones. The ultra-quiet operation feature makes the Evolution Excel a desirable unit for families with babies, or anyone who gets easily annoyed by loud noises. Keep in mind that while the Evolution Excel is of high-quality, it’s also highly-priced.
For smaller households and lighter food waste, the ISE Badger 5 garbage disposal can easily get the job done. Plus, the Badger’s compact design makes it ideal for even the smallest of kitchens. This model is also our most budget-friendly recommendation, so if you’re on a tighter budget, you should look into this option.
How To Shop For The Best Garbage Disposal For Your Home
Now that you’ve read the reviews of our favorite garbage disposals on the market, it’s time to decide which option is best suited to your home and your kitchen. Here are the main factors you should consider when choosing.
Household Size
The horsepower of garbage disposals vary, as does their capability to grind down different amounts and kinds of food scraps. If you’re living in a larger household, you may want to invest in something with a higher horsepower, like 1 HP.
The horsepower of garbage disposals vary, as do their capability to grind down different amounts and kinds of food scraps.
The ISE Evolution Excel and the Waste King L-8000 are both good choices for larger households and tougher food waste. The ISE Evolution can handle everything up to bones, and the Waste King can handle everything up to fruit pits (although users have stated that it’s good to go on bones, too).
On the other hand, if you live in a smaller household and don’t intend on grinding heavier food scraps, something with ½ HP like the Badger 5 is perfectly suited to get the job done.
Consider Your Budget
How much are you willing or able to spend on your new garbage disposal unit? Our recommendations are spread out on a broad price range.
The Waste King L-8000 falls somewhere in the middle, costing less than $130.
The ISE Evolution Excel is the priciest, costing over $300, the ISE Badger 5 is the cheapest, with a price below $90, and the Waste King L-8000 falls somewhere in the middle, costing less than $130.
FAQ
Q: How many years does a garbage disposal last?
A: A new garbage disposal unit will probably last somewhere between 8 to 15 years, or an average of 12 years according to the International Association of Certified Home Inspectors (1). With proper care, garbage disposals have a high average shelf life. Plus, modern garbage disposals last longer than older models.
Q: Which garbage disposal is the quietest?
A: The quietest garbage disposal on the market is hands-down the InSinkErator Evolution Excel.
Q: What should you not put down a garbage disposal?
A: What you should not put down a garbage disposal depends on the HP of the individual units and the strength and durability of their components. Some models can grind down bones, but most units draw the line at fibrous vegetables. To be safe, avoid grinding bones and fruit pits with most garbage disposals (unless stated otherwise), grease, pasta and rice (as they expand in water), highly-fibrous scraps such as potato peels or celery, and coffee grounds.
What’s Next?
We hope that our recommendations and essential buying advice have been useful for you to find the best garbage disposal for your home. For more information about each of our recommendations, follow the title links to learn their price, in-depth specifications, and customer reviews.
You can also find more expert recommendations on our homepage for all the best things kitchen!
