Buying guide for best insinkerator garbage disposals
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A garbage disposal may seem like a luxury or an unnecessary add-on to some, but for many, it’s an essential part of the kitchen that’s often overlooked. A reliable garbage disposal makes both meal prep and cleanup more manageable, and helps keep your kitchen tidy.
InSinkErator is a top brand for garbage disposals, with many models featuring high-powered motors that can grind even the toughest food waste. But there are many models to choose from, so we’ve narrowed it down to a few of the best, taking different budgets and needs into account.
All InSinkErator garbage disposals are made with high-grade materials and advanced technology. Still, a few stand out, such as the InSinkErator Evolution Series, a customer favorite for its quiet operation, three-stage grinding technology and high-end design.
Editors’ picks
InSinkErator Evolution Series
Editors’ Favorite
Capacity: 34.6 oz | Horsepower: 3/4 | Type: Continuous feed | Warranty: 9-year limited
The InSinkErator Evolution Series is a high-end continuous garbage disposal that comes with all DIY components for easy installation. Quiet SoundSeal technology makes it 75% quieter than standard disposals, and the rust-resistant components provide long-lasting durability.
A nine-year limited warranty makes this model an excellent choice for those who want peace of mind if specific problems arise. The 3/4-horsepower motor provides sufficient torque to handle heavy waste loads, and, combined with the three-stage multigrind technology, grinds food into very small pieces to prevent clogging and jamming.
It’s safe for use with properly maintained septic tanks and has a space-saving design that lets it fit easily under most kitchen sinks.
InSinkErator Badger 5
Great Value
Capacity: Not available | Horsepower: 1/2 | Type: Continuous feed | Warranty: 2-year limited
If you're looking for an affordable but reliable garbage disposal to break down food waste, the InSinkErator Badger 5 is absolutely worth a look. At $130, it’s one of the most cost-effective solutions for keeping a tidy kitchen and making cleanup more manageable.
Its 1/2-horsepower motor is powerful enough to grind down everyday scraps, and the continuous-feed design lets you keep putting in waste without worrying about capacity issues. Lift-and-Latch technology makes DIY installation simple, and the galvanized-steel grinding components are built to last.
Although it’s one of the more affordable options, this garbage disposal is great for basic meal prep or cleanup. It’s safe for use with well-maintained septic tanks and is effective for keeping odors, pests and bacteria away from your kitchen.
InSinkErator Power Series
Quiet and Easy to Install
Capacity: Not available | Horsepower: 3/4 | Type: Continuous feed | Warranty: 6-year limited
The InSinkErator Power Series is a cost-effective solution that can help you keep bacteria out of your kitchen and keep everything tidy. Its continuous-feed design makes it suitable for heavy meal prep or cleanup, and the included DIY materials allow for easy installation.
A six-year limited warranty covers the most common issues, and the 3/4-horsepower motor is powerful enough to grind down large chunks of food. Its 2-Stage Multigrind Technology helps prevent jamming and clogging, and the motor operates up to 55% quieter than standard garbage disposals.
Although it's not quite as powerful as some of our other picks, this is a great midtier garbage disposal that offers tremendous value. Reduced sound and an anti-jam feed alone make this disposal suitable for most kitchens.
InSinkErator Evolution 1 HP Series
Best for Heavy Use
Capacity: Not available | Horsepower: 1 | Type: Continuous feed | Warranty: 10-year limited
If you run a restaurant or consistently cook in your home kitchen, you should consider a garbage disposal like the InSinkErator Evolution 1 HP. Unlike some of our other more affordable picks, this one has a 1-HP motor, making it better suited for heavy-duty meal prep or cleanup.
SoundSeal technology makes this garbage disposal one of the quietest on the market, and four-stage multigrind technology ensures food waste is broken down into tiny pieces that won’t cause the feed to jam or clog. It’s excellent for breaking down food scraps such as corn cobs and bones without being too loud, and the rust-resistant components make it one of the most durable disposals.
With a 10-year warranty and a high-powered motor, this garbage disposal is a must-have for speeding up kitchen tasks and keeping things tidy and bacteria-free. Plus, it’s easy to install with the included hardware.
InSinkErator Evolution LED Series
Best for Minimizing Odors
Capacity: Not available | Horsepower: 1 | Type: Continuous feed | Warranty: 10-year limited
If you’re looking for a powerful garbage disposal that’s easy to install and will help you get rid of foul food odors plaguing your kitchen, the InSinkErator Evolution LED Series is hands-down one of the best options.
Its 1-horsepower motor, combined with four-stage multigrind technology, breaks down even the largest food chunks into small pieces. SoundSeal technology also makes it as quiet as the InSinkErator Evolution 1-HP Series, and the included materials make DIY installation super simple. One neat feature that sets this disposal apart is the LED light that shines into the feed to eliminate odors, helping to keep your kitchen clean.
It’s the most expensive Insinkerator garbage disposal in our top picks, but it’s a no-brainer if you’re constantly meal prepping in your kitchen and need to dispose of waste quickly and efficiently. Plus, the LED technology keeps odors at bay better than a standard disposal.
Key considerations
Types of InSinkErator garbage disposals
Continuous feed: This is the most commonly used type of garbage disposal. You simply turn it on and feed it all the scraps you have until you’re done. The downsides are that it can be noisier than batch-feed models, and it needs to be operated while running water down the drain. All of our top InSinkErator picks are continuous-feed garbage disposals.
Batch feed: This type is considered to be safer than continues-feed disposals because it won’t turn on until you put its cover in place, which prevents fingers from accidentally getting caught in the blades. The cover also means it’s the quieter option. The main downside is that you can only grind one small batch at a time, so it can slow you down if you have a lot of scraps to dispose of. They’re also pricier.
Size and weight
Before you do anything else, get under the sink with a tape measure to determine how much space you’ve got. With precise measurements in hand, you can begin looking at the various models InSinkErator has to offer. At a minimum, including installation components, you’ll need about 15 inches of vertical clearance and 10 inches of clearance on each side of the drain for an InSinkErator garbage disposal.
InSinkErator garbage disposals are made almost exclusively of metal. Weight ranges from a low of 5 pounds to a high of over 20 pounds. The weight of a garbage disposal can impact your ease of installation. Lying on your back while holding that weight over your head in a dark, cramped space — while trying to fasten it in place by the light of a flashlight — isn’t easy. Once everything is connected, the weight will hang from the sink, and it shouldn’t be a problem.
Installation
InSinkErator is good about making its disposals as easy to install as possible, but you should give serious consideration to whether you’re able to do it (or want to). You don’t need a plumber if you’re just replacing an existing InSinkErator and your sink already has the mounting hardware, plumbing and a nearby power outlet. However, you may need a plumber if this is your first garbage disposal, there’s no outlet under the sink, or the drain pipes need to be modified.
The garbage disposals come with all necessary hardware and materials for DIY installation, but it may be a good idea to consider a plumber if your setup is more complicated or you want to ensure proper installation the first time around.
Material and durability
Galvanized steel is a key material in many InSinkErator garbage disposals. It’s strong, heavy and durable. Unfortunately, galvanized steel isn’t permanently immune to rust. Stainless steel grinding blades, on the other hand, will withstand rust and degradation quite well. Stainless steel is more expensive than galvanized steel, but a garbage disposal with stainless steel blades will experience fewer problems over the years. All of our top picks, except the InSinkErator Badger 5, have stainless-steel components.
Grinder stages
Standard garbage disposals have a single set of grinders, but advances in technology have yielded models with multiple sets. You can choose between one-stage, two-stage and three-stage grinders. The price increases as you go up.
The advantages of a garbage disposal with multiple grinders are obvious: the more grinder stages there are, the finer the resulting particles. This lowers the chance of any kind of blockage developing from those particles.
You can opt for a cheaper single-stage disposal, such as the InSinkErator Badger 5, a 2-stage model, such as the InSinkErator Power Series, a 3-stage model, like the InSinkErator Evolution Series, or 4-stage disposals, such as the InSinkErator Evolution 1HP and InSinkErator Evolution 1.0 HP LED.
Horsepower
Most InSinkErator garbage disposals fall between 1/2 HP and 3/4 HP, a range that covers the needs of most households. A 1/2-HP unit works well for occasional cooking and softer food scraps, but a 3/4-HP model is the best choice for handling daily cooking waste more smoothly.
A 1-HP disposal is best for larger households, frequent cooking or anyone who wants maximum performance. If you regularly grind tougher scraps, such as bones or corn cobs, and want quieter operation with fewer clogs over time, 1 HP can be well worth it. However, in most cases, 3/4 is more than adequate.
Noise
This is a biggie for a lot of people. Garbage disposals make a lot of noise. InSinkErator has gone out of its way to incorporate the latest sound-suppressing technology into its line of garbage disposals — particularly the higher-priced models, which are ultra-quiet. Even InSinkErator’s lower-priced models aren’t as noisy as some other manufacturers' garbage disposals.
The quietest models include the InSinkErator Evolution 1.0 HP LED and InSinkErator Evolution 1.0 HP LED, which are the quietest disposals on the market, along with the InSinkErator EVOLUTION Series, which is 75% quieter than leading brands.
InSinkErator garbage disposal prices
From $130 to $160 is the low price range for InSinkErator garbage disposals. These will be single-stage galvanized-steel grinders with 1/3- to 1/2-HP motors. Some of them won’t have a power cord, so you’ll have to reuse the existing cord if there is one.
The mid-range price for InSinkErator garbage disposals is $190 to $280. These disposals generally have a two-stage grinder and a 1/2- to 3/4-HP motor. They are larger and heavier, with stainless-steel grinders instead of galvanized-steel grinders. They are also much quieter than lower-priced models.
Over $300 is the expensive range for InSinkErator disposals. Some models cost more than $400. Typically, these are three-stage stainless steel grinders with 3/4- to 1-HP motors and full sound-suppression technology.
Tips
- It may sound counterintuitive, but don’t use hot water when running your garbage disposal. It melts the food your garbage disposal is trying to grind up. If it melts, the food will stick instead of washing away.
- Your garbage disposal needs to run every few days even if you don’t have food scraps to put through it. Turn on the water and start the garbage disposal for a minute to keep it from corroding or freezing up.
- After you’ve ground up some scraps, let the disposal and water keep running for a minute to ensure all pieces have been flushed away so there won’t be clogs.
How we analyzed
InSinkErator is widely recognized for its high-end garbage disposals, but with several models offered, we analyzed a handful of specs that consumers should consider. We considered the motor’s horsepower, as it’s the primary factor in how efficiently it breaks down food waste. We also considered additional features such as noise level and grinding technology.
FAQ
Q. What is the largest size of waste that should be put in the garbage disposal?
A. It depends. Meat is tough, so don’t put anything larger than a cubic inch in it. Toast, on the other hand, is softer. You can safely put a whole piece of toast down the disposal.
Q. How should the disposal be cleaned?
A. Use soap and cold water. Pour some dish detergent into the drain, turn on the water, and start the disposal. While the water is running, pour some more detergent into the drain. Do this about once a month.
Q. Will putting citrus fruit in the disposal help it smell better?
A. Yes, especially if you use the peel from an orange or a lemon.
