How to Choose a Garbage Disposer

Garbage Disposer

Selecting the right garbage disposer is a little like finding the perfect car—you’ll want a quiet motor, strong horsepower, and reliable safety features. Luckily, similar to cars, garbage disposers come with a variety of options that suit different household needs and budgets. Read on to discover the perfect garbage disposer for your kitchen.

Benefits of Garbage Disposers

Why use a garbage disposer versus a garbage can? There are many reasons for choosing a garbage disposer, including:

Increased hygiene

Less garbage means less unsanitary leftovers in your kitchen, reducing the spread of bacteria. You also won’t have to deal with the odors of food waste. A garbage can means unsavory odors, plus the possibility of a pet or child getting into the trash and making a mess.

Less landfill waste

Americans generate 250 million tons of garbage per year, filling 3,091 active landfills. Garbage disposers allow you to cut down on trash, leading to less garbage in landfills. Using a garbage can adds to the already overflowing waste in landfills.

Cleaner air and environment

An EPA study showed that landfills are a huge source of methane, a potent greenhouse gas. Garbage disposers actually allow for discarded leftovers to be sent to wastewater treatment facilities, catching the methane gas generated from discarded food and turning it into energy.

Types of Garbage Disposers

Different garbage disposers suit different budgets and household needs. They’re typically divided into 3 levels: economy, standard, premium. Here are the features of each level:

Economy

• Grind everyday food waste
• May need to avoid grinding large amounts of fruit/vegetable peels at a time
• 1/3 or 1/2 horsepower motor (a minimum of 1/2 horsepower is recommended for the best grinding results)
• Quiet: Relatively quiet; but may be difficult to hold conversations in the same room.

Standard

• Grind everyday food waste
• Longer warranty period
• 3/4 horsepower motor, for faster and more powerful grinding than standard units
• Grinds hard materials, such as bones and fruit pits
• Quieter: hold a conversation with elevated voices in the same room.

Premium

• Grind everyday food waste
• Contains anti-jamming capabilities
• Longest warranty periods
• Uses stainless steel blades for enhanced durability
• 1 horsepower motor, providing the fastest and most powerful grinding option
• Grinds hard materials, such as bones and fruit pits
• Grinds fibrous materials (such as celery)
• Ultra-quiet: Hold a conversation with normal voices in the same room.

Safety Features

If you have children, look for a batch-feed garbage disposer. This kind of garbage disposer requires you to insert and turn a plug in the drain in order to activate the unit, preventing tiny, curious fingers from getting into a working garbage disposer.

Kitchen Sinks

If you’re remodeling your kitchen, a garbage disposer can ensure your new kitchen is beautiful AND functional. A brand-new garbage disposer often accompanies a new kitchen sink.  Check out our guide on selecting a kitchen sink to learn how to pick out the right kitchen sink for your new garbage disposer.

Renovating your kitchen? Don’t forget to consider installing a new, powerful garbage disposer. Visit a Crawford Supply Group showroom, located in Illinois, Michigan, and Pennsylvania, to discover the right garbage disposer for your family. You can also set up a free Showroom Consultation with one of our knowledgeable team members.