Best Garbage Disposals of 2026
These models worked their way to the top of our ratings with a flick of a switch or the twist of a wrist
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Garbage disposals are the unsung heroes of many a kitchen. Mounted beneath the sink drain, these devices pulverize food waste into tiny bits, allowing it to be washed away easily. As a result, less food winds up in your trash can, helping you cut down on funky odors and pests. The finer the disposal grinds the scraps, the less environmental impact they have once they enter the waste stream.
Overall, disposal prices vary widely, ranging between $50 and $500. “On the lower end of the price range, you’ll see disposal motors with one-third horsepower and shorter warranties,” says Dan Kahl, who runs Consumer Reports’ garbage disposal lab. “Typically, more money buys you more power, less noise, sturdier stainless steel components, and auto-reversing grinders that help prevent jams.” That said, a high price doesn’t guarantee great performance.
The most expensive continuous-feed disposal in our ratings (KitchenAid KCDS100T) costs nearly $500, but it ranks in the middle of the pack in our test results. And the InSinkErator Evolution, the priciest batch-feed model, ranks at the bottom of that ratings category.
Garbage disposals fall into two categories: continuous-feed and batch-feed.
Continuous-feed disposals are the most common. These operate on a wall switch and let you toss in scraps while they’re running. They will continue to grind until you turn the switch off, and they require some caution to ensure that fingers and small utensils remain clear of the opening.
Batch-feed disposals are less common and grind food in batches by twisting or pushing a stopper that covers the opening. The stopper means batch-feed disposals are safer, quieter, and require no additional electrical wiring beyond powering the under-sink unit. Batch-feed disposals typically offer more horsepower than continuous-feed models but are generally more expensive. Because they operate only when covered, there’s less risk of injury.
We don’t track data on the predicted reliability of residential garbage disposals; however, according to the Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers, they typically last around 11 years. Your current model may be ready for replacement if you notice it taking longer to grind, making louder-than-usual noises, or if you need to press the disposal’s reset button frequently.
CR members can read on for ratings and reviews of the best-performing garbage disposals from our tests, listed alphabetically in each category. We find that the performance of a garbage disposal varies even within the same brand. You’ll find models from a single manufacturer at the top and bottom of our ratings. See our garbage disposal buying guide for tips on choosing one, and for test results on more than 60 models check our full garbage disposal ratings.
Best Continuous-Feed Garbage Disposals
A vast majority of the models we test are continuous-feed garbage disposals. They’re popular for their convenience and the range of options they offer across price ranges.
The pricey Franke FWDJ75 is about twice the cost of the highly rated Frigidaire model below. But this 14-pound, ¾-hp disposal does keep the noise down and grinds bones and scraps with very good speed and fineness. That said, you can get better horsepower, performance, and price with other disposals. This Franke disposal has a dishwasher connector and a plug-in power cord, and it’s backed by a 10-year warranty.
The 1¼-hp Frigidaire FF13DISPC1 breaks down rib bones fast, earning it an excellent rating for speed as well as very good marks for grinding scraps–and doing so fairly quietly. The 13-pound disposal comes with a 10-year warranty, a removable splash guard, and a plug-in power cord. A magnetic ring prevents utensils from falling inside, and antimicrobial protection guards against odors.
The GE GFC720N is among the least expensive of the higher-rated disposals in our ratings. In our tests, this ¾-hp device grinds bones with excellent precision, but not as finely as the heavier top-rated models. This disposal is just 10 pounds and 12 inches high, which might be a good option if your under-sink space is smaller. Also, keep in mind that these GEs have only a 1-year warranty, whereas others offer warranties of up to 10 years or more.
The Moen EX Series EXL100C costs about $100 more than the highly rated Frigidaire model above. It earns excellent ratings for speed and noise. Its 1-hp motor also performs very well in our tests, particularly in how finely it grinds food. This model draws 5 amps while in use, which may shave a few pennies off your electrical bill over the long term (though disposals run so infrequently that those savings may be negligible). Like most disposals, it comes with a dishwasher connector. It’s also equipped with a plug-in power cord and has a 10-year warranty.
The Moen GX Series GXS75C boasts a powerful ¾-hp motor that’s very good at grinding down scraps like bones and veggies into small pieces for easier disposal. It’s also slightly smaller (10 pounds, 12 inches high, 8 inches wide, and 10 inches deep), making it a good option if space is tight under your sink. It also comes with a 10-year warranty.
Best Batch-Feed Garbage Disposals
There are only nine batch-feed garbage disposals in our ratings. With prices in our ratings roughly ranging from about $150 to $300, their cost is similar to that of higher-end continuous-feed models, but you’ll find fewer low-priced options. Most garner strong marks in our lab tests, but the four options below stand out above the rest.
For an economical price, the Frigidaire FF75DISPB1 delivers very fast and thorough grinding and has a 10-year warranty. Its ¾-hp motor is among the quietest we’ve tested, and its speed score stands out among other batch-feed models in our ratings.
The CR Recommended GE GFB760N is another batch-feed disposal with a ¾-hp motor and impressive marks for speed, fineness, and noise in our tests. It’s the second-costliest in this category, and it has only a 1-year warranty, compared to 8- to 10-year warranties on other top-rated models.
The ¾-hp batch-feed The Moen GX Series GXB75C impressively demolished rib bones in our test, earning a very good rating for both speed and fineness. It also operates relatively quietly, even if it is a lightweight at just 11 pounds. It’s covered by an 8-year warranty and comes with a plug-type electrical connection.
Powered by a 1-hp motor, the Waste King L-8000TC grinds bones to bits, but not quietly. It scores an excellent rating in our fineness test and very good marks for speed, but just a middling score for noise. The midpriced model weighs 14 pounds and comes with a plug-in power cord and an EZ-Mount sink connection for easier installation. It has a 10-year warranty.
How CR Tests Garbage Disposals
Consumer Reports bases the ratings of garbage disposals on several tests.
To test speed, we grind pieces of beef rib bones for 1 minute with cold running water and then weigh how much food remains in the disposal. The more food that’s left, the longer it takes to grind–and the lower the score on this test.
To see how thoroughly the disposals grind food, we toss a mix of bones and raw vegetable scraps into each model and run the resulting fragments through four different-sized sieves to gauge fineness. A garbage disposal that earns an excellent rating in that test turns out food particles fine enough to slip through most of the sieves. The larger the leftover bits, the greater the chance the kitchen sink drain will clog, resulting in a lower score on this test.
For noise, we measure the decibels emitted while the disposals grind a mix of bones and vegetables, using a panel to simulate the buffering effect of a cabinet. Generally, we find that quieter models are heavier due to the additional insulation they contain.
