What Defines a Good Garbage Disposal and what are the Best Ones in 2019

I never had a garbage disposal growing up, but my friends did and I heard wonderful things about them. They can also help a sink not get clogged if you have a tendency to have large things go down your drain. But how do you know which kind to get?

There are a lot of things you need to think about when you’re buying a garbage disposal. These are one of the kitchen appliances which are rarely thought about- people think it doesn’t really matter what one you get, that they’re all the same and it’s best to look for the cheapest version possible. However, this couldn’t be further from the truth. These are actually one of the most important aspects of your kitchen and you need to make sure you do all the right research when you’re going to purchase one. But what actually makes a good garbage disposal? Where do you look for them, and what are the best ones? Don’t worry, we’re here to tell you everything you need to know about what defines a good garbage disposal.


You can check out our favourite Barracuda garbage disposal reviews here.

The first thing you need to take into account when you’re buying a garbage disposal is the actual size of your home. No, we don’t mean the number of people who live in your house at this stage- we mean the actual physical size of the building. This is important for a number of reasons. For one, the bigger the home generally means the bigger the storage space. Due to the fact that garbage disposals are installed under your sink, this will probably mean that the space under your sink is larger. If you have a smaller size of home, then you will most likely have to install a smaller disposal. If you have a larger storage space, then you can afford to get a larger disposal. Remember, though; a larger disposal doesn’t necessarily have a larger engine size or power.

Next, you do need to consider the number of people that live in your home- that’s because you need to select an engine size based on this number. If there are 1 or 2 people living in your home, then you need to get a disposal with an engine size of around ⅓ or ½ HP. If there’s 3-6 people staying in your home, get an engine size between ½ and ¾ HP. With more than 5-8 people residing in your home, you’ll need an engine size of around ¾ to 1 HP. Make sure you do the right research into the engine size you’ll need to cope with the demands the people in your house will offer- too small an engine and your disposal will simply be blocked.

You also need to gain a knowledge of what money will buy you. If you aren’t careful, you could end up spending too much for a disposal which doesn’t actually offer too much more than other models. However, at the other end of the spectrum you might not spend enough and end up receiving a pretty dodgy disposal. Try to find that middle ground- a garbage disposal which will work well and for a long time, is easy to install and comes at a competitive price.

See my disclaimer.