The Best Kitchen Trash Cans You Can Choose

The choice of kitchen trash cans is far too often underestimated, and the investment is undervalued. Trash can fit your family, and lifestyle will make your life easier, while a poorly adapted choice will be felt every day.

Here is a useful little shopping guide that will help you make the right choice. That said, good kitchen trash cans usually cost more than we think; if possible, do not skimp on spending on this side.

The Dimensions

If the dimensions of your trash will mostly depend on the capacity you need and, therefore, the size of your family and the space you have, there are two main configurations. Either the bin is taller than it is wide and is in full view in the kitchen, or it may be more comprehensive than tall and potentially go under your sink and be hidden.

This choice depends on your personal preference and the necessary capacity, knowing that large trash can still find it difficult to go under a sink.

If you choose visible trash, you can afford any style, size (if it goes in the space or you want to put it), type of opening. if, on the contrary, you choose the option under the sink (or hidden elsewhere), you will have to take into account the available space, but it will also determine the mode of the opening of your trash; it would be a shame if it passes in the chosen space but cannot open.

Some kitchens have even integrated them directly into their closets; you pull a drawer or open a door, and the bin opens and becomes accessible. This is, of course, the best solution in my opinion but is not always available or feasible.

Attention also, the type of opening will condition the dimensions and especially the size of the trash cans. If a pedal opening can be adapted to all bin heights, the automatic or pressure systems will be more suitable for high bins, whose lid is within easy reach.

It will be out of reach of the little ones, which can be a wise choice for some.

dimension of trash can

Image Source: amazon.com

The Type of Opening

The trash bins differ mainly by their opening systems, and each has its followers. Six types of openings are thus available on the market: the single lid trash can, the trash pedal, the opening by pressing, the trash recordable, the automatic opening, and finally, the multi-compartment trash can.

Single Lid Kitchen Trash Cans

It works as one suspects, simply by lifting the lid. This bin is usually cheap and can be very large.

The main disadvantage is that you need to have a free hand to open it, and if you want to use the trash for a long time, you have to put the lid (often dirty) somewhere, which means it is not always practical hygienic.

The Pedal Trash Cans

It is much more practical and hygienic since a pedal at the base of the trash allows you to open and close it by simply pressing with your foot, no need to get your hands dirty, and have a free hand!

In these cases, we prefer a sturdy pedal (plastic pedals break quickly) and wide enough to open the trash without looking, or you have to put the foot.

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Image Source: Amazon.com

The Push Trash Cans

It opens, she, pressing a little on the lid, which actuates a mechanism that raises. Just push the cover down until you click to close it. This trash is far from my favorite because it requires touching the trash and to have some free fingers, something that is not always the case in the kitchen. Much less hygienic than the pedal, it does not offer me any real advantage.

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The Built-in Trash Cans

It is, for its part, integrated into a closet or a kitchen drawer, out of sight. It is, in my opinion, ideal since this solution frees space on the ground and hides the trash. If it is well thought out, the mechanism will be well adapted, practical, and hygienic.

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The Automatic Kitchen Trash Cans

This bin is the most sophisticated, with an infrared detector that detects when approaching and automatically opens the lid. In the same way, it will close without touching it.

This system is, of course, very hygienic and will please many people. Its price is generally quite high because of the technology used but, in my opinion, it is worth it. It usually works with batteries or sometimes also on mains.

Image Source: amazon.com

Multi-Compartment Trash Cans

For people who practice selective sorting and who have the place, it is convenient to buy a trash can with several compartments, to be able to deposit common and recyclable garbage in the same place. This greatly facilitates sorting and can be much more efficient.

Of course, you have to check that the different compartments are of a size adapted to your needs so that they do not need to be emptied too often without the trash can be a monster and occupying the entire kitchen.

Recycling buckets in the compartments for selective sorting are very practical because they allow depositing the objects to be recycled without necessarily needing a plastic bag. They are thus also much easier to transport to the corresponding container. The ideal, in my opinion, is a bin with the same lid for all compartments to have access to all when you open the trash.

Indeed, I find that a bin with different lids for each compartment is ultimately inconvenient.

Hygiene

Like any trash, it will be in contact with many wastes and bacteria. It is, therefore, necessary to avoid as much as possible finding everywhere in the house by having dirty trash.

The ideal is the trash that does not require that you touch it to open or close it (pedal trash cans or automatic trash cans are perfect) and is easily washable. Most bins are stainless steel, which gives them a nice look and gives them great strength while being easy to clean.

A plastic trash can is just as hygienic but generally less attractive and especially less robust.

While most top kitchen trash cans have an airtight lid that prevents unpleasant odors from spreading, the most sophisticated garbage bins even have an odor filter that prevents odors from invading the kitchen if the trash is not changed every day. It will still be empty regularly and washed from time to time, to be certain that bacteria or others do not develop.

benefits of recycle bins