Garbage Disposals
The best continuous feed garbage disposals
A continuous-feed unit runs while the switch is on and takes waste as you scrape it. That is the whole design, and it is the right one for most kitchens.
Disclosure: we earn a commission if you buy through the Amazon links on this page, at no extra cost to you. Commission never decides a verdict or a ranking position — read our editorial policy and affiliate disclosure.
How we assessed these: we rank only on figures the maker publishes for the named model number - motor power, grind stages, grind component material, chamber capacity, overall height, feed type, mounting and warranty - read from each maker's own product page or specification sheet and linked at every figure. We have not installed or tested these disposals and we do not own them. Consumer Reports runs the only comparable independent test program we are aware of and we do not republish its scores, so no grind-speed, fineness or decibel number appears anywhere on this page.
Short answer
The best continuous feed garbage disposal is the InSinkErator Evolution .75HP: InSinkErator publishes continuous feed, a 3/4 HP Dura-Drive induction motor, a three-stage MultiGrind, stainless grind components, SoundSeal insulation, a 12.25 inch overall height and a nine-year in-home service warranty. The budget pick is the Waste King Legend L-3200, the cheapest 3/4 HP unit here and the one that arrives with its power cord already fitted.
Continuous feed is the arrangement almost every American kitchen disposal uses: you flip a switch, the motor runs, and you scrape waste into the open drain while water runs. The alternative is batch feed, which only runs when a stopper-style cover is seated in the drain opening. Continuous feed is faster, cheaper and far more common; batch feed is safer with small children in the house. Continuous feed vs batch feed argues the choice properly - this page ranks the continuous-feed units once you have made it.
Quick picks
Tap any row to jump to the full write-up. There are no scores here because we run no test lab — how picks are chosen is published in full on our methodology page.
| # | Product | Best for | Our read | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  InSinkErator Evolution .75HP Best overall | Households of three to five | Three-stage MultiGrind, SoundSeal, 9-year warranty | $233.99 · View on Amazon #ad Affiliate link · Price as of November 11, 2026 |
| 2 |  InSinkErator Badger 5XP Best 3/4 HP value | A like-for-like Badger upgrade | Dura-Drive motor, 26 oz chamber, dishwasher inlet | |
| 3 |  Waste King Legend L-3200 Budget pick | The cheapest verified 3/4 HP, cord fitted | The cheapest 3/4 HP here, with the cord already fitted | $107.55 · View on Amazon #ad Affiliate link · Price as of November 11, 2026 |
| 4 |  Waste King Legend L-8000 Best 1 HP | Value 1 HP with a cord fitted | 1 HP permanent magnet and a 20-year warranty | |
| 5 |  InSinkErator Badger 5 Best for tight cabinets | One or two people, tight cabinets | 11-1/2" tall - the shortest unit in this registry |
What the makers actually publish about feed type
Worth being precise, because feed type is one of the few specifications some makers leave implicit. InSinkErator publishes "Feed type: Continuous" explicitly on the Badger 5XP, and Waste King publishes "Continuous; wall switch or sink-mounted air switch" on the L-3200. The Badger 5, the Evolution .75HP, the Evolution 1HP and the L-8000 are all continuous-feed units but their pages describe the arrangement rather than labeling it. Only one unit in this registry publishes batch feed, and that is the Evolution Cover Control - which is why it is not on this page.
The practical consequence of continuous feed is that nothing stops the disposal running while the drain is open. That is the convenience and it is also the one safety consideration: a spoon that falls in while the motor is running is a jam at best. The habit worth forming is running cold water first, switching on second, and never reaching into the chamber without cutting power at the switch - which is also how to reset a garbage disposal safely.
| Model | Motor | Grind stages | Height | Cord | Warranty |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| InSinkErator Evolution .75HP | 3/4 HP Dura-Drive induction | Three-stage MultiGrind | 12.25" | Not published | 9-year We Come to You limited service |
| InSinkErator Badger 5XP | 3/4 HP Dura-Drive, intermittent time rating | One | 12-5/8" | Available with or without a factory-installed cord | 6-year We Come to You in-home limited |
| Waste King Legend L-3200 | 3/4 HP permanent magnet, 2700 rpm | Not published as staged | 13-3/4" (349 mm) | Pre-installed | Eight-year limited |
| Waste King Legend L-8000 | 1 HP permanent magnet, 2800 rpm | Not published as staged | Not published | Fitted | 20-year limited |
| InSinkErator Badger 5 | 1/2 HP, 1725 rpm, 120 V | One | 11-1/2" | Not published | 5-year We Come to You in-home limited |
Read from each maker's own product page or specification sheet, linked below. InSinkErator and Waste King describe their motors differently - induction versus permanent magnet, 1725 rpm versus 2700-2800 rpm - and the two figures are not directly comparable, because a permanent-magnet motor spins faster at lower torque. Neither maker publishes a decibel figure.
Product photograph supplied by Amazon for this listing, used under the Associates program.
1. Best overall
InSinkErator Evolution .75HP
InSinkErator · Best for households of three to five
The disposal we would fit in most houses. Three-quarters of a horsepower with three-stage grinding and stainless grind components is the point on the range where fibrous waste stops being a gamble, and SoundSeal makes it noticeably quieter than a Badger. The nine-year in-home warranty is the longest of any InSinkErator continuous-feed unit we checked.
Published specifications
- Motor
- 3/4 HP Dura-Drive induction source
- Grind stages
- Three-stage MultiGrind source
- Grind components
- Stainless steel source
- Overall height
- 12.25" source
- Sound
- SoundSeal — quieter than a standard disposal source
- Septic
- Safe for properly maintained septic tanks source
- Warranty
- 9-year We Come to You limited service warranty source
What works
- Three grind stages and stainless components — the two specs that decide whether fibrous scraps jam
- Only three-quarters of an inch taller than a Badger 5, so it fits most cabinets that took one
- Nine-year in-home warranty, which is a real statement about expected service life
- EZ Connect cord and hardwire adapter in the box, so it suits either wiring situation
What does not
- InSinkErator publishes no decibel figure, and neither do we — SoundSeal is a comparison, not a measurement
- 3/4 HP still stalls on bones and fruit pits; no domestic disposal is a bone grinder
- Chamber capacity is not published for this model
Skip it if
Skip it if you are one or two people who scrape plates and little else — you would be paying for capability you will not use.
#ad Affiliate link · Price as of November 11, 2026
Raw specifications: InSinkErator’s own page for the InSinkErator Evolution .75HP.
Product photograph supplied by Amazon for this listing, used under the Associates program.
2. Best 3/4 HP value
InSinkErator Badger 5XP
InSinkErator · Best for a like-for-like badger upgrade
The reason the Badger line is worth a second look: it keeps the Badger body, the Badger mounting hardware and roughly the Badger price, but moves the motor to 3/4 HP and the grind components to stainless steel. That makes it the cheapest route to 3/4 HP from the brand with the deepest parts network, and a like-for-like swap for an existing Badger. Still one grind stage and still no published sound insulation, so this is a power upgrade rather than a refinement upgrade.
Published specifications
- Motor
- 3/4 HP Dura-Drive induction, single phase, intermittent time rating source
- Grind stages
- One source
- Grind components
- Rust-resistant stainless steel source
- Chamber capacity
- 26 oz source
- Overall height
- 12-5/8" source
- Feed type
- Continuous source
- Dishwasher inlet
- Yes source
- Power cord
- Available with or without a factory-installed cord source
- Warranty
- 6-year We Come to You in-home limited warranty source
What works
- Stainless grind components instead of the Badger 5's galvanized steel — the upgrade that matters most inside the Badger line
- 12-5/8" overall height, so it fits cabinets that will not take a 1 HP unit (the Evolution .75HP is shorter still at 12.25")
- Six-year in-home warranty, a year longer than the Badger 5's five
- Same 26 oz chamber and the same Badger mounting hardware, so replacing a Badger is like for like
What does not
- One grind stage, so fibrous waste is still where it stalls — horsepower is not grind fineness
- InSinkErator publishes no sound insulation for the Badger series and makes no noise claim for this model
- The configuration linked here ships without a factory-fitted power cord, so budget for a cord kit or hardwire it
Skip it if
Skip it if noise is the thing you are trying to fix. More horsepower in an uninsulated body is not quieter — the Evolution .75HP is the model with the insulation.
Raw specifications: InSinkErator’s own page for the InSinkErator Badger 5XP.
Product photograph supplied by Amazon for this listing, used under the Associates program.
3. Budget pick
Waste King Legend L-3200
Waste King · Best for the cheapest verified 3/4 hp, cord fitted
The value answer at 3/4 HP, and the lightest disposal in this registry at 8.6 lb — the figure that decides whether you can hold a unit up with one hand while the other twists the mount. Waste King publishes stainless grind components, sound insulation and a pre-installed cord at a price well under the InSinkErator 3/4 HP units, and pays for it with one grind stage and a polymer chamber.
Published specifications
- Motor
- 3/4 HP permanent magnet, 2700 rpm source
- Electrical
- 115 V, 60 Hz, 6.0 A source
- Grind components
- Stainless steel source
- Grind chamber
- Reinforced polymer source
- Sound insulation
- Yes — lined with insulation to reduce sound source
- Overall height
- 13-3/4" (349 mm) source
- Weight
- 8.6 lb source
- Mounting
- EZ Mount twist-and-lock sink flange source
- Power cord
- Pre-installed source
- Feed type
- Continuous; wall switch or sink-mounted air switch source
- Splash guard
- Removable, replaceable source
- Warranty
- Eight-year limited source
What works
- 8.6 lb — the lightest unit here by a wide margin, and a real difference when you are on your back inside a cabinet
- Power cord pre-installed, so there is no cord kit to buy and no wiring to do
- Waste King publishes sound insulation on this model, which InSinkErator does not for the Badger series
- Stainless grind components and a corrosion-resistant polymer chamber, both published
- Eight-year limited warranty at the bottom of the 3/4 HP price range
What does not
- Single-stage grinding at 2700 rpm: speed does the work, so the output is coarser than a three-stage MultiGrind
- A reinforced polymer grind chamber is not a stainless one, whatever it does for corrosion
- Warranty service is replacement rather than InSinkErator's in-home repair, and the parts network is smaller
- Published height is 13-3/4", taller than the Badger 5XP, so measure the cabinet before you order
Skip it if
Skip it on a septic system, or anywhere grind fineness matters. Finer output is what multiple grind stages buy, and this has one.
#ad Affiliate link · Price as of November 11, 2026
Raw specifications: Waste King’s own page for the Waste King Legend L-3200.
Product photograph supplied by Amazon for this listing, used under the Associates program.
4. Best 1 HP
Waste King Legend L-8000
Waste King · Best for value 1 hp with a cord fitted
A different engineering answer to the same problem: a 2800 rpm permanent-magnet motor instead of a slower induction motor with more grind stages. High speed rather than high torque, in a lighter and narrower body, with a 20-year warranty and a factory-fitted power cord. This is the value 1 HP unit.
Published specifications
What works
- 2800 rpm is the highest motor speed here; speed does the work that extra grind stages do on an InSinkErator
- Under 12 lb, which makes a one-person overhead installation genuinely possible
- Power cord pre-attached — no separate cord kit, no wiring
- A 20-year limited warranty at this price is unusual
What does not
- High-speed permanent-magnet motors are louder in character than slow induction motors, and no party publishes a comparable decibel figure
- Single-stage grinding, so output fineness is not comparable to a three-stage MultiGrind
- Waste King's parts network is smaller than InSinkErator's
Skip it if
Skip it if grind fineness matters — on a septic system, for instance, where finer output is the whole point. Three stages beat high rpm there.
Raw specifications: Waste King’s own page for the Waste King Legend L-8000.
Product photograph supplied by Amazon for this listing, used under the Associates program.
5. Best for tight cabinets
InSinkErator Badger 5
InSinkErator · Best for one or two people, tight cabinets
The baseline every other disposal is measured against, and an honest buy for a small household as long as you know what you are getting: half a horsepower, one grind stage, and galvanized steel grind components rather than stainless. It is short at 11-1/2", which is often the deciding factor in a shallow cabinet.
Published specifications
What works
- Shortest unit here at 11-1/2" — it fits cabinets a 1 HP unit cannot
- Cheapest route to a working disposal from the brand with the best parts availability
- Genuinely adequate for soft scraps: peelings, plate scrapings, coffee grounds
- In-home warranty service rather than ship-it-back
What does not
- Galvanized grind components, not stainless — this is the real difference between Badger and Evolution
- One grind stage, so fibrous waste like celery and corn husks is where it stalls
- No sound insulation of any kind, and the product page makes no noise claim
Skip it if
Skip it if you cook for four or more, or if anything fibrous goes down the drain. Buy 3/4 HP with three stages instead.
Raw specifications: InSinkErator’s own page for the InSinkErator Badger 5.
Stages and the cord, in that order
Two specifications separate these five more than horsepower does. Grind stages: InSinkErator publishes a three-stage MultiGrind on the Evolution .75HP against one stage on both Badgers, and extra stages break waste down further before it reaches your drain line, which is what prevents the slow blockage people blame on a weak motor. The cord: Waste King publishes a pre-installed power cord on the L-3200 and a fitted cord on the L-8000, while InSinkErator sells the Badger 5XP with or without one - so check which version you are ordering, because a disposal with no cord needs hard-wiring or a cord kit. Do garbage disposals come with a power cord covers it.
Warranty is the third separator and it is unusually wide here: five years on the Badger 5, six on the 5XP, eight on the L-3200, nine on the Evolution .75HP and twenty on the L-8000. InSinkErator's warranties include in-home service, which is a different promise from a parts-only warranty. Read what the warranty covers rather than just how long it runs.
Which one to buy
- Buy the Evolution .75HP if you want the best continuous-feed disposal here. Three-stage grind, SoundSeal insulation, nine-year in-home service warranty.
- Buy the Badger 5XP for a 3/4 HP Dura-Drive motor in the same body and mount as a Badger 5, with a dishwasher inlet - but confirm whether your version ships with a cord.
- Buy the Waste King Legend L-3200 as the budget pick: the cheapest 3/4 HP unit here, sound insulated, cord pre-installed, eight-year warranty.
- Buy the Waste King Legend L-8000 for 1 HP at the lowest price here, with a 20-year warranty and a cord already fitted.
- Buy the Badger 5 if the cabinet is tight. At 11-1/2 inches it is the shortest unit in this registry.
- Buy batch feed instead if small children use the kitchen. That is the one case where continuous feed is the wrong default.
What to take away
- Continuous feed runs while the switch is on and is the right default for most kitchens.
- Only the Badger 5XP and the L-3200 label their feed type explicitly; the other continuous units describe it instead.
- Grind stages matter more than horsepower for preventing slow drain blockages.
- Waste King ships cords fitted; InSinkErator sells the Badger 5XP with or without one, so check the version.
- Published warranties here run from five to twenty years, and in-home service is a different promise from parts-only.
- A continuous-feed unit needs a switch you can reach without leaning over an open drain - a wall switch or an air switch.
How we sourced this page
Every figure on this page came from one of the following. Where a manufacturer or an independent lab does not publish a number, we say so rather than estimate it.
Common questions
- What is the best continuous feed garbage disposal?
- The InSinkErator Evolution .75HP. InSinkErator publishes a 3/4 HP Dura-Drive induction motor, a three-stage MultiGrind, stainless grind components, SoundSeal insulation, a 12.25 inch overall height and a nine-year in-home service warranty. The Waste King Legend L-3200 is the budget pick and arrives with its cord fitted.
- What does continuous feed mean on a garbage disposal?
- The unit runs for as long as its switch is on, and you feed waste into an open drain while it runs. A batch-feed unit only runs when a cover is seated in the drain opening. Continuous feed is faster and cheaper; batch feed is safer around small children.
- Is continuous feed or batch feed better?
- Continuous feed is better for most kitchens - quicker to use, cheaper to buy, and the overwhelming majority of what is sold. Batch feed is better in one specific case: a household with small children, because the unit physically cannot run with the drain open.
- Do continuous feed disposals need a special switch?
- They need a switch you can reach without leaning over the drain. A wall switch is the standard. If your kitchen has none, an air switch mounts in the sink deck or countertop - it needs a 1-1/4 inch hole and AC power under the sink, and it switches the disposal through an air tube rather than a live cable.
More in Garbage Disposals
Horsepower is the number on the box and it is not the number that decides whether your disposal jams. Grind stages and component material do. Here is how the three fit together.
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Found something out of date, or a figure you can source better than we did? Tell us — corrections get read first. Our methodology explains how picks are made, and contact is one click away.