Garbage Disposals
The best garbage disposals for undermount sinks
The sink's mounting type barely matters to the disposal. The bowl depth that usually comes with it matters enormously.
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 garbage disposal for an undermount sink is the InSinkErator Evolution .75HP: InSinkErator publishes a 12.25 inch overall height, a 3/4 HP Dura-Drive induction motor, a three-stage MultiGrind and SoundSeal insulation, which is the most capability per inch of cabinet height here. The budget pick is the InSinkErator Badger 5 - at a published 11-1/2 inches it is the shortest unit on this page, and in a deep undermount sink height is the specification that decides whether anything fits at all.
Start with the honest version, because the search term slightly misleads. A garbage disposal bolts to the sink's drain outlet, not to the countertop, so whether the sink is undermounted or dropped in makes almost no difference to the disposal itself. What does make a difference is the sink that usually comes with an undermount installation: undermount sinks skew deep, and 10 inch bowls are standard across the undermount lines in this registry. Deep bowl plus tall disposal is where cabinet clearance runs out, and that is the real question behind the query.
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 | 12.25" tall, three-stage grind, SoundSeal, 9-year warranty | $233.99 · View on Amazon #ad Affiliate link · Price as of November 11, 2026 |
| 2 |  InSinkErator Badger 5 Budget pick | One or two people, tight cabinets | 11-1/2" - the shortest unit here, for the least money | |
| 3 |  InSinkErator Badger 5XP Best 3/4 HP upgrade | A like-for-like Badger upgrade | 12-5/8" with a Dura-Drive motor and a dishwasher inlet | |
| 4 |  InSinkErator Evolution 1HP Best for large households | Large households, frequent jams | 1 HP and a jam sensor, in 13" | $355.87 · View on Amazon #ad Affiliate link · Price as of November 11, 2026 |
| 5 |  Waste King Legend L-8000 Best value 1 HP | Value 1 HP with a cord fitted | 1 HP with a cord fitted and a 20-year warranty |
The arithmetic, once, properly
Measure from the underside of your countertop down to the floor of the cabinet, then subtract the sink's overall depth. What is left is the space the disposal, the discharge elbow and the trap all have to share. A 10 inch undermount bowl in a standard 36 inch-high counter leaves roughly 24 inches of cabinet below it, and that sounds generous until you account for the P-trap, the trap arm and the fact that the discharge outlet on the disposal sits part way up its body rather than at the bottom.
In practice the number to compare is the published overall height, and on this page it runs from 11-1/2 inches on the Badger 5 to nearly 15 inches on the batch-feed Cover Control. That three-and-a-half inch spread is the whole decision for a tight cabinet. Can you install a garbage disposal in any sink covers the fittings, and the best garbage disposals for deep sinks works the same arithmetic from the sink's side.
| Model | Overall height | Motor | Grind stages | Feed | Warranty |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| InSinkErator Evolution .75HP | 12.25" | 3/4 HP Dura-Drive induction | Three-stage MultiGrind | Continuous | 9-year We Come to You limited service |
| InSinkErator Badger 5 | 11-1/2" | 1/2 HP | One | Continuous | 5-year We Come to You in-home limited |
| InSinkErator Badger 5XP | 12-5/8" | 3/4 HP Dura-Drive | One | Continuous | 6-year We Come to You in-home limited |
| InSinkErator Evolution 1HP | 13" | 1.0 HP, 1725 rpm | Three-stage MultiGrind | Continuous | 7-year parts and in-home service |
| Waste King Legend L-8000 | Not published | 1 HP permanent magnet, 2800 rpm | Not published as staged | Continuous | 20-year limited |
Read from each maker's own product page or specification sheet, linked below. Waste King does not publish an overall height for the L-8000 on the pages we read - it publishes 11.94 lb and the EZ Mount flange - so if your cabinet is tight, measure before you order or choose a unit whose height is stated. For reference, Waste King publishes 13-3/4 inches for the smaller L-3200.
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. Budget pick
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.
Product photograph supplied by Amazon for this listing, used under the Associates program.
3. Best 3/4 HP upgrade
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.
4. Best for large households
InSinkErator Evolution 1HP
InSinkErator · Best for large households, frequent jams
The full-horsepower option, and the only one here with a published jam-breaking mechanism: the Jam-Sensor circuit raises motor torque by 500% to clear a stall instead of tripping the reset. If you have a large household and a history of resetting a disposal weekly, this is what that problem costs to solve.
Published specifications
- Motor
- 1.0 HP, single phase, 120 V, 60 Hz, 1725 rpm source
- Grind stages
- Three-stage MultiGrind, against one on a standard disposal source
- Grind components
- Stainless steel source
- Jam handling
- Jam-Sensor circuit increases motor torque 500% to break jams source
- Sound
- SoundSeal, plus the Quiet Collar sound-reducing baffle source
- Overall height
- 13" source
- Weight
- 23.0 lb shipping weight source
- Warranty
- 7-year parts and in-home service source
What works
- Jam-Sensor is the one published feature that addresses the most common disposal complaint
- The Quiet Collar baffle is included rather than sold separately, and the baffle is most of the perceived noise fix
- 1 HP with three stages handles the fibrous waste that stalls half-horsepower units
- InSinkErator publishes a full spec sheet including amperage and RPM
What does not
- 13 inches tall and 23 lb — the largest unit here, and the most likely to foul a shallow cabinet or a P-trap
- Seven-year warranty is shorter than the 3/4 HP Evolution's nine
- 1 HP does not make it a bone grinder; the failure point just moves
Skip it if
Skip it if your cabinet is shallow or your trap arm sits high — measure the 13-inch height before buying horsepower you cannot fit.
#ad Affiliate link · Price as of November 11, 2026
Raw specifications: InSinkErator’s own page for the InSinkErator Evolution 1HP.
Product photograph supplied by Amazon for this listing, used under the Associates program.
5. Best value 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.
Why three-stage grind leads rather than horsepower
The intuitive ranking is by horsepower and it is the wrong one. InSinkErator publishes a three-stage MultiGrind on the Evolution .75HP and the Evolution 1HP, against one stage on both Badgers. Extra stages break waste down further before it reaches the drain line, which is what actually prevents the slow blockage people blame on a weak motor. A 3/4 HP three-stage unit handles a mixed load better than a 1 HP single-stage one, which is why the .75HP leads this page and the 1 HP sits below it.
Horsepower earns its keep in one specific case: a household that genuinely jams the unit. InSinkErator publishes a Jam-Sensor circuit on the Evolution 1HP that increases motor torque by 500 percent to break a jam, and that is a real feature rather than a number on a box. The horsepower guide sets out what each tier is for, and 3/4 vs 1 HP does the head-to-head.
Noise matters more under an undermount sink
An undermount sink has no rim sitting on the counter, so it is bonded to the underside of a stone or quartz top across its whole flange - which couples the sink and the countertop together acoustically. Running a disposal in that arrangement puts vibration into the counter rather than letting the sink rattle on a gasket. InSinkErator publishes SoundSeal insulation on both Evolution units and adds a Quiet Collar baffle on the Evolution 1HP; Waste King publishes sound insulation on the L-3200. None of them publishes a decibel figure, so there is no number to compare - only the presence or absence of insulation. The quietest garbage disposals covers what the makers do and do not state.
Which one to buy
- Buy the Evolution .75HP if your cabinet has 12.25 inches to spare under the sink. Three-stage grind, SoundSeal, nine-year warranty with in-home service.
- Buy the Badger 5 as the budget pick and specifically when clearance is the problem - a published 11-1/2 inches is the shortest unit here.
- Buy the Badger 5XP if you want a like-for-like Badger upgrade: the same 26 oz chamber and mount, a 3/4 HP Dura-Drive motor and a dishwasher inlet.
- Buy the Evolution 1HP if you jam disposals. The Jam-Sensor circuit is published at 500 percent extra torque, in a 13 inch body.
- Buy the Waste King Legend L-8000 for 1 HP with a cord already fitted and a 20-year warranty - but measure first, because Waste King does not publish its height.
- Check your sink's flange depth before any of them if the sink is fireclay, cast iron or composite.
What to take away
- A disposal bolts to the sink outlet, so the mounting type of the sink barely matters - the bowl depth that comes with it does.
- Undermount sinks skew deep, and 10 inch bowls plus a tall disposal is what runs out of cabinet height.
- Published overall height spans three and a half inches across this page, which is the whole decision in a tight cabinet.
- Grind stages predict blockages better than horsepower does; a 3/4 HP three-stage unit beats a 1 HP single-stage one on mixed waste.
- Thick-material sinks sometimes need a flange extension, and makers state it when they know it applies.
- No maker publishes a decibel figure, so insulation is present-or-absent rather than comparable.
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.
- InSinkErator Evolution .75HP product page (published specifications)
- InSinkErator Badger 5 product page (published specifications)
- InSinkErator Badger 5XP product page (published specifications)
- InSinkErator Evolution 1HP specification sheet (published as Evolution Excel, PDF)
- Waste King Legend L-8000 specification sheet (PDF)
- BOCCHI Classico 30-inch fireclay farmhouse sink — manufacturer listing
Common questions
- What is the best garbage disposal for an undermount sink?
- The InSinkErator Evolution .75HP. InSinkErator publishes a 12.25 inch overall height, a 3/4 HP Dura-Drive motor, a three-stage MultiGrind and SoundSeal insulation - the most capability per inch of cabinet height. If clearance is tight, the Badger 5 is published at 11-1/2 inches, the shortest unit here.
- Do undermount sinks need a special garbage disposal?
- No. The disposal bolts to the sink's drain outlet regardless of how the sink is mounted. What changes is the clearance: undermount sinks are usually deeper, so the disposal's overall height matters more. Thick-material sinks - fireclay, cast iron, composite - occasionally need a flange extension.
- How much clearance do you need under an undermount sink for a disposal?
- Measure from under the countertop to the cabinet floor, subtract the sink's overall depth, and compare what is left against the disposal's published overall height plus room for the discharge elbow and the trap. Published heights on this page run from 11-1/2 to 13 inches.
- Is a garbage disposal noisier on an undermount sink?
- It can feel that way. An undermount sink is bonded to the underside of the countertop across its whole flange, which couples the two acoustically and puts vibration into the counter. Choose a unit whose maker publishes sound insulation - SoundSeal on the InSinkErator Evolution units, a Quiet Collar baffle on the 1 HP.
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.