Garbage disposals are a useful item to have in the kitchen. They reduce food waste that would otherwise go into the trash and since they grind food waste into small particles, they reduce kitchen sink clogging. When shopping for a new garbage disposal, you will need to choose how much power you need.
Garbage disposals are sized by the horsepower of the motor. Smaller disposals are 1/3 or 1/2 horsepower and larger units are 3/4 or 1 horsepower. All else being equal, higher horsepower means quieter, faster, and smoother operation. In addition, since a high horsepower model doesn’t have to work as hard to grind up food waste, it will typically last longer than a lower horsepower model.
Higher horsepower disposals can handle hard to grind waste like bones or fibrous waste (think celery) much better than smaller units that become jammed or clogged by these materials. Lower horsepower garbage disposals are best suited for smaller households and for light duty use. If you cook infrequently and don’t plan to grind bones and other tough food wastes, a 1/3 horsepower or 1/2 horsepower disposal will probably do the job just fine.
On the other hand, if you cook frequently at home, have a large family, and want to put almost any type of food waste through the disposal, a 3/4 horsepower or 1 horsepower model would be a better choice. Not only will the disposal be able to handle the load, but since you will be using it frequently you will appreciate the smooth, quiet, jam-free operation.
