When you’re choosing a kitchen garbage disposal for the first time, there are a few things to consider. In fact, if you’re really confused about kitchen garbage disposals overall, please take a look at the most obvious buying considerations first, this will hopefully tell you about the basics you need to know.

However, I digress. The purpose of this section on our website is to tell you a bit about both continuous and batch feed disposers. You may think there isn’t a great deal to it, but it is worth thinking about which one would suit you best.

Continuous Feed

As the name suggests, this type of garbage disposer will continue to run from the minute you switch the power on. I’ve listed a few of the benefits to this system below.

Pros

   If you have a large amount of waste to grind up, continuous feed is possibly the best option. This is because you don’t have to wait until the chamber is full before the power will come on.

   If you’re someone who likes to keep a tidy kitchen when you’re preparing food, you can just throw the waste into your disposer as you work.

   Continuous feed garbage disposals are usually cheaper than batch feed models. This is also the reason why you see more continuous feed models, because they sell better.

There are also a couple of reasons why you may not wish to use a continuous feed garbage disposal, so this is worth thinking about as well.

Cons

   Safety can be an issue with this type because the motor will continue to run as you put waste down the sink. Apart from unfortunate accidents happening with your fingers, if you drop, say, a spoon down it this could cause a good deal of damage before you manage to switch the unit off.

   Water usage can also be a slight issue. Many manufacturers recommend that you run cold water when using your waste unit, so you might notice a hike in the bill you receive.

Batch Feed

Again, as the name suggests, this type of garbage disposal means you grind up your waste in batches. The benefits to this type are listed below for you.

Pros

   These units come with a cover or stopper that means you’re not left with a gaping hole for “foreign” bodies to fall into.

   If you only have a small amount of waste to get rid of, this is probably the best option open to you.

   This type is also much safer because you need to fill the chamber and cover the hole before it will power on. This eliminates the problem with jams if you happen to drop something into the disposer that shouldn’t be there.

As with everything in life, it’s not all perfect so there are a couple of reasons why a batch feed garbage disposal may not be for you.

Cons

   For households with larger amounts of waste, it will take longer to get rid of.

   It can be tempting to fill the chamber with waste, and save grinding it until you have more time. However, this could end-up being a potential health hazard as food starts to rot. In turn, this will attract bacteria and, in some extreme cases, unwanted insects.

Overall, the three most importantant factors for deciding between the two types of food waste disposals are money, safety and amount of waste. It’s up to you to decide what you value most.