A Good Garbage Disposal Makes Dishes Fun. Really.
A few years ago, we hosted our first Thanksgiving Dinner; a home-cooked affair for about 35 people, including all the in-laws. Midway through cooking the meal, the garbage disposal failed in a big way: it didn’t have enough horsepower grind the celery waste. Here’s an appetizing image (NOT): a watery backlog celery strings gurgling up from the kitchen sink just in time for dinner. Ugh.
As every cook (residential or commercial) knows, when it comes to garbage disposals, horsepower and reliability are key. We’re fond of many brands, but In-Sink-Erator (ISE) is among our top picks. The new ISE Evolution Excel has a 1.0 hp motor that will make mincemeat of nearly anything you throw at it, including chicken bones and potato peels. View ‘real life’ demo >
10 Tips for Garbage Disposal Care & Feeding
Having used garbage disposals for most of our lives, we’re often surprised that many homeowners find them intimidating. Below are few tips:
1. Run lots of cold water while the disposal is in operation and for a few seconds after it is finished.
2. Avoid putting fibrous food waste into the disposal (celery, pea pods, onion skins, cabbage, etc.)
3. Chicken bones are OK (bird bones are hollow), but ham, steak, and pork bones are not.
4. There is never a need to sharpen disposal blades, because they don’t have blades (in the technical sense). Disposals use cams (a.k.a., hammers) to pound food to bits.
5. Disposal won’t turn on? Try pressing the red “reset” button on the bottom of the unit (under the sink).
6. If your disposal has a removable rubber drain gasket (where the food goes in), remove it weekly for cleaning – and get ready to hold your nose. Gaskets get ooky from daily dishwater and food waste. Happily, the gaskets are dishwasher safe.
7. It’s true – putting orange, lemon, and grapefruit peels in the disposer helps clean it and release a pleasant, citrus scent.
8. Garbage disposals are generally ok for use with a septic tank. See tip #1 – run cold water during the entire disposal process to ensure the ground food is suitably soupy for the septic system bacteria.
9. Never drop metal objects (twisties, plastic wrappers, utensils, etc.) into the disposal. When that happens, power off the disposal immediately and carefully remove the objects. A few weeks ago, we accidentally dropped BBs down the disposal. You know the movie quote “[BBs]…they go all over.” It’s true. Fishing the little devils out required a magnet-on-a-stick, a flashlight, and a lot of patience.
10. If using your disposal is an exercise in frustration, it may time to consider upgrading to a new model. Over the past few years, disposal technology has improved a great deal. New models have more power, less noise, are a pleasure to use. A new garbage disposal is one of the simplest and most affordable kitchen upgrades available.
Allied Reddi Rooter is a leading expert in garbage disposal installation and repair. Call today for a free estimate: 513-396-5300
