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Even the best trash can can’t solve the feeling of existential dread over your contributions to the great Pacific gyre and other increasingly bloated trash dumps that strikes every time you stare into the maw of your garbage can. But wouldn’t you at least rather invest in the very best maw on the market for you to put your garbage into?
I researched the most popular widely available flip-top trash cans online before narrowing it down to 11 different models. Then I tested those 11 side by side to determine which trash can was the very best trash can for the kitchen. Read on for the top picks and for more information about what I looked for in a can and which ones will frustrate you to the point you’d rather just throw your garbage out the window, scroll further down.
The best trash cans overall: Kohler Step Can and Simplehuman Rectangular
Yes, these trash cans are tied, but they aren’t exactly the same. Both trash cans earned top marks when it came to securing a standard bag, containing smell, and overall construction. Both cans have a notch in the back of a removable interior bin that allows you to twist and secure a normal trash bag (meaning no special brand-specific bag is required) without any unsightly overhang or risk of the bag coming loose. (You'd be surprised how poor most trash cans are at simply holding a bag in place.) Both trash cans successfully managed to thwart a dog’s best efforts to go dumpster diving. Both trash cans have 10-year warranties. There are a few subtle differences, though, which I’ll outline below.
This trash can has a slim profile and sits flush against the wall, making it a space-saving discreet presence in the kitchen. Many flip-top trash cans whack the wall behind them if you step on the pedal too hard, but the Kohler’s lid lifts gently even if you stomp on the pedal.
The stainless-steel exterior finish is fingerprint-resistant and slightly matte, which gives it a stylish brushed-nickel look. The top lid’s silent close is quiet as a whisper, and all you have to do to lock it in the open position is push the rim of the outer lid up all the way with your hand—a nice design touch for when you need to remove a full bag, add a new bag, or need to go back and forth across the kitchen for several garbage tossing trips. The foot pedal has stood up to long-term testing, despite occasional reports online that it is prone to breaking.
Some have complained that the rim will occasionally rise with the lid and come crashing down with a bang. In my daily use of this machine, I’ve only experienced this when something sticky is on the rim, and the issue resolves with a quick wipe.
Simplehuman is the big name in trash cans. I have one, as do several of my coworkers. This did not make us biased; if anything, our collective experience helped us better scrutinize these trash cans. However, when it came down to the side-by-side tests, the Simplehuman rectangular flip-top was hard to beat: Though the brand produces its own bags, any standard grocery store bag will fit nicely and securely in the trash can, and it’s well-built, sleek, sturdy, and reliable. The lid opens and closes silently, and all odors are contained easily. For large families, Simplehuman also offers a greater range of sizes compared to Kohler.
Compared to the Kohler, the stainless steel on this trash can was a little more shiny. It claimed to be fingerprint-proof, but the model I tested accumulated more smudges than the Kohler. On the other hand, many in the office found the stainless steel finish of the Simplehuman a little nicer-looking than the Kohler's. Keeping the lid open on the Simplehuman model requires flipping a little red lock on the inside, which felt a little fussy. Again, small details.
Yes, both of our top picks are expensive. Why shell out so much on something that holds waste? Before doing this test, I found the idea of spending as much on a trash can as you would a chef’s knife a bit absurd. After all, it's a can for garbage. After testing 11 trash cans, however, it was clear that you really do get what you pay for. The top picks were the only cans capable of containing odor and properly securing a garbage bag while still looking nice.
If you’re not interested in spending so much, opt for the functional-but-not-stylish Glad or Rubbermaid models. These cheaper plastic trash cans had very sturdy bag-securing mechanisms and would also be easy to clean in the event of a spill. But you should place them underneath the sink or in a cabinet—or empty them more frequently—since I found that plastic couldn't contain smells the way stainless steel could.
Okay, but what about an inexpensive stainless steel trash can? The stainless steel Ikea cans I tested looked dazzling but did a dreadful job securing bags—a mess waiting to happen. Think of your trash can not as a home for trash but as an appliance, whose job it is to effectively contain your kitchen waste in a sanitary fashion. Opt for the ugly plastic models if you’re going to go cheap. They’ll clean well and odor won’t be a problem if you’re vigilant or stash them in the right place.
How I tested
Before doing anything, I took stock of each can and made general observations about its construction, paying particular attention to the open and closing mechanisms and the design of the interior compartments.
I began my test simply by inserting a standard trash bag into each can. Many high-end trash can makers, like Simplehuman and Brabantia, recommend using the custom bags they designed to fit perfectly into specific models. In conversations with my coworkers, we unanimously agreed that the best trash can should accommodate any typical store-bought bag. Inevitably, there will be a time where you might need to buy more bags in a pinch, and waiting on a mail-order delivery of expensive custom bags should be an avoidable hassle.
I then dropped 10 pounds of potatoes into each can to test how well it secured a bag.
To test for smell-containing capability, I placed an air freshener in each trash can, leaving them for an hour in a conference room before returning to sniff around each can. For the most part this test revealed that metal does a much better job than plastic at containing odors, and the more plastic parts there are to a trash can, the less likely it will effectively contain smell.
Beyond that, my coworkers and I conducted long-term testing, living with these trash cans at home and making observations about their durability and effectiveness over time.
What I looked for
Since there is a whole world of garbage-containing contraptions out there, I had to set some initial parameters in order to conduct a reasonably fair test for the best kitchen trash can. I limited the test to single-compartment 13-gallon trash cans, or as close to that volume as I could manage that would be reasonable in both a large or small kitchen.
The most significant factors in our test below represent the most common sources of frustration based on input from coworkers and online user reviews:
Many trash cans come with their own special bags, designed to fit perfectly. This is fine, but I wanted to be able to use a standard grocery-store trash bag in them as well.
Because high-end trash cans can be so expensive as high-end trash cans it’s fair to expect they should last a while. I determined whether they did by living and using the winning trash cans daily, to see how they fared over an extended period of time.
Some trash cans claim they have odor filters or other odor-blocking features. If they work, then I considered that a plus.
Our ideal trash can model would have an external body and a removable interior bin. In the event of a bag break, the interior bin adds an extra layer of protection to prevent a spill from getting deep down into the actual can itself, which tends to have all sorts of hard-to-clean nooks and crannies due to the internal mechanics. A removable bin is much easier to clean. Some models were just the bin itself; some even had open bottoms, which would be quite unpleasant in the event of a tear or spill.
I also considered secondary factors such as sturdiness, appearance, and mobility.
I did not include touchless sensor trash cans, dual compartment cans with recycling bins, or under-counter pull-out cans for the sake of finding a baseline standard trash receptacle. I also excluded countertop compost bins, though Vitamix makes a particularly impressive one.
I was reticent to test hands-free automatic trash cans with motion sensors, due to frequent negative reviews and several caveats that make them undesirable: They require electrical sources or batteries, are prone to malfunctioning, and can be opened by clever pets.
Other trash cans I tested:
The Glad trash can is OK. The Clorox odor protection it has didn’t make a significant difference regarding odor performance. The step pedal and swing top seem to withstand a good deal of use and abuse. Despite this, it doesn’t hold onto bags well, and the lack of a wastebasket insert was a problem, as it would be a pain to clean if there were any leaks, although, it’s lightweight enough that it would be easy to take it out back and rinse it with the hose, so that’s something.
This is another inexpensive trash bin that isn’t super resilient. It failed our potato test, and the lack of any air outlet on the bottom resulted in ballooning bags.
The Rubbermaid, like the Glad, is an inexpensive plastic trash can. It performed similarly for $20 less. Still, it’s barely adequate at best.
All Simplehuman trash cans perform pretty well, however, we don’t care for the bucket-free design, and the liner pocket organizer provided so much of an opening into the trashcan that I worried would struggle to contain smells and provide easy access for pests. I have a feeling this is why Simplehuman markets their odor control pods alongside this model.
I tested three different step on trash can models from Brabantia: the Brabantia Pedal Bin Flatback and the Brabantia Pedal Bin New Icon. Both of them had issues accommodating standard trash bags in a neat and presentable way. Like Simplehuman, Brabantia sells custom trash bags for their bins, but unlike Simplehuman, Brabantia bins don’t have a notch in the bin to tuck in excess bag, a feature that makes it easy to use generic bags in a pinch. Without this notch, it’s difficult to secure a generic bag without a protruding knot or unsightly overhang.
This model does have a few elevated features, like a soft-close lid and a removable inner bucket. However, the overall build is a tad flimsy, and it lacked a notch for tucking and securing excess bag.
The takeaway
Finding the best kitchen trash can feels a lot like those “You can only keep two” scenarios, where the traits to select from are affordability, proficient design, and aesthetics. You’ll be hard-pressed to find one that satisfies all three criteria (if you do, let me know and we'll test it). One big lesson we learned is that if a trash can is good-looking and affordable, chances are its functionality will not be suited for food waste disposal. Since a heavy-duty kitchen trash can needs to accommodate wet and perishable waste, the ability to contain smells and stay clean mattered most. That's what justified the price of the Kohler or the Simplehuman. If your budget doesn’t allow for this, choose a plastic variety from Glad or Rubbermaid—and opt for a trash can designed for small spaces.
