The 4 Greatest Kitchen Trash Cans of 2025, Examined & Reviewed

Ah, the trash can: a receptacle for refuse, a container for scraps of all types. Except your trash can is overtly smelly, you won’t give it some thought too typically. However think about in case your trash can conjured up constructive, non-putrid ideas—ones of odor management, a smooth-opening lid, and an exterior that wasn’t an eyesore. 

That’s what we wished and got down to discover once we examined 9 kitchen trash cans. We landed on 4 prime picks. Not solely did they work rather well, however we’d fortunately show any of them in our kitchens.

The Winners, at a Look

This pedal-operated stainless-steel trash can has a lid that opens and closes silently. The lid will also be locked, permitting it to remain open for nonetheless lengthy you want it to. In our assessments, it was very efficient at containing odors—solely once we had been proper subsequent to it might we detect a faint whiff of the air freshener. We appreciated that its inside bin may be eliminated for deeper cleansing. Whereas it does name for simplehuman’s J liners, we discovered it labored high quality with store-bought luggage.

Just like the simplehuman, this trash can has a detachable inside bin. This additionally makes it simpler so as to add and take away trash luggage. Its lid sprung upwards, however it encompasses a soft-close mechanism we appreciated. Whereas its odor management wasn’t nearly as good as our total winner, it nonetheless did effectively.

This light-weight trash can has a foot pedal and a lid that locks closed (if you happen to’ve ever had a rambunctious pup get into your trash can, you know the way useful this may be). We discovered the lid persistently opened and closed easily—and we did so dozens of instances all through testing.

If you’d like a trash can you may wave a hand over and have it open, the iTouchless will serve you effectively. It has an computerized mode and a handbook one—and it’s battery-operated. We appreciated its inside ring that stored trash luggage in place and whereas it didn’t do as effectively in our odor retention take a look at, it presents good options for its worth. 

The Assessments

• Bag Match Take a look at: We positioned an ordinary, 13-gallon trash bag into every trash can, evaluating its match. We tugged across the perimeter of the trash bag to see if it might keep in place.
• Sturdiness Take a look at: To see if the trash cans would simply dent, we gently kicked every mannequin 5 instances close to its base. We then ran a vacuum into every trash can, as if we had been cleansing and unintentionally hit it. 
• Lid Take a look at: We opened and closed every trash can’s lid 25 instances. 
• Odor Management Take a look at: We positioned a potent air freshener into every trash can and left it by itself in a closed, small room for twenty-four hours—checking for smelliness halfway by means of and on the finish of this time interval. 

What We Discovered

Steel Trash Cans Had been Higher with Smells (However Solely If They Had Tight Lids)

Chrome steel is denser and fewer porous than plastic, so it is sensible the steel fashions topped our odor retention take a look at. (Observe: Our favourite compost bin can also be fabricated from stainless-steel.) After we walked into the room our simplehuman winner was in after 24 hours with an air freshener inside it, we couldn’t detect a odor. The AmazonBasics (which was fabricated from alloy metal) did effectively on this take a look at too, although we seen extra of a scent behind the trash can, due to a slight hole on the lid’s hinge. As compared, the simplehuman plastic and Rubbermaid fashions emitted noticeable odors. Nonetheless, they had been much better than the Umbra Venti Swing-Prime Kitchen Trash Can, which featured a niche round its swing-top mechanism that mercilessly launched smells. 

Hinged vs. Swing-Prime Trash Cans 

Given the above findings, it ought to come as no shock that we favored hinged lids that shut over ones with swing tops. (The latter had cowl openings that see-sawed forwards and backwards.) Whereas we’re speaking trash right here, swing-top fashions have one other concern: sanitization. With hinged—and, after all, touchless—lids you may open them with out concern over messy fingers and having to the touch the lid, getting it gunky. Swing-top lids must be touched with each use. 

Pedals Shouldn’t Want A lot Stress

We most well-liked trash cans with pedals that wanted simply slight strain to function—and lids that opened at a constant velocity. For instance, the Glad Stainless Metal Step Trash Can’s lid typically jolted open and different instances did so easily—all with out us altering the strain we utilized on the pedal. 

Which Trash Cans Had been the Most Sturdy?

Fortunately, the entire trash cans we examined had been capable of face up to our kicking and vacuum-ramming sturdiness assessments with nary a dent. By means of this take a look at, we discovered we most well-liked wider trash cans for the easy purpose that they had been much less prone to tip over. After we knocked our vacuum into the Umbra—with its spherical, smaller base—it wobbled dramatically.

The Standards: What to Search for in a Kitchen Trash Can

The very best trash cans retained odors effectively, with tight-fitting lids that trapped smells. We most well-liked hinged lids that we weren’t required to the touch to open and responsive pedals. Trash cans needs to be secure, too, and never be capable to be knocked over simply. 

Our Favourite Trash Cans

What we appreciated: This trash can did the very best in our odor management take a look at—and had a pedal that opened its lid easily and slowly each time. The lid may be locked upright too, and it by no means slammed upwards and again into the wall behind it. The simplehuman options an inside bin that may be eliminated for sanitization and makes it simpler so as to add and take away trash luggage. Whereas it does take the model’s customized J liners, an ordinary, storebought trash bag match simply high quality in our assessments. This trash can comes with a whopping 10-year guarantee—and, in our expertise, simplehuman has nice customer support. 

What we didn’t like: Now we have no complaints. 

Key Specs

• Supplies: Chrome steel
• Dimensions: 15.8 x 12.5 x 25.7 inches
• Said capability: 10 gallons
• Weight: 14.52 kilos

What we appreciated: With a detachable inside liner (just like the simplehuman), a soft-close lid mechanism, and a responsive foot pedal, we had been impressed by the Amazon Fundamentals providing. Its lid did spring open extra, however it was constant in doing so. It had an inside lip that stored trash luggage in place and didn’t dent in our sturdiness assessments.  

What we didn’t like: Whereas this trash can did effectively in our odor retention take a look at, we seen extra of a odor behind the can. There was a niche between the trash can and its lid’s hinge we attributed this to.

 Key Specs

• Supplies: Alloy metal
• Dimensions: 14.7 x 16.7 x 25.9 inches 
• Said capability: 13.2 gallons
• Weight: 13.21 kilos 

What we appreciated: If you’d like a plastic trash can that’s half the value of our winner, the simplehuman did effectively in our assessments. It has a properly sensitive foot pedal, a lock, and a lid that opens and closes easily each time. As a result of it’s made out of plastic however has a large base, there’s little fear about it denting or tipping over. Like its stainless-steel sibling, it takes customized liners however match a store-bought bag high quality in our assessments. 

What we didn’t like: It lacks a detachable liner and has extra nooks and crannies that gunk might construct up in.

Key Specs

• Supplies: Plastic
• Dimensions: 18.7 x 14.4 x 26.2 inches
• Said capability: 50 liters (13 gallons)
• Weight: 7 kilos

What we appreciated: This trash can has a battery-powered sensor you may wave a hand over and the lid will open. That stated, it will also be toggled to handbook mode. We had been impressed that the lid opened seamlessly each time and located its inside ring stored trash luggage in place impressively effectively.

What we didn’t like: It did passably within the odor retention take a look at—possible because of the two gaps on both facet of the lid that exist so that you can open it in handbook mode. Tall people might need to hunch over to wave and activate the sensor. 

Key Specs

• Supplies: Chrome steel
• Dimensions: 16 x 11.4 x 25.3 inches
• Said capability: 13 gallons
• Weight: 7.5 kilos

The Competitors 

FAQs

What number of gallons is a kitchen trash can? 

Many of the trash cans we examined had been between 10 and 13 gallons, which is an effective dimension. It will serve a family of two to 4 effectively and certain have to be emptied each one to 2 days. 

Is a stainless-steel trash can price it?

Sure, we do suppose a stainless-steel trash can is price it—and our prime choose from simplehuman is made out of this materials. Not solely does it look glossy, however it did the very best in our odor management take a look at. 

Why We’re the Consultants

• Riddley Gemperlein-Schirm is the affiliate editorial director of Critical Eats. 
• She’s been with the location since 2021 and beforehand labored for America’s Take a look at Kitchen and Food52. She’s been testing gear professionally for greater than six years and has written critiques of dinnerware units, espresso machines, and extra. 
• To search out the very best trash cans, we examined 9 of them and evaluated their odor retention, lid design, trash bag match, sturdiness and extra.