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

Ah, the trash can: a receptacle for refuse, a container for scraps of all kinds. Until your trash can is overtly smelly, you may not give it some thought too usually. 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 needed and got down to discover after 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 can 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 after we have been proper subsequent to it might we detect a faint whiff of the air freshener. We preferred that its inside bin might be eliminated for deeper cleansing. Whereas it does name for simplehuman’s J liners, we discovered it labored high quality with store-bought baggage.

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 baggage. Its lid sprung upwards, nevertheless it encompasses a soft-close mechanism we preferred. Whereas its odor management wasn’t pretty much as good as our general winner, it nonetheless did properly.

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 constantly opened and closed easily—and we did so dozens of instances all through testing.

If you need a trash can you may wave a hand over and have it open, the iTouchless will serve you properly. It has an automated mode and a guide one—and it’s battery-operated. We preferred its inside ring that stored trash baggage in place and whereas it didn’t do as properly in our odor retention take a look at, it affords good options for its worth. 

The Exams

• Bag Match Take a look at: We positioned a typical, 13-gallon trash bag into every trash can, evaluating its match. We tugged across the perimeter of the trash bag to see if it will 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 have been cleansing and by chance 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

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

Chrome steel is denser and fewer porous than plastic, so it is smart the steel fashions topped our odor retention take a look at. (Notice: Our favourite compost bin can be manufactured from stainless-steel.) Once we walked into the room our simplehuman winner was in after 24 hours with an air freshener within it, we couldn’t detect a scent. The AmazonBasics (which was manufactured from alloy metal) did properly on this take a look at too, although we seen extra of a scent behind the trash can, because of a slight hole on the lid’s hinge. Compared, the simplehuman plastic and Rubbermaid fashions emitted noticeable odors. Nevertheless, they have been much better than the Umbra Venti Swing-Prime Kitchen Trash Can, which featured a spot 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 backwards and forwards.) 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 arms and having to the touch the lid, getting it gunky. Swing-top lids need to be touched with each use. 

Pedals Shouldn’t Want A lot Strain

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

Which Trash Cans Have been the Most Sturdy?

Fortunately, all the trash cans we examined have been capable of face up to our kicking and vacuum-ramming sturdiness assessments with nary a dent. Via this take a look at, we discovered we most well-liked wider trash cans for the easy motive that they have been much less prone to tip over. Once 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 perfect trash cans retained odors properly, 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 ought to be steady, too, and never have the ability to be knocked over simply. 

Our Favourite Trash Cans

What we preferred: This trash can did the most effective in our odor management take a look at—and had a pedal that opened its lid easily and slowly each time. The lid might 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 baggage. Whereas it does take the model’s customized J liners, a typical, 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: We now have no complaints. 

Key Specs

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

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

What we didn’t like: Whereas this trash can did properly in our odor retention take a look at, we seen extra of a scent in the back of the can. There was a spot 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 
• Acknowledged capability: 13.2 gallons
• Weight: 13.21 kilos 

What we preferred: If you need a plastic trash can that’s half the worth of our winner, the simplehuman did properly 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 produced from 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
• Acknowledged capability: 50 liters (13 gallons)
• Weight: 7 kilos

What we preferred: This trash can has a battery-powered sensor you may wave a hand over and the lid will open. That mentioned, it can be toggled to guide mode. We have been impressed that the lid opened seamlessly each time and located its inside ring stored trash baggage in place impressively properly.

What we didn’t like: It did passably within the odor retention take a look at—possible as a result of two gaps on both aspect of the lid that exist so that you can open it in guide mode. Tall of us 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
• Acknowledged 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 have been between 10 and 13 gallons, which is an effective dimension. It will serve a family of two to 4 properly and sure must be emptied each one to 2 days. 

Is a chrome steel trash can price it?

Sure, we do suppose a chrome steel trash can is price it—and our prime choose from simplehuman is produced from this materials. Not solely does it look glossy, nevertheless it did the most effective in our odor management take a look at. 

Why We’re the Specialists

• 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 opinions of dinnerware units, espresso machines, and extra. 
• To seek out the most effective trash cans, we examined 9 of them and evaluated their odor retention, lid design, trash bag match, sturdiness and extra.