Moen L-8000 Waste King 1 HP Garbage Disposal with Power Cord

Why it's worth it

A 1 HP permanent magnet motor spinning at 2,800 RPM grinds fast, and fast grinding means the noise stops sooner. There's no insulation shroud, so it's clearly louder than the Evolution units, but the cord comes pre-installed and the warranty runs 20 years.

A permanent magnet motor is the best quiet-for-less trick there is. It spins up instantly and runs at 2,800 RPM, so scraps break down quickly and the cycle ends before the noise wears on you. Waste King also sound-insulates the motor housing. Compared with the groaning induction units that come standard in most builder-grade kitchens, the difference is obvious the first time you use it.

It's a full horsepower for a fraction of what the flagships cost. If you cook a lot and your current disposal jams on anything tougher than a banana peel, this fixes that problem without a premium budget. Jamming isn't just inconvenient. A bound-up motor is the loudest sound a disposal makes, so more power quietly buys you fewer bad noises.

From our review of 9 noise-reducing garbage disposals, by David Sinclair, Managing Editor

What we like

• +A permanent magnet motor is the best quiet-for-less trick there is
• +It's a full horsepower for a fraction of what the flagships cost
• +Installation is about as simple as it gets
• +The internals are built to last

What to know

• –There's no multi-layer sound shroud
• –It gets loudest exactly when you need it most