Continuous Feed vs Batch Feed Garbage Disposals: What’s The Difference?

Purchasing a garbage disposal is a smart investment that will reduce unnecessary food waste while promoting a cleaner environment. Rather than tossing your leftover dinner scraps in the trash where they will be carried away to a local landfill, you can place them down the garbage disposal where they are flushed through your home’s plumbing system and into the septic tank or municipal sewer. It’s a quick and easy process that will save you time and energy – not to mention its eco-friendly benefits.

 

While there are dozens of different types of garbage disposals available for sale, most of them fall into one of two different categories: continuous feed or batch feed. If you’re thinking about investing in a garbage disposal, you should educate yourself on both of these types to determine which one is best suited for your needs.

 

Continuous Feed

 

The most common type of garbage disposal, continuous feed models run from the moment the power switch is turned on, and will continue running until the power is turned off. With the motor constantly running (assuming the power is on), these models are capable of chopping up a greater amount of food in a short period of time. Large families often prefer continuous feed garbage disposals for this reason alone.

 

Continuous feed garbage disposals are typically cheaper and easier to install than batch feeds. One of the drawbacks to using them, however, is their lack of safety. Without a cover on top, it’s easy for knives, forks or other cutlery to fall into the motorized blades.

 

Batch Feed

 

Batch feed garbage disposals differ from their counterpart in a few different ways, the most distinguishable being the cover on top. Unlike continuous feed models, batch feed garbage disposals have a cover/lid that’s placed on top for an additional layer of safety. The cover is placed on top and twisted so the magnets on the cover align with the magnets in the actual unit. This helps prevent any silverware, dishes or fingers from finding their way into the unit when it’s running.

 

Another advantage of batch feed models is their ability to contain food splatter. The top cover prevents organic matter and juice from splattering throughout your kitchen, which in turn may reduce the risk of food-borne illness.

 

Batch feed garbage disposals also produce less noise than continuous feed models. The cover works to muffle the sound of the motor. Parents of newborns may prefer batch feed models for their minimal noise production.