The 10 Very Best Kitchen Trash Cans

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Capacity: 13 gallons | Size: 16.5” x 13” x 27” | Material: Steel with plastic interior liner | Compartments: One | Closure: Soft-close step-pedal

This is quite an expensive trash can — and yet I think worth it. I live in a Brooklyn apartment with a kitchen that doesn’t have a ton of space and certainly nowhere to hide this particular essential. As such, I want it to look good. This one doesn’t draw attention to itself but is still sleek, with a matte exterior that comes in five nice colors. You line the removable inside bin with your trash bag, which is entirely hidden by the exterior walls, no plastic in sight. The shiny silver step pedal depresses smoothly to lift the lid, which then soft-closes when you step off.

The Caraway solves one of the only gripes I had with my previous trash can, the similar-looking and cheaper Kohler model below. There are no little nooks and crannies for dust, crumbs, or splatter to hide in. The Caraway is super thoughtfully built, such that this issue doesn’t exist. The inside rim that closes over the bagged bin slopes gently downward and is completely smooth (as opposed to the hard-cornered rim of the Kohler), the hinge doesn’t leave any open areas (which the Kohler’s did — probably the most annoying place to get little bits stuck, as it was quite tricky to get in there and wipe down), and the step pedal is fully floating (again, unlike Kohler’s, which has an indent underneath that traps dust).

The main other advantage is this trash can comes in two orientations: There’s the wide model I have, and a slimmer, longer version with the same capacity that might better suit a different space. There’s also the option to add on (or buy separately) a matching two-drawer recycling system. This doesn’t work especially well in my two-person household that generates quite a bit of recycling, as I found them to be too small and fill up quickly — but that certainly might not be the case for everyone.

Capacity: 13 gallons | Size: 16.8” x 13” x 26.4” | Material: Steel with plastic interior liner | Compartments: One | Closure: Soft-close step-pedal

I owned this trash can for nearly five years before finally replacing it with the Caraway — and I really loved it. The price is still considerable, but it’s $100 less than that one. And though there are the few reasons I pointed out above for which I like the Caraway a bit better, this one is still truly great. Its dimensions are similar, and it holds the same amount. It has a similar profile (rectangular with rounded edges) and similar mechanisms (a step pedal to open the soft-close lid and a rim that hides the trash bag around the removable bin inside). This one doesn’t come with any color options — just the white with a silver pedal and, in this case, a silver lid — but I think it looks good. Every few months, I’d give the whole thing as good of a clean as possible since, as I said, little bits and splatters would sometimes make their way into hard-to-reach crevices or sharp corners. The wear was more and more noticeable over time, but that only makes sense — and honestly, likely only noticeable to me and not anyone else who happened to use it. The outside cleaned up great.

Capacity: 8 gallons | Size: 15” x 11.54” x 26.7” | Material: Steel with plastic interior bucket | Compartments: One | Closure: Soft-close step-pedal

Brabantia comes up several times on this list — and this step-pedal model is another especially good-looking one. It comes in even more color options than the Caraway. The rounded silhouette is sleek; the top blends seamlessly with the body. There’s a soft close, though I do find the pedal to be a bit more sensitive than the Caraway and Kohler, so that it sometimes pops open more aggressively than I mean for it to, but this is quite a small gripe.

It holds eight gallons. While that’s one of the smaller capacities on this list — and the smallest of any trash can that doesn’t share space with a designated recycling container — it doesn’t feel puny. I imagine it would be perfect for someone who lives alone or doesn’t cook quite as much as I do. This also means it has smaller dimensions (in everything but the height), which makes it easier to slip into slightly smaller spaces. This is a big win, as anyone who has lived in a small-size apartment knows: Finding a space for your trash can so that it doesn’t get in the way can be tricky.

Architect Ming Thompson, who recommended this trash can on our sister site Curbed, likes to use two of themin different colors for trash and recycling, making the otherwise “mundane function” a little more spirited, she says. Design expert and historian Alessandra Wood says it creates “a design moment for trash” without trying to hide that it’s a trash can.

As for how it holds up: Strategist senior writer Ambar Pardilla has tested quite a few cans (she worked on a previous version of this story) and this Brabantia remains her personal favorite — the one she has consistently kept out since she first got her hands on it two years ago. “It has been covered in egg whites, salad dressing, and rogue spaghetti,” she says. “But you almost wouldn’t know it, as the steel surface is easily wiped down.” She also notes that the exterior can stand up to plate scraping (just be careful with silverware, as it can get a visible nick with a sharp edge).

Capacity: 10.6 gallons (5.3 gallons per bin) | Size: 10.4” x 23.3” x 26” | Material: Brushed stainless steel with recycled-plastic inner buckets | Compartments: Two | Closure: Step pedal

Simplehuman also receives a lot of praise. It is an established leader in this niche space, known for bins that are nice-looking, hardworking, and long-lasting enough to warrant their higher price tags across the board. This particular one is a good bet for people who don’t have a dedicated area for recycling thanks to its two-compartment interior. Pardilla says the approximately five-gallon bins “easily swallow value-size Softsoap bottles, stacks of Coffee-Mate creamers, and the discards from a home-cooked dinner for four.” She used standard 13-gallon bags without a problem, but points out you can spring for Simplehuman’s own line to get a tighter fit. She also appreciates how well it contains smells: “I forgot I had garlic bits and banana peels in mine even after a few days,” she says.

Elbert is another fan. She’s owned this bin for four years and it’s still in great shape. Beyond durability, she likes the butterfly lid, which she says is more likely to fit under counters and in cabinets than some other models: “When the lid is open, it only takes up a few inches, versus some cans, when the whole lid pops up, it’s almost a foot tall,” she says. It also slowly and silently shuts on its own once you release the pedal.

Capacity: 16 gallons (8 gallons per bin) | Size: 10.6” x 10.6” x 23” | Material: Stainless steel with plastic interior buckets | Compartments: Two | Closure: Soft-close step-pedal

Songmics’ dual compartment holds more trash and recyclables than the Simplehuman, split between two inner buckets that are eight gallons each. It’s about a foot wider as a result, but if you have the space, the extra room allows for more time before you have to take out the trash. It also has two step-pedals and lids that operate independently: “If there’s a big mess, you won’t have to worry about it falling into the other side,” explains Naeemah Ford Goldson, owner of Restore Order Professional Organizing. Even though both interior buckets are the same color (unlike the Simplehuman, which designates black for trash and blue for recycling), she color-codes them with different garbage bags so her sons know which is which. Each bucket also has convenient handles for lifting.

Capacity: 16 gallons | Size: 15.8” x 15.8” x 28” | Material: Stainless steel | Compartments: One | Closure: Touch-top lid

This trash can has the largest capacity of any other unit on this list, ideal for folks who cook a lot or live with several people. It’s incredibly well built: Recipe developer and cookbook author Jessie Sheehan has owned hers for a whopping ten years — a notably long life span. While you do need to touch the lid to open it, she says it’s sensitive, so even the lightest tap will work — and if her hands are full, she simply uses her elbow. The angled lid helps guide waste down so it doesn’t end up on the sides of the can, and the opening itself is wide, which makes dumping larger pieces of waste, or scraping off the surface of platters, easy. Once the top has flipped up, it stays that way, so she can make multiple trips before she closes it, too. And Sheehan says the bin’s odor containment is so effective, her pets never loiter around the can.

Capacity: 9.5 gallons | Size: 21.3” 12.3” x 26.8” | Material: Steel with plastic legs and interior bucket | Compartments: One | Closure: Touch-top lid

Here’s another touch-top model from Brabantia — though the standout feature of this one is its legs, which give a little over nine inches of clearance off the floor. The gap makes it accessible to clean the surrounding area (as a comparison, I have to fully move my trash can out of the way if scraps ever fall behind or to the sides). It’s a good spot to put pet-food bowls, too. And it just looks nice: “Not even like a trash can,” says Wood. More specifically, Thompson likens it to a “a vintage icebox or a mysterious piece of stereo equipment.”

While Pardilla, who tested this model based on those two pros’ recommendations, notes that it takes up a fair amount of space, she says it can stand flush against the wall. She appreciates that the entire lid comes off so you can give it a more serious scrub if need be, and that the inner bucket fits fully inside the outer container so that the bag is hidden. Like with Sheehan’s recommended Brabantia above, you have to use your hand or elbow to open it, and the lid stays until you push it closed, making it more useful for ongoing cleaning tasks than a step-pedal that shuts as soon as you remove your foot.

Capacity: 6.5, 7, or 13 gallons | Size: 15” 30” x 30” (for the largest) | Material: Stainless steel with a plastic liner | Compartments: One | Closure: Step-pedal

This is somewhat of an unexpected pick, but after two design experts told my colleagues who write our Secret Strategist newsletter that they love this particular trash can, I felt it deserved an inclusion. It’s designed for medical facilities, literally meeting specific standards for biohazard trash — but it’s the industrial look that architectural designer Nick Poe and creative director Kelsey Keith like so much. We first spotted it in Poe’s Domino apartment tour, and he later told us he first spotted it in the studio of Calvin Marcus, a painter friend of his, before buying one himself and subsequently recommending it to often to clients. “I think it looks industrial in a chic way,” he says. Recently, Keith said, “It’s pleasantly rigidly industrial-looking (as in, literally made of stainless steel), it’s sealed with a gasket for a silent close and fume mitigation, and you can operate it hands free. The Silent Defender comes in the original stainless steel — very au courant — or powder-coated red or white. What more could you need?”

Capacity: 9.2 gallons (4.6 gallons per bin) | Size: 9.8” x 17.7” x 19.1” | Material: Steel frame, plastic bins | Compartments: Two | Closure: Fully open pullout

If you believe a trash can is best when out of sight, consider this Simplehuman bin. If you have a cabinet space for it that makes sense, installation couldn’t be easier: You affix the preassembled ball-bearing track to the bottom of any cabinet that can fit the full dimensions with four small screws. The structure is sturdy, keeping the plastic bins fully secure. The contraption rolls smoothly in and out with a pull and push of the steel chrome handle at the front. Three experts — Solomon, Elbert, and Gotham Organizers founder Lisa Zaslow — all rave about how nice it is to keep garbage out of sight. And though the capacity per bin is on the smaller size compared to some others, Zaslow thinks it’s perfect. It’s “large enough so that you don’t have to empty it every day and small enough to be able to fit bags in most apartment trash chutes,” she says. She also appreciates that the bins “glide out fully” so that the bags are easy to remove when full.

Capacity: 2.6 gallons | Size: 11.75” x 8.75” x 14.25” | Material: Steel frame with plastic bucket | Compartments: One | Closure: Flip-top lid

For those who don’t have enough cabinet space for a pullout or enough floor space for any of the models above, an in-cabinet can might be the best bet. This one is decidedly small, so expect to take out the trash daily. But at least it’s completely hidden — a plus when you live with a tiny kitchen that takes a lot of streamlining to look organized. It’s also very cheap. The bin attaches to the inside of a cabinet door by mounting directly, or you can hang it from the top edge of the door with hooks. Either way, all the hardware you need is included in the box.

Beth Penn, founder of Bneato Organizing, has kept two in her kitchen — one for trash and one for recycling — since 2017 and says they’re still going strong. She even recommends the bin to clients all the time, noting that it’s simple to set up and especially renter-friendly. “I get no complaints, only rave reviews,” she says.

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