We Have a New Best Trash Can, and It’s Actually Nice-Looking
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Like many people who live in rental apartments, I’ve always had to negotiate where my kitchen trash can lives. Whether finding room for it in a cramped galley-style kitchen or placing it in an unobtrusive but still convenient spot in a more expansive layout, it’s never been the easiest. Without an enclosed cabinet or closet, it’s out in the open — and as such, over the years, I’ve come to realize the importance of it looking as good as possible.
In my current space, I spent about five happy years with the Kohler Stainless Steel White and Stainless Step-On Trash Can, and it’s one I would still recommend. Only recently did it start looking (and only just a bit) the worse for wear.
I replaced it with Caraway’s trash can, which became available earlier this year, and while it’s very similar to the Kohler, it has turned out to be even better in a few ways. Yes, the price is steeper — one might say surprisingly so for a trash can — but to me it makes sense to invest in something you’re going to stare at and use multiple times a day, every day, for years. If you can swing it, I think it’s worth it.
I’ll start with the aesthetic, since that’s a big part of the appeal. It’s rectangular but with nicely rounded sides and subtle indented lines at the front. The body and lid are monochrome in one of five colors: matte brick red, deep emerald green, stark white, pure black, and cream, which is what I have. All are decidedly nice-looking. The only other detail you can see from the outside is a shiny silver step pedal to open the lid. It has a removable bin inside where the trash bag goes, such that you can tuck the excess out of sight. Indeed, a lot of trash cans do these days — it makes for a much cleaner silhouette.
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It’s also super-smartly designed for functionality. There are very few little nooks and crannies for dust, crumbs, or splatter to hide in (one of the only issues I had with my Kohler). The inside rim that closes over the bagged bin slopes gently downward and is completely smooth (as opposed to being hard cornered). The hinge has only minor open areas that I’ve found are easy to wipe from the top and bottom sides (the Kohler’s hinge, on the other hand, was probably the most annoying place to get little bits stuck, as it was nearly impossible 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). These are subtle details, but they make a difference.
The other main advantage is that this trash can comes in two orientations. There’s the wide model I have and a version that’s positioned the long way, such that it has a slimmer, deeper profile that might better suit a different space. Both have the same 45-liter (13-gallon) capacity. 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, which generates quite a bit of recycling thanks to a seltzer habit (my husband’s) and a job (mine) that requires lots of breaking down of boxes and packaging. For us, they’re too small and fill up too quickly — but that certainly might not be the case for everyone. If you’re in the latter camp, the cans look especially smart together.
More trash cans we love
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The Kohler remains a great pick if you want to spend a little less.
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This Simplehuman model has a divided bin for trash and recycling within one can.
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A round eight-gallon trash can for smaller spaces.
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