I've had a trash compactor for 23 years but if I were remodeling my kitchen now I probably wouldn't install one. It was perfect for a growing family of 5 and helped condense the number of trash bags we used. We were able to put all our trash into 1 weekly garbage can rather than two. However we still had a small trash can underneath the sink for glass, food scraps, coffee grinds or anything smelly. We used the compactor for just about everything else.

Now that there's only the two of us and it's so easy to recycle we barely have enough discards to compact. Sometimes 2 weeks go by before we empty the compactor.

Both of our compactors were GE Profile models.

We've had one in the house we're just selling for the past five years and are looking to remodel the kitchen in the house we just purchased, and will probably install one there.

Even with only two of us, and heavy recycling, the compactor makes trash easy and allow us to have a small sized garbage can - the garbage co. around here charges significantly more for a normal large size garbage can. And I only have to take trash out once a week (I empty the compactor right away if we're going to put in anything that would have a smell issue).

Probably a matter of personal taste, but we like it.

My house came with one - probably wouldn't have initially purchased it - but when I remodelled I got another one - useful as a trash can particularly when trash is only picked up once a week - I keep smelly things out of it

I absolutely hate trash compactors. What's the point if you have to keep a separate trash can for the messy stuff, and putting it in IS messy, smelly, and hard to clean. We installed a trash pullout with 2 bins, one for trash & the other for recycling. Our trash & recycling are picked up once a week, so daily trash goes outside into the big bin. No trash compactor to clean, and no noise.

Most of my messy stuff goes right down the disposal - it's the occasional poultry carcass that I no longer put in the compactor unless it's close to pickup day. One of these days I'll get a better disposal that can handle poultry carcasses. It's a matter of personal preference, but the compactor holds a lot more than a regular trash pullout

i always wanted one -- we remodeled five years ago -- but then I kept hearing how they smell and the bags are very expensive.

I have no regrets that I didn't do it.

Our little trick for smell stuff (like chicken scraps) is to bag it and put it in the freezer until garbage day. Just don't accidentally thaw it out for dinner.

We have had a compactor for 25 years and it was useful when our kids lived at home. We also were limited (by the city) to a single garbage can each week. Now that we are empty nesters, in the process of remodeling our home, and more concerned about recycling, we've decided to eliminate the compactor and put in a trash pullout with 2 cans --- one for garbage and the other for recycle.

We are moving to the South next year. Having never lived there, folks are mentioning that bugs, i.e. roaches, may be a problem if food is not kept in tight-lidded containers. It follows, then, that they would get into trash that isn't covered. If so, what's the best way to keep the varmints out of the kitchen? I've never had a compactor but have had pull-out trash bins. Do compactors and/or bins now come with tight-fitting covers? Any insight would be appreciated.

My old kitchen came with one and it was OK, but the kitchen was too small to dedicate that much space to a compactor when I could fit two normal trash cans in almost the same space. It was fine when it was installed because that predated keeping a separate can for recycling.

If I had a bigger kitchen, well, nah. I don't miss it. But if I were in a location where trash benefited from being smaller (limited pickup services, for example), I'd look into it again.

Well, I guess I'll never know whether I like one until I try..... I'll just get one with a great air freshener!:) (and a heavy duty disposal for the sink) Thanks for all the info.

Mine was installed in the 80s--new ones MUST be better. It didn't stink.

Just want to weigh in on this topic. I had a trash compactor in my last kitchen and I loved it. Ofcourse you still have to have someplace else to toss chicken bones and anything that has the potential to become smelly. Mine was never smelly. The bags lasted a long time and the fact that you can get so much into one bag would certainly be a big benefit for anyone that has to carry their trash out for any distance or down a lot of stairs....cutting down on the number of trips needed. I don't know why they have fallen out of favor.