We got the batch feed (ISE Evolution) and think it is absolutely superb. We have a two year-old and a four year-old and while neither is helping us clean up / do the dishes (although they do like to help load and unload the dishwasher) I love, I mean LOVE knowing none of us can get hurt with this disposal.

When I was twelve years-old I babysat, once, for a family with a seven year-old boy named Fox and his infant brother. I was making Fox a drink and he was washing his hands at the sink when he told me "oops, I dropped something down the sink -- will you get it for me?" So I walked over to reach down the drain and I saw him reach over to flip the disposal switch. He thought it was funny.

This was in the '80s, waaay before cell phones. I called his parents (they were at a party) and told them there was a problem and they needed to come home. I told them what had happened and that I would never be able to babysit for them again.

I still think about that. As of now I think my two sons are angels, but what if one of them turns out to be nutso like Fox? What if one of them has a nutso friend? What if a genuine accident (no malice) happens?

Batch feed all the way!

I agree with Rmkitchen. No more hand-in-the-disposal fears. No more chewed-up spoons, since I'm willing to reach in there if I think something's slipped past the stopper. You do have to push the stopper to turn it on; so you could be getting your hands dirty; but the safety is worth it for me.

We have a Waste King. It's loud, it's big, and it works. Supposedly it can take care of chicken bones. (The volume, btw, doesn't bother me, as it's just for a few seconds.) Another advantage: you don't have to buy a separate stopper for your sink.

RmKitchen I just want to say that you must have been a pretty amazing 12 y.o. to be so clear about that, calling the parents and telling them you were done. Wow!

amysrq -- I'd love to accept your wonderful compliment but it really had less to do with me than how much that little boy scared me. I'm 38 now (shhh! don't tell!) and honestly, these twenty-six years later I can still remember standing in that kitchen on Lake Shore Drive shaking. (cate, if you're reading, this was in Grosse Pointe) I was genuinely afraid to stay alone in that house with him.

After I lay our new brick patio this summer with my two "helpers" (aka sons) then I'll accept your "amazing" compliment! Not to hijack (sorry astridh), but how's your hardware search going? I'll go back to your post to read ....

I just like the simplicity of it.

I have an insinkerator (I think it's the evolution) and I love it. I have the same hand-in-disposal fears, even without a malicious child in my past. ;-) I have two little girls and I was so worried about them getting hurt -- especially with an air switch, which seems just that much easier to hit accidentally.

This came up on the forum many moons ago, and a poster actually knew someone who had a disposal injury, so it really does happen (though rarely, I'm sure).

The only downside is you can wash stuff into the disposal while it's running b/c the stopper is in the way. You have to stop and reload. Took a little getting used to.

Also, if you have sink-germ-fears, it's probably not the way to go, since you have to touch the stopper all the time.

Amy

I have always had a batch feed disposal and would never consider any other kind. Now that my twin sons are 20, I still will replace my disposal with the batch feed. I feel the safety overrides any convenience issues.

I love my Waste King batch feed - and Cate1337, I HAVE put chicken bones (from the breast) in it, and there wasn't a problem. As has been reported before on this forum and on this thread, the batch feeds have a safety advantage. I also like that a batch feed does NOT have the rubber flange that the continuous feed disposals do, since I find sliding my wrist past a clammy rubber flange to be gross. A disadvantage is what chmpgntst already mentioned - a batch feed means you grind in batches. My Waste King has such a large chamber though, that it is rare that I have to fill it more than once. Which brings up another point for the OP - the batch feed chambers are large. MAKE SURE you have enough room under your sink for one. The specs can be found on the manufacturers' websites.

Also a note about brand comparison on batch feed disposals. I love my Waste King; it'll grind anything, and it has a 10-year warranty - amazing. BUT I don't like that the stopper is hard black plastic. I would have preferred the stainless steel stoppers found in the batch feed disposals from Insinkerator and Kitchenaid. Also, the Insinkerator batch feed (the "Insinkerator Cover Control") is supposed to be the quietest. The Kitchenaid batch feed, which is 1 hp, is very powerful and very large. I know that Shannonplus2 has posted often on how much she prefers her Kitchenaid batch feed, so she may chime in.

I would never have anything but the batch feed! Even without kids around - who needs somebody accidentally putting on the switch? No thanks.

We've always had ISEs - this is my third one in 35 years. The cover-control Evolution is so quiet that my husband can't believe it is really working. It does have a smaller chamber than the previous models, but oh well. I run it frequently anyway with small amounts because I can't stand the thought of garbage sitting in the sink...even if I can't see it.

Yes, I love mine. We have the Evolution.

I always had batch feed disposals for 2 reasons: safety, the most important, and one less switch on the wall. I loved them. Unfortunately in my new condo I had no choice and I have a continuous feed. The wall switch gets dirty and needs to be cleaned every day. The worst part is the rubber removable splash guard. It gets absolutely filthy and I can't figure out how to clean it. The manual provides no information. It is impossible to get the crud off it. I've soaked it in diluted bleach, diluted vinegar, scrubbed it and it is never really clean. With a batch feed I just rinsed the stopper off and it was always clean.

Here is a stupid question - If there is a wall switch currently running the garbage disposal can a replacement garbage disposal be a batch feed without a big problem in electrical changes?

Thanks for all of the feedback. I ordered an Insinkerator Cover Control today.

It's easy to replace a continuous feed with a batch feed. The switch on the wall can be removed and drywalled over if you don't need it for anything. I used that switch to operate new undercabinet lighting when I remodeled my kitchen.

OK... I had never heard of a batch feed disposal and had no clue what you guys were referring to so I googled and learned the basics. One question though, if you need a little stopper to place in to turn on the disposal (now here's where my ignorance comes in); how do you run water through similtaneously and do you ever lose the stopper? I mean... how do you manage it to keep it handy without misplacing it? I'm just imagining what my issues might be.

We have the Insinkerator Evolution Cover Control in our cleanup sink and prep sink, and like batch so much more than continuous feed. The stopper has 3 positions: grind (which allows water to flow into it), flow (which doesn't grind but allows water & small bits to flow into it, and stopper (which lets you fill the sink). Our stopper sits either in the disposal throat, on the grid next to it, or up on the sink edge. We never misplace it because it never gets put anywhere else. You could hang it in one of those little suction-cup sink baskets.

We have a waste king batch feed and I love mine -- like the insinkerator, it has three positions. We keep it in the disposal throat all the time, as water and small things flow down easily. We only take it out to put it into the "grind" mode. Because it is in the disposal throat all the time, as other posters mentioned above -- no more ground up silverware!

Can someone please post a pic so I can see that you're talking about? I'm going to be meeting with my architect next week and then he's bringing an electrican in. I'd love to have most of my specs in place. This would solve an issue since my sink is going to be in an island. I was figuring I'd have to use an air gap switch but if I can avoid a cut into my stone top... that would be awesome.

I love mine. It is one of the better decisions we made.