Lighting is pretty straight forward.

Fans or a disposer is going to not be kind to the cheap triac in most of these devices. One option is to get a Z-WAVE appliance module and one of their battery powered switch (controllers).

I recall seeing "air switches" for disposal operation. You push a plunger that increased pressure in a tube that connects to a piston-operated switch. I don't know what the advantage is except that some people might feel afraid to touch a switch with wet hands or maybe that it can be mounted closer to the sink or in a horizontal position near the sink. That way you can turn on the disposer with your hand in it :-(

Thanks for the replies. My wife doesn't want an air switch, she feels that it would get gummed up. There is also an optical swich, but I couldn't get an answer as to whether or not it would work under a cabinet.

Most electronic switches are not compatible with motor loads.

There ARE some induction motors that can operate from a TRIAC, but they will be clearly marked as suitable (and cost more).

Many induction motors are not capable of operating from ANY 'variable speed' device.

The TRIAC used to turn the power on and off distorts the voltage applied to the load, and anything except a simple resistive load (like lighting or heating) must be designed to operate with the distorted supply.

Even when fully on, a TRIAC still distorts the voltage.

I have airswitches on my disposer in the kitchen mounted face up on the counter and I have airswitches on the lap pool (mounted vertically in the splash area) to turn on the current and the lights. Not one has "gummed up" in over ten years of use.

Personally, from my own experience of seeing how often somebody puts their hand into the garbage disposal to get something out - I'd would not trust a wireless switch ever for this application.

I have quite a few wireless remote switches on various outdoor lighting circuits and have found that they have turned on by themselves for no apparent reason and some even default to "on" setting after a power outage or glitch.

I would just feel a whole lot better with it being a mechanical switch (including an airswitch) to turn a garbage disposal on. But then of course, you should always unplug it before putting you hand down there anyhow.

"you should always unplug it before putting you hand down there anyhow. "

Tough to do when they are hard wired.