Who makes Insinkerator garbage disposals?

Last Updated on April 15, 2023 by Dave Farquhar

Insinkerator is a venerable and popular brand of garbage disposal you can find at at almost any hardware or home improvement store. You can find one at almost any price point you want, whether you want to spend tens of dollars or hundreds. But who makes Insinkerator garbage disposals?

Insinkerator is owned and manufactured by St. Louis-based Emerson Electric Co., in a factory in Wisconsin. Emerson sells similar units under a number of other brands as well. As a general rule, if an off-brand disposal looks like an Insinkerator Badger unit in size, shape, and style, it probably is the same thing with a different label on it. One of these off-brands will be a drop-in replacement and you can save about $10 over a comparable Insinkerator.

Advantages of Insinkerator disposals

who makes Insinkerator garbage disposals
This 1/3-horsepower Insinkerator Badger garbage disposal is an Emerson Electric product. Any similar looking disposal with an off-brand name is likely also made by Emerson.

As a landlord, I’ve put plenty of Insinkerator disposals in rental houses. As long as you don’t put drain cleaner in them, they last about 10 years before you have to replace them. I frequently buy the cheaper 1/3-horsepower Insinkerator Badger units, and there’s nothing inherently wrong with them. They tend to be a good value for the money. They grind up food like a disposal is supposed to do, and they are no more prone to leak than any other type.

Unlike competing units from Moen, Insinkerators have a bolt in the bottom that you can turn with an Allen wrench to clear a jam in the unit. The only way to un-jam an Moen unit is to stick a broomstick into the unit and turn. It’s nice to have both options.

Of course, if you can step up to a 1/2 horsepower continuous feed garbage disposal, you’ll be happy with that too. Maybe a bit happier. More horsepower is usually better.

There’s one other advantage, if you’re concerned about loss of manufacturing jobs in the United States. Moen doesn’t make its units in the USA. Emerson does some overseas production as well, but sells those products overseas. Emerson makes its units for domestic sale in Wisconsin. Moen makes its units in China.

The difference in price is a few dollars. I stopped buying the Moen disposals when I realized Emerson makes its products in the USA. To me, it’s worth the few extra dollars to support domestic manufacturing.

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