Kitchen Bins - which is the best type of bin for the kitchen

A kitchen bin needs to function well and look good, simple to design you would think.

However over the years - I feel as if I have tried them all, and so far they had all proved to have design faults. When I started to look for a new kitchen bin you could say I was a woman on a mission.

In the past my kitchen bins seemed to be either the good , but still with minor annoying design faults, but often they were wither - the bad ( the lids did not work well or they fell apart ) and the ugly (they rusted or just sat in a corner looking out of place).

So this time when I bought a new bin for the kitchen - I really wanted one that worked well.

(Kitchen bin is a UK term in the USA the name used is trash can, although we may call them by different names but the need to have an efficient well designed item is universal.)

I wanted a new kitchen bin - that did not do these things -

(unlike some of the past monsters I have battled with)

• I wanted a kitchen bin that did not make me fight it every time I wanted to remove a full rubbish sack.
• I wanted a bin in my kitchen that looked nice and was easily accessible -

to me that means -

• Not having to fight with the lid of a swing bin as it swings shut at the wrong moment; just as I am putting something into the bin.
• Not having a bin that slips about on the floor as you remove or put a new liner in or our take a full liner out.
• Not too small - or I would be forever emptying it. Nor too big or it would be a struggle to manage the full bin liners as you take them to the outside bin.
• A bin that does not have a badly fitting lid, or one that breaks easily, or that clatters open or shut as they do sometimes with a pedal bin.

This is what I want from my new kitchen bin,-

Finding a bin that does all of these things and none of the above is not easy, but it is worth it. The right bin saves hassle, time and frayed tempers as well as keeping the kitchen a clean and healthier place to cook in.

1. I want a kitchen bin that looks nice.

It needs to fit in with the decor of my kitchen (which is a modern beechwood colour,with stainless steel and black as the other featured colours just in case you are curious about that)

2. I need a bin that is the right size -

for the number of people living here and using the kitchen. I cook for up to six at a time but sometimes there are just two to cook for, so the bin needs to be between 20 and 30 litres in UK sizes. If you do not recycle - bottles, cardboard and compost waste as efficiently as we do the sizes of bins needed will vary. it also needed to fit in the space I have in the kitchen for it.

3. I want a kitchen bin that is easy to keep clean.

Who does n't, it is a thankless task cleaning bin buckets so I want liners that fit inside a separate inner bin bucket, but that do not hang over the top of the bin on display.

4. I wanted a bargin basement priced kitchen bin.

I gave up on this one in the end because I realised this had been my downfall when buying these in the past. I now realise that it probably comes down to getting what you pay for when it comes to kitchen bins.

Over the years I have gone from attempting to use swing top bins (never again) and years of using various types of pedal bins. The plastic bins I had always looked tacky, the matt steel bin rusted and I did not want another bin with a metal lid/metal top that scratched the paint off the wall.

So after hours of research on-line and in store what did i spend my money on? You need to know I am usually a girl with an eye for the bargains when it comes to replacing household items; or you will not appreciate how I wrangled with myself over the decision to 'splash out' on and invest in a kitchen bin that is guaranteed for ten years.

As near as a kitchen bin can be - it is attractive modern looking, functional, and hygienic. It is shiny stainless steel with a matt black top.

I got it in a touch top, at first I hesitated over that as I wondered would it be as hygienic as a foot pedal bin, but once I saw it in store I was sold on the idea.

So I after much thought and research I am now the proud owner of a shiny stainless steel touch-top opening bin, what a pity I now have to put rubbish in it.

Thank you for reading this

Remember if you want a kitchen bin to shop around and compare the prices as the same bin can vary in price from store to store or on-line too. You will also find that the better brands of kitchen accessories make their bins in various colours, shapes, styles and sizes and the important thing is to select one that is right for your kitchen and family. You might for example prefer a bin that locks if you have small children or pets who often find bins a source of amusement.

Why the touch top bin is a success in our kitchen.

1. If you use the right sized bin liner bags and fit them correctly, you will rarely need to clean out the 'bucket' part of the bin.
2. Because you have the lid open without needing to touch it or press a foot peddle it is easier to get the waste into the bin accurately without spilling it on the lid or down the sides. The bin lid opens wide enough to make this function work well.
3. Because the lid lifts off the bin easily it is simple to remove the bin liner and to replace it, no battles with negotiating a full bin liner past the lid of the kitchen bin.
4. I bought one with a black top so I do not have to worry about wiping finger prints of the shiny metal surface of the bin top.

Hooray! I found a kitchen bin that works - not going to tell you how many years it took me to get one that I did not secretly hate.

Update - this bin has solved lots of problems that I had with previous kitchen bins some will be relevant to everyone but some might just relate to the way I work in the kitchen.

• In the past I always thought a touch top bin would not suit me, as I did not like the idea of touching a bin lid with my hands while preparing food. Yes, I know you can wash your hands but it is the number of times you need to stop preparing food to wash them that can be a problem.

Problem solved with this bin I can leave the lid open for the short amount of time if need be or I can touch open the lid with my elbow if I want to keep my hands clean. Bit odd that I know, and the bin is clean anyway but I am over cautious about things being clean in a kitchen.

• I have not had to fight to remove the bin liner from the bin when it is full and this often happened with my old pedal bin.

The new bin has a design feature which is very simple but which prevents the - 'vacuum effect' the one that happens when the full bin line will not pull out from the bin.

• I spend less time cleaning this bin - inside and out.

This is because the outside is easy to wipe down if necessary and because the liner fits so well the inside of the bin remains clean and free from spills.

This is kitchen bin is such a time saver and after months of using the bin I am happy with my purchase of it.

If you are looking for deals on these kitchen bins/kitchen trash cans/kitchen waste bins - then search on the internet for the best price for them as they vary greatly. I got my from a big supermarket that allows you to order on line and then collect in store and I paid half the price I have seen them advertised at. A clue here is I got the bin on-line from - - - co and used some of my points to bring the price down even further.