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How to Choose a Trash Can
A trash can is the one thing in your kitchen you touch every single day — and the wrong one slams, tips, reeks, or eats bags you can’t find refills for. Get the size, the lid, and the liner right and you’ll forget it exists, which is exactly the point.
The short answer
For most kitchens, a 13-gallon (50-liter) step-can in stainless or coated steel hits the sweet spot: it fits a standard tall kitchen bag, keeps hands off the lid, and lasts years. Buy a can sized to a common bag capacity, add a foot pedal or motion lid if smells and sticky hands bug you, and step down to a plastic can for the bathroom, office, and garage.
Start with size — and match it to a real bag
Capacity is the first and most important decision, because it dictates which liners you’ll be buying for the life of the can. A can that doesn’t match a common bag size means either overpaying for specialty trash bags or fighting a liner that slips down inside all day.
Gallons are the honest unit; liters printed on the box are just the metric label for the same thing (13 gallons ≈ 50 liters). Here’s how the common sizes shake out in a real home.
| Capacity | Best for | Bag it takes | Empty about |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2–4 gal | Bathroom, office, nightstand | 4–8 gal small | Weekly |
| 7–10 gal | Small kitchen, apartment, craft room | 8–10 gal medium | Every 2–3 days |
| 13 gal | Main kitchen (the default) | 13 gal tall kitchen | Every 2–3 days |
| 20–30 gal | Big family kitchen, recycling | 20–30 gal large | Every 3–4 days |
| 32–50 gal | Garage, yard, curbside | Contractor / 42+ gal | Weekly / pickup |
Tip: before you buy, measure the nook where the can will live — height matters most if it slides under a counter or next to the fridge, and lids need a few inches of clearance to open fully.
The lid decides how much you’ll actually like it
Two cans of the same size can feel completely different day to day, and it almost always comes down to the lid. This is where it’s worth spending a little more.
- Open top: cheapest and fastest, no moving parts to break — but no smell control and everything is visible. Great for a garage or a recycling bin, rough in a kitchen.
- Swing lid: a flap that pushes both ways. Hides trash, but it’s hard to toss anything bulky and the flap gets grimy.
- Step / pedal: the kitchen workhorse. A foot pedal opens the lid so your hands stay clean and the lid closes slowly on its own. Look for a lid that doesn’t slam.
- Motion / touchless: a sensor opens the lid when your hand approaches. Genuinely nice with raw chicken or a full armload; needs batteries and costs the most.
- Locking / animal-proof: a latching lid for garages, cabins, and outdoor cans where dogs, raccoons, or wind are a problem.
Brands like simplehuman, Rubbermaid, and Sterilite dominate the kitchen shelf, and a good step-can from any of them should carry a warranty on the pedal and lid mechanism — that’s the part that fails first.
Material: stainless, plastic, or coated steel
Material sets the price, the look, and how the can holds up to moisture and odor. There’s no single winner — it depends on the room.
| Material | Feel | Watch out for | Best room |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stainless steel | Premium, wipes clean, hides odor | Fingerprints (get a brushed / coated finish) | Kitchen |
| Coated / painted steel | Sturdy, color options, fingerprint-resistant | Chips can rust over years | Kitchen, laundry |
| Plastic (HDPE / PP) | Light, cheap, won’t rust or dent | Can hold odors, cracks in cold | Bath, office, garage |
| Galvanized / metal | Rugged, animal- and weather-tough | Heavy, no smell seal | Outdoor, yard waste |
For everything outside the kitchen, honest plastic trash cans are hard to beat — they’re inexpensive, they don’t rust in a damp bathroom, and you can buy several to sort recycling without wincing at the price. For the curb and the garage, step up to a heavy-duty wheeled can, and if pests are an issue, prioritize a latching lid over looks.
Odor, liners, and the details that keep it clean
Most “my trash can stinks” problems aren’t the can — they’re the setup. A few small things make a bigger difference than any single feature:
- An inner bucket or liner: a removable liner means the actual bin body stays clean and you can rinse it in the tub.
- A tight lid gasket or charcoal filter slot: the difference between a can you smell and one you don’t.
- Right-sized bags: a 13-gallon can wants 13-gallon tall kitchen liners — too small and they slip, too big and they bunch. Buy the can and the first box of bags together.
- Wipe-down habit: a monthly rinse with any household cleaner and a sprinkle of baking soda in the base keeps odor from setting into plastic.
If you run a garbage disposal, you’ll throw away less wet food and your can stays fresher longer — the two work as a system. And if the can is going in a cabinet, measure for a pull-out; those are sized to standard 13-gallon liners too.
Pick by where it’s going
KITCHEN
13-gallon stainless step-can with a slow-close lid and a removable inner bucket. Add a touchless sensor if sticky hands and smells are your pet peeve.
BATH & OFFICE
A simple 2–4 gallon plastic can — open-top or swing lid. Cheap, rustproof, and easy to tuck beside a vanity or under a desk.
GARAGE & CURB
A 32–50 gallon wheeled can with a latching, animal-proof lid. Contractor-grade bags, and a body tough enough to drag to the street.
Shop the whole project
Everything for a fresher trash setup
Cans, liners, and the cleaning gear to keep them fresh — from the trusted brands your neighborhood hardware store carries. See our guarantee.
Frequently asked questions
What size trash can is best for a kitchen?
For most kitchens, a 13-gallon (about 50-liter) can is the standard because it fits common tall kitchen bags and only needs emptying every two to three days. Big families or homes that combine trash and recycling often step up to 20 to 30 gallons.
Are stainless steel or plastic trash cans better?
Stainless steel looks premium, wipes clean, and hides odor, which is why it wins in the kitchen. Plastic is lighter, cheaper, and rustproof, making it the smarter pick for bathrooms, offices, and garages where looks matter less.
How do I stop my trash can from smelling?
Use a can with a tight lid or a charcoal filter, choose the right-sized bag so nothing leaks past it, and rinse the bin monthly with a household cleaner. A sprinkle of baking soda in the base absorbs lingering odor.
Is a touchless (motion) trash can worth it?
If sticky or messy hands and smells bother you, yes — the sensor lid keeps everything clean when your hands are full or dirty. The trade-offs are a higher price and needing batteries, so it’s a comfort upgrade rather than a necessity.
What size trash bag fits a 13-gallon can?
A 13-gallon can takes 13-gallon tall kitchen bags, which are the most common liner size sold. Buying the can and the first box of bags together guarantees the fit so the liner doesn’t slip down inside.
The best trash can is the one you never think about — right size, right lid, right bag. For a hands-on look before you buy, visit your local independent hardware store, or ask us here and we’ll help you match a can to your kitchen.
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