AmazonCommercial 1/2 HP Garbage Disposal In-depth Review
Overall Verdict
The AmazonCommercial B07XGBKT1Z 1/2 Horsepower stands out amidst our small garbage disposal collection not just because of the bright orange casing. Boasting a full stainless steel grind assembly and a high-velocity motor, the disposal pulverizes common food scraps with ease. While it struggles with tough animal scraps, the machine is an affordable but strong option for a place with 1-2 people who cook simple foods.
Things We Like
- High speed
- Stainless steel grind components
- Lightweight
- Space-saving design
- Affordable
Things We Don’t Like
- Low-torque
- Can be loud
The AmazonCommercial 1/2-HP looks like one of those generic garbage disposals that you see a lot these days. Most of them follow the same design as the Waste King Legend Series. Specifically, the Amazon Commercial 1/2 bears a striking resemblance to the Waste King L-2600. They also have the same grind chamber design and run on the same type of motor.
5.2 Performance: Disappointing but not Surprising
The AmazonCommercial 1/2-HP is not too bad against your typical kitchen scraps, including corn cobs and cooked bones. It also did a surprisingly good job pulverizing uncooked chicken scraps.
However, something thin and pliable like fish bones, even when cooked, can be tricky to the disposal. Raw fish remains are certainly out of the question.
6.6 Scrap Mix
With an input load as big as our prepared mix of scraps (90 ounces of more than ten types of foods), the AmazonCommercial 1/2 HP was surprisingly decent for a small disposal. There was nothing left in the chamber as we could only collect 0.03 ounces worth of scraps. That means the machine was able to dispose of more than 99% of the input load.
Everything caught in Layer 1 and Layer 2 appeared relatively well processed. Tough materials like chicken bones were no trouble at all. The only thing that the AmazonCommercial 1/2 HP struggled with was the flexible bones from the cooked fish scraps.
Failed Raw Fish Scraps
The AmazonCommercial 1/2-HP Garbage Disposal failed our Raw Fish Scrap test as it couldn’t grind down the input load in time. After 3 minutes, there were still more than 5.6 ounces of skin and chops of spine remaining in the chamber. That’s roughly 11% of the input unprocessed.
Most of the leftovers were shredded to a certain degree, but far from being sufficient for output. With the results from this test, we had to categorize the Amazon 1/2 HP as one of the less capable garbage grinders.
7.8 Raw Chicken Scraps
The AmazonCommercial 1/2 seemed a lot more competent when it was taking in raw chicken scraps. In about 2 minutes 30 seconds, the disposal reduced 7.4 ounces worth of bones, skin, tendon, and cartilage down to a small, 0.23-ounce mess of soft and spongy tissues.
The disposal also did well with Layer 1 and Layer 2. Most of the output was able to travel through the first colander, save for a small amount of stringy material. All of the bones were crushed and bits caught in the second colander appeared and felt drain-safe.
8.5 Design: Another Budget In-Sink Grinder
The AmazonCommercial B07XGBKT1Z wears a vivid orange casing that helps it stand out among the popular blacks and grays of the market. Its grind chamber offers a fair extent of holding capacity and depth for a small disposal.
For what it costs, we can’t really expect much out of the disposal. But stainless steel grinding components together with a high-speed jamless motor is not a bad start for an in-sink grinder.
In the Box
- AmazonCommercial 1/2-HP Garbage Disposal
- EZ Mount assembly
- Removable splash guard
- Stopper
- Discharge tube
- Rubber gasket
- Flange and bolts
- Pre-installed power cord
- Documentation
The product comes in a blank cardboard box with one info sticker. On it, you can find its brand name, model number, and origin. When put in comparison, the lack of other details on the box, such as dimensions or capacity, suggests a degree of negligence. But, when we factor in aspects of online retail—where you can just “google” things—such lack of info deserves the benefit of the doubt.
The B07XGBKT1Z comes with basic plumbing hardware and a user manual. The manual is in English, French, and Spanish.
Dimensions
The AmazonCommercial B07XGBKT1Z is larger than most 1/2-horsepower garbage disposals. Interestingly enough, it’s actually on the lightweight side. The disposal is about 3 pounds lighter compared to the popular InSinkErator Badger 5.
Mount Assembly
- Fiber gasket
- Rubber gasket
- Support ring
- Mount ring
- Cushion mount
- Sink flange
- Stopper
- Removable splash guard
The AmazonCommercial 1/2 is compatible with all EZ mount assemblies. These mounts have a very simple design that requires no tools to handle. However, the design is less secure than that of the 3-Bolt—the other mounting system. EZ Mount food disposers sometimes may rotate on their own during operation if the mounting connections are slippery. The stronger the motor, the more likely this is.
Power Cord
All garbage disposals in the AmazonCommercial series, including the 3/4-HP B07XFDMPNJ, come with a pre-wired power cord.
Accessories: Discharge Set
A discharge/outlet set for garbage disposals includes a 1.5-inch elbow pipe, a rubber gasket, a metal flange, and a pair of bolts. These bolts have slotted hex heads that are 3/8 inches across flats. Use either a flat-head screwdriver or a wrench on them.
8.0 Grind Chamber
This AmazonCommercial B07XGBKT1Z sports a medium holding chamber for a 1/2-hp in-sink grinder. The chamber houses a generic grinding assembly with a single-level precutter that we’ve seen in most low-tier permanent-magnet disposals. All the grinding components here are stainless steel instead of galvanized steel, though, so they last and stay sharp for longer.
9.0 Motor
The AmazonCommercial B07XGBKT1Z runs on a permanent magnet motor. These motors are faster and let out much less waste heat than induction motors. Using a laser tachometer, we measured disposal’s flywheel up to 4684 revolutions per minute (RPM) when it wasn’t grinding anything. An induction food disposer, like the InSinkErator Badger 5, never goes higher than 1500 RPM. The high rotational velocity of permanent magnet motors has been a tried solution to the jamming problem.
8.5 Build Quality
The AmazonCommercial 1/2-HP Garbage Disposal is a product with no bells and whistles. It has a two-piece plastic protective case that feels thick and well-made. The disposal is quite bulky for its power rating, but the negative space between the casing and the internals allows for more effective force absorption in case of impact.
The plastic casing itself is tinted, so there’s no paint job at all. It looked the same after our testing process because nicks are near-invisible on the casing. However, the casing appears to have lost some of its grip on the core machinery when we shake to check.
7.7 Usability: As Basics as They Go
The AmazonCommercial 1/2 Horsepower B07XGBKT1Z offers little in terms of extras, but it suffices as far as garbage disposals go. The permanent magnet motor and the stainless steel grind assembly make for a solid setup, suitable for simple kitchen routines.
7.0 Ease of Use
For a 1/2-hp model, the disposal provides a fair extent of holding capacity and chamber depth. We find that simple and small scraps from vegetables, fruits, and cooked animal parts, even in considerable volumes, are able to go in effortlessly. Tough scraps, however, may fill up and strain the chamber. The EZ Mount has a comparatively narrow drain opening which, if you’re switching from a 3-Bolt assembly, may feel a little inconvenient.
9.5 Installation
The low weight together with the EZ assembly makes it easy to hook the food disposer up. It took our reviewer less than five minutes to install everything completely by hand. Keep in mind that the B07XGBKT1Z is larger than most small disposals, so it might be more difficult to handle in really tight spaces. The disposal has a pre-installed power cord which you’ll have to remove if you want to hardwire the machine to the main system. Currently, there’s no version without a cord.
8.0 Smooth Operation
The disposal’s grinding assembly experienced no halting or jamming during our complete testing process. The results it produced were also impressive for a simple grinding layout and only half a horsepower. The disposal is loud but not louder than any of its stronger cousins.
0.0 Unjam Mechanics
Similar to other in-sink disposals that run on permanent magnet motors, the product doesn’t have any mechanics that let users maneuver the motor from the outside. When jamming occurs, although rarely, users are expected to make use of a shaft and rotate the flywheel by reaching inside the chamber.