InSinkErator Evolution Compact 3/4 HP Garbage Disposal Review
Overall Verdict
All things considered, the InSinkErator Evolution Compact delivers an acceptable experience. While the disposal didn’t particularly stand out in our scrap food tests, its supporting details are highly effective. The disposal features a strong and durable build with a high-torque motor, long-lasting materials, and advanced technology in noise control.
The disposal is not exactly affordable, but it’s not too pricey either. You can often find it for around $200. At that price, the disposal is definitely one of the more attractive options on the market, given its renowned durability.
Things We Like
- Noise cancelation
- Vibration damping
- High-torque motor
- Strengthened chamber layout
- High capacity
- Stainless steel grinding components
Things We Don’t Like
- Heavy
- Space-consuming
- No power cord
The InSinkErator Compact from the Evolution series is a solid-looking garbage disposal. It has a nice, grainy body made of thick plastic with a nice, modern blue-gray tint. The product looks neither big nor small, but it is relatively heavy—most InSinkErator disposals are. The Compact is compatible with the 3-Bolt mounting system. Under the machines lies the unjam socket—that’s where the jam buster wrench goes—and the circuit breaker/reset switch.
6.9 Performance: Far from Perfect
Although the Evolution Compact didn’t have the best runs, the disposal impressed us with how smoothly and quickly it dealt with the tasks. It did seem to struggle here and there against particularly tough meat scraps. But other common food scraps like fruit peels, corn cobs, even cooked chicken bones didn’t pose much of a challenge.
However, the quality of the disposal’s output could be better, to be frank. While it shredded most food scraps we threw in, the machine couldn’t really fine-grind them enough. That said, the disposal did surprisingly well with the slim and resilient fish bones that were problematic to most other models we’ve tested.
6.9 Scrap Mix
The disposal made light work of 90 ounces of food scraps. In close to 1 minute and 50 seconds, everything from lemon slices to avocado pit to cooked meat scraps was reduced to bits. It was one of the fastest runs we’ve seen in that test. Judging by the leftovers in the chamber, which was less than 0.1% of the input, the disposal was proficient.
However, the two-layer filter caught a lot of materials from the output. Although most of the materials appeared sufficiently pulverized upon close inspection, the total amount suggested that it wasn’t as finely ground as we’d like. By contrast, the Evolution Compact was impressive in processing pesky fish bones.
7.3 Raw Fish Scraps
Going into this particularly challenging test, we half expected the Compact to fail considering its performance in Scrap Mix. The disposal surprised us, in the end, by how effectively it dealt with the bony parts of the input. After 3 minutes, everything was processed except for a mess of raw fish skin that was too slippery for the product’s grinding mechanism.
The materials in the colanders helped highlight the disposal’s efficiency in pulverizing animal bones, even slim and spongy ones. No long pieces of bones found their way through without getting broken up to some extent, and all the backbone was completely crushed.
6.6 Raw Chicken Scraps
The results from this test once again showed how effective the Compact could be at breaking up raw bones. The disposal was fast, taking only 2 minutes to process 99% of the input, save for a piece of cartilage. So we gave it another 30 seconds. That was enough time for it to crush the piece, but not everything.
On the other end, the output showed that the disposal wasn’t able to fine-grind the input. The slippery and spongy tissues were clearly causing the disposal trouble. It managed most of the cartilage but left plenty of sinew and fatty skin, which lumped up with other bony pieces and soft tissues.
8.9 Design: Neat and Capable
The InSinkErator Evolution Compact is among the best-crafted in-sink food grinders on the market, with rigid construction and excellent functionality. Positive responses and comments on plumbing forums and websites affirming the disposal’s consistent performance further support its design and quality.
The disposer sports a thick protective casing with advanced features in noise and vibration canceling. It also enjoys durable grinding components and a high-torque induction motor. Its biggest drawback is the motor’s low speed, which has a higher chance of jamming than high-speed motors.
In the Box
- InSinkErator Evolution Compact Garbage Disposal
- 3-Bolt Mount assembly
- Removable splash guard
- Stopper
- Elbow discharge tube
- Straight discharge tube
- Hose clamp
- Extra mounting bolts (x3)
- Jam Buster Wrench
- Documentation
The InSinkErator Evolution series, including the Compact, comes with more accessories than your typical kitchen waste disposer. Most noticeably, you’ll receive an extra piece of tubing and replacement bolts for the mounting assembly. All documentation (a user manual and a registration slip) is available in English, French, and Spanish.
Dimensions
For a 3/4-horsepower garbage disposer, the product is not big and it seemingly takes up just enough space under the sink. Its neat build together with highly effective features is some of the disposer’s biggest strengths.
Unfortunately, its heavy metal construction adds much burden on the sink as well as challenges to the installation. For reference, the InSinkErator Compact is roughly 5.5 pounds heavier than the GFC720N 3/4 HP by GE Appliances.
Mount Assembly
- Backup flange
- Mounting ring
- Snap ring
- Fiber gasket
- Stopper
- Cushion mount
- Sink flange
- Removable sink baffle
- Lower mounting ring
All InSinkErator garbage disposals go with the 3-Bolt Mount, and so does the Evolution Compact. If you’re replacing another 3-bolt disposer, the Compact will be compatible. The Evolution series has what’s called the Quiet Collar baffle that works with details under the machine’s collar to seal noise. The baffle is made of rubber, but it’s a more flexible variation that absorbs shock better
Power Cord
The standard version of the InSinkErator Evolution Compact doesn’t come with a power cord.
Accessories: Discharge Set
The Evolution series features anti-vibration cushioning at the outlet of the disposers. Instead of bolts and flanges, tubes are mounted to the Compact using a hose clamp. The discharge sets include a 1.5-inch elbow tube and the clamp.
Accessories: Straight Discharge Tube
There is an additional straight discharge tube for customized settings under the sink. It’s also 1.5 inches in diameter.
Accessories: Wrenchette
All InSinkErator garbage disposals include a jam buster wrench, sometimes called a wrenchette, for unjamming purposes. The wrench also helps with tightening the mounting assembly.
Accessories: Extra Mounting Bolts
You’ll find in the box a package containing three extra bolts that are shorter than the standard mounting bolts. They’re for sinks with a thick basin (thicker than 3/8 inches) like fireclay or porcelain sinks.
8.5 Grind Chamber
The Evolution Compact has a comparatively spacious chamber with more than 30 fluid ounces of holding capacity. That said, the grinding chamber is not particularly deep. Long chicken thigh bones or celery stalks that do not fit under may poke through the sink baffle at times.
The disposal has an augmented grinding assembly with a larger and stronger pair of impellers and more teeth on the grater ring. All grinding components are made of stainless steel.
8.0 Motor
The Compact employs an induction motor of 3/4 horsepower. Most of that power is tuned towards torque as the disposer’s motor only runs at low speeds. In fact, InSinkErator garbage disposals, from weak models to stronger ones, all run at the same speed.
This speed is specified by the manufacturer at 1725 revolutions per minute (RPM). Our test that measured the spin rate of the chamber’s flywheel revealed that it only rotated at 1482 RPM on average.
10 Build Quality
The Evolution Compact has a solid composite protective case with a grainy texture that improves grip. The disposal also offers features in soundproofing and shock insulation that works really well even on a portable sink.
When we check on it now, the unit feels as sturdy as day one. Its parts stay firmly fitted after all the tests we’ve put it through, which has caused a few models to slacken. There were small scratches on its case from our process that could be a minor aesthetic issue at worst.
8.2 Usability: One of the Smoothest
If you don’t mind some weight, the Evolution Compact has little to complain about in terms of usability. It ran smoothly in and out of our performance testing, taking on about anything we threw at it, and its features worked as they were supposed to.
Admittedly, the disposal couldn’t handle uncooked meat scraps very well. Its grind chamber was too shallow for particularly long bones. During the Chicken Scrap Test videos, you can see they struggled to enter the chamber completely. For common food scraps, however, the Compact can be really smooth.
9.0 Ease of Use
As long as there isn’t anything too tough, the disposal can help you make quick work of cleanup. Our performance tests showed that the Compact can swallow large amounts of scraps (up to 90 ounces of 11 different foods) in under 2 minutes without much hassle and still keep the output quality consistent. That means for daily cooking, it won’t take you more than a minute to be done.
The sink baffle works well to reduce noise and you can remove it to speed things up. Note, though, that it can be a little awkward putting the baffle back in place because the material bends out of shape too easily.
6.0 Installation
The disposal is compact enough that handling it during installation is not too challenging but at 16 pounds, it’s going to need some arm strength. The 3-Bolt mounting system may also feel a little complicated if you’re not familiar with the process.
Mind that the standard version is meant for hardwiring, so if you prefer the setup of a power cord or an air switch, you’ll have to wire your own. Or you can check out the corded version.
10 Smooth Operation
The Evolution Compact garbage disposal is no doubt in our top 3 for quietest picks. The disposal’s anti-vibration feature works wonders during the performance testing process, setting it apart from all cheaper options with meager shock or sound cushioning. Even when it was dealing with crunchy materials like bones or ice, the average noise level is lower than most models.
5.0 Unjam Mechanics
If the disposal jams, users may manually unjam the chamber’s grind assembly from the outside. Use the provided jam buster wrench or an Allen wrench to access the unjam slot on the bottom of the machine, from which you can rotate the motor’s shaft and therefore the flywheel.