Smelly Garbage Got You Down? We Tested Out The Top Kitchen Trash Cans With Lids

Is your kitchen trash can the culprit behind your home's foul odors? Do you dread taking out the garbage due to the overpowering stench that greets you every time you open the lid? You're not alone - dealing with smelly kitchen garbage is a common problem many homeowners face.

The source of stinky trash cans often comes down to improper odor containment. Food scraps, compostable waste, and other smelly items accumulate at the bottom of standard open bins, slowly releasing unpleasant gases into your kitchen over time. And even if you remember to take out the trash regularly, bags can still rip or leak, instantly hitting your home with a wave of unwanted stench.

Causes and Solutions for Smelly Kitchen Garbage

First, let's take a quick look at what typically causes trash odor issues in kitchens and how the right can design can help:

Common Causes of Smelly Kitchen Garbage

• Food scraps and compostable organic waste emitting gases that produce odors
• Infrequent emptying leading to overloaded bags of waste accumulating smells
• Garbage bag rips or leaks releasing smells into the surrounding air

Odor Prevention with Secure-Lid Kitchen Trash Cans

• Tight-sealing lids contain smells inside cans
• Carbon filters neutralize food scrap odors
• Locking lids keep bags secured inside, preventing leaks/rips
• Adequate size options prevent overfilling and odor buildup

The key is finding a kitchen-friendly trash can designed not just to hold waste, but one engineered to lock smells away. We tested over a dozen top products to ID cans with lids that do just that.

Our Testing Criteria for the Best Kitchen Garbage Cans

From boutique bins to mainstream options, we compared a wide range of secure-lid kitchen trash cans. Our focus was filtering down to products optimized for odor control with useful features to match real-world needs. Here's a quick look at our evaluation criteria:

Key Buying Criteria and Preferences

• Odor control effectiveness - Ability to contain smells
• Useful lid features - Locks, sensors, springs, seals
• Size/capacity range - 13 to 50+ gallon options
• Durability of materials - Steel, aluminum, plastic, etc.

With our ideal balance of odor fighting power, convenient lid tech, size flexibility, and durable builds in mind, two cans quickly emerged as our top recommendations...

#1 Pick: Simplehuman Rectangular Step Can

Product Specs and Highlights

• Rectangular shape fits flush against walls
• Wide step pedal for easy, hands-free opening
• Tight sealing lid with thick plastic odor gaskets
• Inner bucket lifts out for fast bag changes & cleaning
• Fingerprint-proof stainless steel material

The Pros of This Kitchen Garbage Can

With its rectangular shape and near-silent motion damped lid, the Simplehuman Rectangular Step Can avoids wall gaps that let odors sneak out. The internal hinges also stay cleaner than exposed designs while the activated charcoal filter traps smells. Users say both the foot pedal and slide lock that keeps lids open work seamlessly for years, making trash disposal "almost enjoyable."

Any Cons to Consider?

The most frequent owner complaint with Simplehuman's popular step can focuses on durability issues after a year or two of use. Problems like broken step pedals, failing lid springs, and warped plastic odor gaskets popping out emerge once the 1-year warranty expires. The $180+ price tag also puts this stainless steel pick out of range for many buyers. However, given its stellar odor containment and motion sensor innovations, for those who can invest more, Simplehuman still offers superb quality and features that justify the upfront cost long-term.

#2 Pick: iTouchless Deodorizer Open Top Can

Key Product Specs and Highlights

• Deodorizer with activated carbon filter
• Fingerprint-proof stainless steel material
• Easy open-top access (no manual lid to open)
• Customizable plastic liner sizes
• 23 gal capacity with odor trapping design

The Pros of This Odor-Blocking Pick

For those seeking a simpler yet still odor-blocking kitchen trash can, the iTouchless Deodorizer Can makes an affordable alternative to higher-end stainless bins. Despite lacking motion dampening and advanced lid tech, the built-in deodorizer filter eliminates smells almost as capably as leading competitors twice the price. And without a manual lid to fumble open, dropping trash bags into the open top takes seconds. Owners also regularly praise the deceptively heavy duty plastic liner that keeps the inner bucket dent-resistant for worry-free cleaning.

Any Downsides to Weigh?

There are a few trade-offs for the budget-friendly pricing here. A few owners report receiving cans without properly installed filters while others dislike having to source iTouchless' proprietary custom trash bags. Additionally, exterior scuffs start showing within a year or so of use, detracting from the fingerprint-proof steel's otherwise polished look. However, given the extreme affordability and odor eliminating power packed inside, for smaller households needing an inexpensive stainless option, the minor quirks hardly detract from this attractive pick.

Honorable Mentions

Beyond our top recommendations, a few other secure-lid kitchen cans proved worthy of at least testing out...

Glad Stainless Steel Can Overview

• Oversized steel pedal and locking lid
• Tall kitchen-height design
• Antimicrobial, rust resistant material
• Lower cost large capacity model

Hefty Touch Lid Can Overview

• Hefty's unique touch lid technology
• Easy open and close without touching germy surfaces
• Built-in odor neutralizers
• Lower cost 13 gallon alternative

Both these cans lacked the elite level odor blocking of the Simplehuman and iTouchless models yet still resist smells better than basic bins. The Glad and Hefty picks also sport durability and budget-friendly size options that dropped them to our honorable mentions list. However, for shoppers willing to compromise advanced features for cost savings, we recommend adding these to your research list as well.

At the end of an exhausting few weeks of scrubbing smelly cans and analyzing the nuances of kitchen-ready models, a few core takeaways stand out when choosing an odor-fighting trash bin:

• Focus on a design made to lock smells in, not just hold trash bags
• Consider useful lid innovations like touchless opening, locks, and sealing gaskets
• Account for household capacity needs with 8 to 50+ gallon sizing
• Balance feature wants with budget limits before deciding

While no product remains odorless forever, choosing a secure-lid kitchen garbage can engineered to actively neutralize smells remains a worthwhile upgrade. With containers designed specifically block unwanted stenches, taking out the trash transforms from dreaded chore to just another routine cleaning task.

We hope our testing streamlines your search for the best kitchen garbage can. And remember - no matter which secure-lid you choose, emptying trash before piles start overflowing gives any bin a headstart at keeping unwanted smells away!