Many GWers have gotten a kick out of this video, but it's a real product I'm having put in my kitchen: Blum Servo Drive. Tap the pullout face with your knee, foot, elbow, or heaven forbid, your hand, and the servo pushes your trash pullout out. Blum's Tandem Plus with Blumotion slides will soft-close the pullout when you push it closed with any body part.

The other consideration is trash pullouts take up valuable storage space. But for me, since I hate trash cans, it's worth it. One other consideration: we have 18W x 24D x 30.5H trash pullouts (full height, no drawer above it) that hold two 50 qt bins (12.5 gallon) specifically for dry trash (nothing that will rot) and recycling, and right below each sink, a much smaller trash bin for wet trash (fruit rinds, vegetable, rotten food, etc.). That way, we take out small waterproof bags of stuff before they smell, and the 13 gallon bags when they fill up.

@buehl, the foot pedal is a great economical alternative to Servo Drive! Too bad I already spent about $1500 on Servo Drive hardware. Who am I kidding? I love motorized crap!!!

Here is a link that might be useful: Servo Drive Cheesy Video

buehl- Can the trash pedal be added after the fact? Also we have custom cabinetry but this looks like a nice add on!

All I can say is WOW!

Servo Drive is soooo cool !!

And, the regular pedal release is a great option too.

My partner could care less about any of these decisions.

I'm excited to have found a place where kitchen enthusiasts can discuss all the various options.

Thanks!

And thanks to you, I've been humming the servo drive theme song all morning :-)

That video is so funny! If it was at all in my budget (which i know it's not) I could have been persuaded to want something like that, right up until the dog opened the drawer. I already have a cat who breaks into the cupboards. I don't need serve-yourself convenience for the dogs too.

I can tell you that I love having the trash and my recycling (that's what I use the 2nd bin for) hidden away in the cabinet. The trash bin is smaller than my regular can was, so I am changing the garbage more frequently. This of course, is more costly, however, I avoid the smelly garbage or the possibility of double-bagging the trash because it's too heavy. It's hidden, out of the way. I do have to clean the handle if I've handled it with dirty hands, but that takes a second to do. The trash bin is not contaminating or smelling up my new cabinets. It is self-contained and remains clean. I definitely recommend going that route.

I want that servo drive, just on the trash pullout, not the whole kitchen! I saw it in action in a showroom recently, and it's nifty!

This post was edited by gin_gin on Sat, Feb 23, 13 at 10:17

Love It!

We've always had trash behind a door of some kind - in the broom closet at my Mom's house, under the sink in my house. Partly it's to keep dogs out; more importantly, in a small kitchen there isn't a place for a trash can on the floor.

I am very much looking forward to my trash/recyclable pullout! Currently we pile up cans and bottle on the counter until someone gets around to carrying them to the garage; one of my goals in my new kitchen is to get stuff off the counters.

Ha ha, like the video. Did you see the dog open "his" drawer too? cute. Did I see the guy put two handfuls of chopped onion in the open trash can? eww. that will smell nice the next day. Overall, a pretty good concept. The one comment I liked below the video said something about he'd hate to get drunk some night and bump into all the cabinets and wreck the kitchen. hee hee

My Rev-A-Shelf double can trash pullout cabis one of my most favorite new kitchen items! I've always suffered through garbage under the sink. Now THAT is a pain in the rear. I compost all veg, fruit, and protein scraps so nothing gets really stinky in the garbage, except when DH is too lazy to take two more steps to open the compost container and uses the garbage.

Because my trash is at the end of my prep zone, I usually prep with the trash pulled out 2-3". That way, I don't have to use my hands to open it up when they are dirty. It's easy to drop a scrap of plastic wrap or the like right in and I can easily work around a the cab slightly open.

My Rev-A-Shelf double can trash pullout cab is one of my most favorite new kitchen items! I've always suffered through garbage under the sink. Now THAT is a pain in the rear. I compost all veg, fruit, and protein scraps so nothing gets really stinky in the garbage, except when DH is too lazy to take two more steps to open the compost container and uses the garbage.

Because my trash is at the end of my prep zone, I usually prep with the trash pulled out 2-3". That way, I don't have to use my hands to open it up when they are dirty. It's easy to drop a scrap of plastic wrap or the like right in and I can easily work around a the cab slightly open.

I agree with breezy - I have two double-can trash pullouts and I love them! We have to separate trash into deposit cans/bottles, paper, "commingle" e.g. yogurt containers, non-deposit cans, non-deposit bottles, milk cartons, etc., and what I call "stinky trash." Then we have to put the stinky trash in the pay-per-throw bags our town requires. Then we have to take it to the dump ourselves.

This has been a constant grievance for me, but having the four trash bins make it possible and easy We do two things to avoid super-stinky trash: send everything veggie down the disposal, and freeze our meat/fish scraps until Dump Run Day. The cabinets don't get stinky, and the kitchen garbage bags fit snugly over the cans so nothing gets in there.

I took the idea of pull-out trash and had our guys make two pull-out (one bin each) hampers for darks and lights - one of our best ideas in our "new" house.

I do same as breezy also, with trash at end of prep zone so it can be open as I go. Love the integrated trash!!

One thing you should do for sure, especially since you are such a germ-a-phobe, is to use a garbage disposal for the things that could get smelly. I use the disposal for all food waste except onion skins, banana peels, and bones. Because of that, I can keep trash and compost (green bin collection which in my case is just the above mentioned peels plus paper towels and food packaging) in my cabinet for several days without it smelling.

Anyway, because of the garbage disposal I only empty my green bin container twice a week, and regular trash makes it a full week. Northern climes though, ymmv if in the south.

I love the trash in cabinet and never have any smell issue and its hidden out of the way . Place for recycle stuff behind its been great would do it again in a heartbeat,

@caveman_mike, you're welcome for the entertainment and maybe the inspiration. The song does occasionally invade my brain. :)

Re: capacity (@athenab), you need a full height 18" wide trash pullout (no 6" drawer at the top) to fit TWO Rev-a-Shelf's 50 qt bins for 12.5 gallons of trash and recycling. The standard kitchen bag is 13 gallons, so it should be no smaller than your old trash cans unless it was monstrously huge!

@gin_gin, at $100 per motor + $20 per bracket for each drawer, plus about $250 per 5 drawers for power supplies and cable for the motors just in hardware costs alone, I too am reserving them just for trash pullouts. Nothing else NEEDS to be touchless.

@taggie, I was questioning the need for a separate "wet trash" bin since we have Evolution Excel disposals. I'm leaning away from the under-sink "wet trash" pullouts because our inspector (San Diego County) made us use loop vents that eat up 1/3 of my sink cabinet depth, right at the trash pullouts. Plus our Kohler Stages sinks come with wire baskets that hook under the "wet prep" area of the sink and reduce our trash pullout height to about 12".

Also, we tested the Servo Drive motor tonight, and even completely empty, the single motor only pushes the pullout out about 12", so we may need to use 2 motors per pullout. That means we'll only have enough motors for the 2 trash pullouts and the under-sink trash for the beverage center sink without buying more motors.

My double trash pullout is one of the best things in my new kitchen. I really hated the under the sink pullout and would never consider having a trash can visible on my floor. We have a regular size one that allows a drawer above. There was a thread a while back that discusses what people use that drawer for.

Beanie, I also did the double hamper in my master bath for darks and lights. It's a real time saver.

I feel mixed about our double pullout. I love having the trash hidden, but I hate pulling it in and out all day. That said, I'd probably do the same thing again for lack of a better alternative.

I had a pedal push trash can for years and recently got the pull out of cabinet trash for my new kitchen. I love it. I guess its a decision based on your own preference, but I don't see any down side. I can fit the 13 gallon trash bag. The container is a bit smaller than my old container, but I actually like that because it prevents me from over stuffing the bag (which burst on me a few times... ugg).

As for trying to open it with dirty hands, I try to avoid that by keeping a bowl on the counter or colander in the prep sink for trash while I am chopping, peeling, etc. Then I just dump the bowl / colander when I'm done. I didn't want to allocate space for two double trash pullouts, so this works well for me.

I see this as three things to consider:

1. Layout, does your layout have a home for a stand alone can? If not, skip 2 and 3, your done and have your decision.

2. Look, hiding your can in the cabinets nets you a no foul, but no gain result. Your kitchen looks as nice as it would without a trash, since most cans are ugly, this is usually a good thing. You can however find a can that will make your room look even better if you try and have a proper home for it.

3. Functionality, I move my can around with me to clean up as I go. So the stand alone can has an advantage. Think about how you would prefer to use the can, what choice has the advantage?

One key is not to think what you do now, it's likely driven by your environment more than your preference. You are designing your environment, so do a test to find your true preference.

@sas95, see the posts in this thread about the push pedal and Servo Drive options, which could reduce your opening hassles. If you have lids inside your pullouts, consider removing those to reduce yet another barrier to dumping your trash.

@jplayland, while you present a rational algorithm, trash has emotion attached to it for most people. The bottom line is: no matter how pretty, no one wants to look at trash cans.

HINT FOR ALL PULLOUT PEOPLE: Put a nice, visible "TRASH" label on your trash pullouts for your guests. I hate going to someone's house for a party and opening all their lower doors trying to figure out where their trash can is. :)

I looove having my trash and recycling hidden - mine are under the sink. Before that I had the motion-sensor trash can - it kept breaking, and it didn't always get emptied when it was full.

When I am doing prep, I take the trash bin out of the cabinet and put it on the floor next to me. Best of both worlds :)

I'm planning on a recycling bin under the sink, hopefully with the foot pedal (haven't asked about that yet, but I will have one on hand to use if feasible). Sadly no room for a hidden trash can, it will continue to live in the corner. I need to find a new one though. That's way down on the list at the moment.

@davidahn - I'm not emotional about my trash, lol. Sounds silly to me. If you are, you have a good enough reason for your decision.

As long as the can isn't dirty or stinky as a result of neglect, I don't see a trash can as gross. I think a pretty one can be a little gem in your kitchen. I can see that you wouldn't see it that way if you have negative emotions toward the can due to finding it's contents gross.

As a side note, please avoid bolstering your argument by falsely adding a majority consensus to your statements. At a minimum facts are not in evidence. Just a pet peeve of mine. I'm sure I can find at least one person who likes looking at trash cans, lol.

I have a stand alone can and would have it no other way. Here's why.

In most cases you have to open the cabinet with your hand, if dirty, now the handle is dirty.

Putting garbage in a cabinet makes for an expensive garbage pail.

I could not afford to lose 18" of cabinet space.

The other day I was throwing out stuff and didn't realize at first that it was dripping. I could easily wipe it up. If it was in a cabinet it would be more of a mess.

We move the can around when its needed.

Just wanted to share the view from a stand alone fan. I have a simple human can that I think looks cool.

I'm putting my trash in a cabinet. I have limited cabinet space, but with the renovation I'll be gaining square footage. In my kitchen there is nowhere to put the trash can. Right now (pre-reno) it is against the end cabinet that is also the entry way to my dining room. There really is absolutely nowhere else to put the thing. It is in the way when entering the dining room. It has marred the end of the cabinet run where it sits.

It was worth it to me to lose the cabinet space to also lose the eyesore and hazard in the doorway.

I think you must look at functionality and what works best for you!

@jplayland, my hat's off to you for your rational, evolved view of trash. I admit I'm a germophobe, but should I be called germo-realist? Because my microbiology training backs up my emotional view of trash.

As for padding my arguments with "false... majority consensus," I apologize for not polling everyone or quoting data. My polling was informal and based on observing hundreds of real people's reactions to trash (faces and "eewwwww"s) over my lifetime, even when there is no odor to the trash. Incidentally, no one has ever said to me (until you), "Hey, trash is just as cool as clean stuff."

So here's a tally of posters thus far on this thread.

Pro Pullouts/Hiding Trash:
caveman_mike: nice to have trash hidden, germophobe, don't want to touch knob
buehl: pro pullouts
davidahn: germophobe, pro hidden trash
2LittleFishies: pro pullouts
sailorgirl: pro pullouts, anti servo-drive
athenab: love trash "hidden away", trash not contaminating cabinets
gin_gin: pro pullouts, pro servo drive
annkh: always had trash behind a door, anticipates pullout
schoolhouse: liked servo-drive video
breezygirl: suffered through garbage under sink, pullout is one of favorite kitchen items
drbeanie: loves pullouts
taggie: loves "integrated trash" pullout
sarina: loves trash in cabinet
nycbluedevil: trash pullout one of best things in kitchen, would never consider having trash can visible
sas95: mixed about pullout, loves having trash hidden
dilly_ny: loves new pullout, no down side
tracie.erin: "looove having my trash... hidden"
williamsem: "sadly no room for hidden trash can"
cathy725: getting pullout, worth it to lose the eyesore

Cool With Trash In the Open:
jplayland: unemotional about trash
debrak: stand alone and would have it no other way

No Comment On Trash:
beekeeperswife: loves it, probably servo-drive

Anti Trash: 19; Cool With Trash: 2; No Comment on Trash: 1. Seems I'm not the one "padding" my arguments with fake supporters. :)

As for emotions not being good enough reasons on which to base decisions, many experts on decision making disagree:
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/08/28/science/28conv.html?_r=0
http://www.annualreviews.org/doi/abs/10.1146/annurev-psych-120709-145346

Add me to the pro pullouts/hiding trash column! My parents originally built their house about 20 years ago and put a pull out trash can in the kitchen. I grew up with the trash that way, and it seems odd to me to have it any other way.
I also tend to do as breezy does and have it open if I know I'm prepping things that will need to be dumped there so that I don't have to touch it. Plus, I can always easily push it closed without touching.
It seems more unsanitary to me (although I know it's not) for it to be out in the open than hidden away out of sight.

Another serv-pro user. It is one of my favorite things.

To add to my previous post:

Stand alone trash can... When we had our stand alone trash can, once the foot pedal stopped working, it meant we had to open the trash can via the lid by hand - far more unsanitary than opening a cabinet!
Most trash cans cannot be held open, so you have to keep stepping on the trash pedal to keep it open.

Pullout trash can... As others have said, you can open the cabinet to use it right there. If you want to just sweep leavings, etc. into it, open the cabinet partway so the bin is situated such that it's partly still inside the cabinet and when you sweep crumbs, etc. into the bin, they go directly into the bin - even if the crumbs, etc. don't fall straight down.
If you want to use the bin at a different location, simply take it out of the cabinet and take it to where you want it.
As to cleaning - it is very, very easy to clean. Take out the bin and wash it like any trash can. For the cabinet, simply wipe it down. If you're worried about germs, spray it with Lysol or similar (we actually do that w/the bins each time we empty them.)

Layout is the most important issue--more important than any feelings about the grossness or cuteness of one's can.

Trash needs to be accessible to the prep and cleanup zones, and usually ends up right in between them in a well-designed kitchen. Unless you have some convenient place for a freestanding can where it won't be in the way during cooking or washing, that means it's probably going to end up in a cabinet. Currently I have a freestanding can and never need to worry about opening a pullout to reach it--I just have to walk ten steps across the kitchen with every handful of garbage. I could pull it out, but I prefer to avoid death by trashcan when I trip over it and plonk my face onto the stove. A pullout would be an infinite improvement.

I'm pretty indifferent, as long as i dont have to touch the lid, though I've never had a hidden trash. But I wanted one this go around! My lack of space has severely limited the cool things I could use. Another 18 inches would have meant a trash pullout and paper towel holder cubbie.

@motherof3sons, did you mean you have the Blum Servo Drive? If so, please tell us about your experience! Ours are still being installed and adjusted.

@buehl, thanks for your insights. You said what I was going to: pullout trash cans can be placed anywhere a standalone can. What's more, pullout trash cans are MUCH easier to schlep around!

Mine is hidden, what else am I supposed to do with the space under the sink? I subscribe to the "health code" rule here where nothing can be stored under sinks except cleaning supplies. And I added trash on my own :)
One can for "dry" trash, mostly ends up being plastic. Emptied once a week, doesn't stink.
One small bin (maybe a gallon) for compost with a bio-bag insert. Everything food-related and paper towels/napkins goes here. Lucky that the city has a food waste/compost pickup. Emptied about every 2 days.
One paper bag for all recycling.
It all fits under the sink, I don't have to look at it, the dog can't get to it, and if I am prepping, the small bin is on the counter to scrape off my cutting board, or the trash can is sitting out of the cabinet on the floor.

If you get a good quality stand alone the foot pedal will work. If it breaks you buy a new one. Also with just a tap the lid will stay open. We use this feature often. It seals tighly when closed so no smell.

We do have a good spot for it that is convenient but not in the way. We also move it as needed, say to brush peanut shells off the island.

I don't like looking at a trash can or finding a place to put it that is out of the way so I don't have to look at it.

We have our trash pull out in the island directly across from the sink. It seems to be the prefect location for our needs as I prep on the island and often just brush crumbs right into the first pail. So far I have no problem with the cabinet getting dirty at all.

For those of you who have Servo-Drive, two questions:

1. How is it powered? Is it simply mechanical, or is there a motor which requires some kind of battery or something?

2. Do you ever stop hearing that Servo-Drive song in your head?? I am a notorious kitchen dancer and would probably make a bigger fool of myself than the guy in the ad. But not sure I could go through life with that music in my head.

I have a motion censor can and love it. I bought two cabnet pullouts but never used them because I discovered I needed the cab space more than the pull outs I wish we had bought the under the sink ones instead of the 30 cab ones that would have made more sense for our kitchen.

@scootermom,

1) It is electrical. When the motor is activated by pressure or pulling on the drawer, there's a curved fingerlike projection that physically pushes the drawer forward (see image). Closing simply uses the soft-close mechanism of Blumotion slides that many people already have. When you have a power outage or tripped breaker, the drawers work like regular drawers.

Servo Drive is a rather complex system to put together but a very simple one in functionality:

A 24V DC transformer (big block above outlet) powers up to 10 (I think) Servo Drive motors (small block below outlet with white label), you need a mount for each motor (L-shaped flat piece motor is mounted on), and low voltage wire between the transformer and motor and between motors (they are mounted in series). If you have servo drive motors for multiple drawers in a bank, they have a vertical aluminum rail that all the motors can mount to.

2) I had JUST gotten the song out of my head until you mentioned it... Here goes another 3 months of "Servo Drive, Servo Drive, it's so easy..."

@madeyna, we have Nine Star iTouchless trash cans at our office and at the house, and we love them. I hate touching trash cans, and plus they're cheaper than Simple Human's NON-motorized cans, though not quite as pretty. My one complaint is they get VERY grimy in the lid's crevices, and we put off cleaning it because we don't like to, and eventually it gets really gross. I hope our trash pullouts will stay a lot cleaner than our iTouchless cans!

Davidahn - I am sorry this response is so tardy. Somehow I missed your query about my experience with the ServPro.

Our wonderful cabinetmaker suggested we include it in the double trash receptacle. At first I had a difficult time getting the darned thing to work. Of course I complained loudly and often to my husband who could walk over and look at the darn thing and it opens! After 6 months, I must say it is one of the best luxuries in my kitchen. Even the grandkids (ages 3 and 2) know how to open the trash. The electrical unit is plugged into a receptacle as described in your previous post. It has never over heated and I don't think it uses much energy.

Last week I scrubbed the refrigerator and tossed a couple items that were messy. It was wonderful to gently tap the door with my knee and presto - it opens! I wish we had put one on the second garbage pullout in the island. It may happen yet!

We also have a servo drive installed in the trash/compost drawer under the prep sink. It is the best! I never touch the pull with dirty hands. I have relatively small bins and empty them every few days - so no smell.

i noticed that there is some kind of servo-like trash thingy at ikea. is it the same thing as the blum servo drive? ikea uses blum for its cabinetry, so it might be, right? anyone get one?

Here is a link that might be useful: ikea self opening trash

michoumonster - I saw that on the IKEA website the other day also and was wondering the exact thing you are...blum does their glides is it possible that they are doing this mechanism also...for what seems to be a fraction of the price.

We're planning on the servo-drive set up for our garbage in the new kitchen. When my hands are a mess, I don't want to touch our cabinets - I know how yucky our free standing garbage can gets now and we want everything to be soft close...so the servo-drive is being strongly considered. Need a recording of their jingle for while I'm dancing...er, cooking...in the new kitchen.

We have a pull out trash & recycle can in our island. The adjacent cabinet houses all of our tupperware, and we noticed that the trash was making the plastic a bit smelly. We didn't want to reorganize cabinet contents, so we decided to use both cans for recyclables only.

My servo drive was my one kitchen "doo dad" this time around. Having done four kitchen renovations in pretty short order means that there wasn't much left that was actually in our price range that we hadn't splurged on before.

We ordered our cabinets from Barker and I hooked up the servo drive. *bump!* Trash cabinet opens magically. Hooray!

Except my trash obsessed dog can also *bump!* open the cabinet and access her dog treat of choice. Ack!

So much for the servo drive while we still have the canine trash picker in residence. We even got a little push plate for it so you could tap it with your toe and open it without marring the cabinet finish. Luckily, I hadn't installed that yet.

But theoretically, it's a lovely little *something special* for the kitchen.

@motherof3sons: Glad to hear you are loving it. It really was engineered in an extremely intuitive and convenient way. If you have an easy way to run the 24V low voltage wire to your island, you should only need the wire, motor, and mount (no new transformer), a total of maybe $150 plus labor.

@michoumonster and andreak100, it most likely is a budget, simplified version of Blum's Servo-Drive. I'm not sure whether it's got the same build quality. The Blum version has a more expensive transformer but will run multiple motors.

@mike701, the issue of odors has been discussed re: pullouts in general, and the consensus is all wet trash goes down the disposal. I have already changed my behavior and our trash is lighter and the bag less likely to leak or rip! Obviously, when you have guests over who don't know the no wet trash rule, empty it out after they leave to avoid odors.

@grlwprls, you could consider a dog whistle to train her to stay away from the Servo Drive pullouts?