Badger and Evolution are the two top lines of garbage disposals by InSinkErator. There are many garbage disposal models belonging to these lines. Then there is the ‘Complete’ series.
The disposals in the same series have lots of things in common. Likewise, when you compare one disposal each from these series, there are many fundamental differences.
InSinkErator Complete vs Evolution Garbage disposals
InSinkErator Complete is a special garbage disposal built for Costco, the American retailer. It is similar to Evolution Compact disposal but it has a bigger grinding chamber of size 40oz.
Given below are the main differences and similarities between InSinkErator Complete and Evolution garbage disposals;
- There is only one model under ‘Complete’ line, whereas many models are available in the Evolution line
- InSinkErator Complete garbage disposal is available to buy only at Costco but Evolution disposals are available through multiple outlets, both online and otherwise.
- InSinkErator quiet series Complete has a design similar to Badger 900 and Contractor 333 garbage disposals.
- InSinkErator Complete is available only with a 3/4 HP motor, while Evolution garbage disposals are also available with 1 HP motor.
- Both Complete and Evolution series disposals are compact in size
- The disposals of both series are quiet and have multiple grinding stages
- Evolution Complete has a shorter warranty (only 5 years) than Evolution series garbage disposals.
Badger vs Evolution: Differences
Badger is a budget line of garbage disposals, whereas Evolution is premium. Disposals belonging to the Evolution series are quieter, made of the best materials, and are more feature-rich than Badger ones.
A popular example of a Badger disposal is Badger 5. For the Evolution series, that is Evolution Excel.
Here are the differences between Badger and Evolution garbage disposals;
Evolution disposals are quieter than Badger
All Evolution garbage disposals come with noise insulation, whereas the Badgers don’t. The noise insulating technology is called SoundSeal. However, not all Evolution disposals are equally quiet. The level of insulation varies between different models. For example, Evolution Excel disposal is ultra-quiet. It uses a multi-layered sound insulating foam to block sound waves. This makes it 60% quieter than a standard disposal.
In addition to the foam insulation, Evolution garbage disposals also use anti-vibration mounts to reduce noise. Most of them also come with a QuietCollar, which is a specially designed sink stopper that keeps a layer of water over it to prevent sound.
As mentioned before, Badger disposals do not have any noise insulations. Even though models like Badger 900 come with a plastic shroud around them which muffles sound to some extent, they are not nearly as quiet as Evolution disposals.
Additional reference: List of quietest garbage disposals.
Evolution disposals grind better
Performance is an important buying aspect of garbage disposals. Evolution garbage disposals are equipped with modern technologies to help them grind better and faster. Even in those Evolution and Badger models which use the same motor, Evolution performs better.
The better performance of Evolution disposals is due to a technology called Multi-Grind. Multi-grind technology grinds food wastes in multiple stages. This is achieved by adding additional grinding components in the grinding chamber. As you guessed, this technology is not used in any of the Badger series disposals.
Just like noise insulation, Multi-Grind is implemented differently among different models. The popular model Evolution Excel uses a 3-stage Multi-Grind system whereas Evolution Compact uses a 2-stage system. Therefore, the food wastes in Evolution Excel are ground smaller than those in Evolution Compact.
The biggest advantage of this multi-grind technology is that it is now possible to grind food wastes that are generally not recommended to be ground in disposals. Fibrous vegetables like celery are a good example. They shouldn’t be ground because the long fibers they have clog the drain pipes. But with Multi-Grind technology Evolution disposals can grind these fibers into smaller sizes that can easily pass through the plumbing system.
In addition, this technology also helps Evolution disposals to grind tough foods like Beef ribs, Avacado pits etc.
Evolution disposals jam less
All garbage disposals jam at some point even if the manufacturers say otherwise. Evolution disposals jam less often than Badger disposals. This is because of the use of a technology called AutoReverse.
AutoReverse technology reverses the direction of rotation of a garbage disposal’s blades whenever it detects a jam. This reverse rotation helps to cut through the blockage. In addition to this, some Evolution disposals like Evolution Excel uses a technology called JamSensor, which senses jams in advance. Once a blockage is sensed, this technology increases the torque of the blades by 500%, which is ample to cut through most jams. The combination of these two technologies causes the Evolution disposals to jam much less often than Badger models.
Build quality
Garbage disposals are always wet. So it is important that they are resistant to corrosion. The best quality disposals use a stainless steel grinding chamber and components.
Both Badger and Evolution lines have garbage disposals made of stainless steel. However, most Badger models have galvanized steel components. Some examples are Badger 1 and Badger 5. But models like Badger 900 and 15ss have stainless steel grinding components.
All Evolution disposals are made of stainless steel. In addition, they are better looking.
Evolution disposals have longer warranties
Evolution garbage disposals have longer warranties than Badger units. The longest warranty a Badger disposal has is for 6 years, whereas that of an Evolution disposal is 10-years.
The difference in this warranty is mostly owing to the difference in the build quality of the disposals. As I mentioned before, as Evolution disposals are better built, they will last long. So it is logical to offer them longer warranties.
Evolution disposals are larger in size
Evolution disposals have more space in their grinding chamber than Badger disposals. The surprising thing is that InSinkErator managed to do this without actually making the disposal any taller. Most Evolution disposals are short, with less than 13 inches in height. So they are compact and can be installed under deep sinks.
As an example, Evolution Excel disposal has a grinding chamber capacity of 40 oz, whereas a Badger 900 can only accommodate 26 oz of food wastes in it.
How is this extra size achieved without sacrificing compactness? The answer is simple, Evolution disposals are designed wider than Badger units. By keeping the height small, the grinding chamber is expanded sideways. The advantage of this design is a short garbage disposal with a large grinding chamber.
Evolution disposals come with a removable splash guard
Another difference between Badger and Evolution disposal is their splash guards. The splash guards of Evolution models are removable while they are not so for Badger units.
I know that this difference sounds silly. But there is a big advantage in having a removable splash guard. When cleaning a disposal the most difficult part is cleaning the underside of the splash guard. The bottom of the splash guard is always full of food waste particles which will sit there and rot if not cleaned. If the splash guard is not removable, you are going to have a hard time cleaning it. But if it is removable, all you have to do is pull it out and wash it with a stream of water.
Therefore, Evolution disposals are slightly easier to clean than Badger units. Having a removable splash guard also makes replacing it easier.
Badger disposals are cheaper than Evolution ones
Finally one plus point for Badger disposals!
Badger garbage disposals are much cheaper than Evolution disposals. The priciest Badger disposal costs less than $150, whereas the prices of Evolution disposals range from $200 to $450.
Here are some popular garbage disposals from Badger and Evolution series;
1/3 HP  | 1/3 HP | InSinkErator Badger 1 | View on Amazon |
1/2 HP  | 1/2 HP | InSinkErator Badger 5 | View on Amazon |
3/4 HP  | 3/4 HP | InSinkErator Evolution Compact | View on Amazon |
1 HP  | 1 HP | InSinkErator Evolution Excel | View on Amazon |
Similarities between Badger and Evolution disposals
Done with all the differences between Badger and Evolution disposals. Now let’s see some of the similarities between these two;
Motor
Both Evolution and Badger disposals by InSinkErator use the same type of motor, which is the DuraDrive induction motor. The power ratings of the motor vary from 1/3 HP to 1 HP for different models. All the disposals run at a speed of 1725 RPM irrespective of whether they are a Badger or an Evolution.
Installation
The installation of both Badger and Evolution model disposals are the same. Both use a 3-bolt assembly for mounting. It takes only around 30 minutes to 1 hour to fully install the disposal, and one can do it themselves.
Here is a video showing the installation procedure for these disposals;
Both line of disposals also comes with a dishwasher connection. Using this, you can connect your dishwasher and drain it through the disposal.
Hexhole
All InSinkErator disposals, whether Badger or Evolution, come with a hex hole at their bottom. This hex hole is used to unjam the garbage disposal when necessary. When it is jammed, one can insert a hex wrench into it and rotate the disposal blades. The to and fro motion of the blades will dislodge any debris that is blocking its free movement.
In-home warranty
Both Badger and Evolution disposals come with We Come To Home warranties. The length of the warranty coverage is different however the warranties cover the cost of labor and parts.
Conclusion: An unfair comparison
I think that the comparison between Badger and Evolution disposals is somewhat unfair because, clearly, Evolution is a premium line of disposals, so they are better equipped than Badger units. It is like comparing a Volkswagen with a Tesla.
When it comes to buying, not everyone needs Evolution disposals. However, if you have the budget they are worth every penny.
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