Moen EX75C Garbage Disposal Review

EX75C is a 3/4 HP garbage disposal made by Moen. This is a relatively new product when compared with the popular units by Waste King and InSinkErator. This article is a detailed review of the different features and the value for money of this product in comparison with its competitors.

Here is a quick overview of the specifications of EX75C;

A few words about Moen

Moen Incorporated is a relatively new brand when it comes to garbage disposals. But they are serious about their position in the market and have added around a dozen new garbage disposal models to win the competition.

Moen garbage disposals are made with the latest technology and have undergone rigorous testing in the real world. They claim that all their products, including faucets, sinks, and other plumbing fixtures, are the product of tough, real-world testing. Their smart faucet has won many awards and recognitions from several organizations.

Moen company was started by Al Moen, who was inspired by the lack of a single-handle faucet in the market. He finalized the design of the new faucet in 1939, and its production started in 1947. Since then, Moen Incorporated into an international brand.

Waste King, the brand famous for its line of cost-effective garbage disposals, is now part of the Moen family. So while Moen may be a relatively new brand in this industry, they have decades of experience designing and manufacturing garbage disposals.

Back to Moen EX75C.

Moen EX75C belongs to the ‘Host’ series of Moen garbage disposals. The company categorizes its garbage disposals into four series; The Chef, The Host, The Prep, and The Lite. This categorization is based on their horsepower ratings. The Chef series disposals have 1 HP, The Host has 3/4 HP, The Prep 1/2 HP and The Lite series disposals have 1/3 HP.

Grinding power

Moen EX75C is powered by a 3/4 HP motor that runs at a speed of 2700 RPM. It uses a Vortex motor which is an improved permanent magnet type motor. The speed of this motor is very high when compared to the ones used in InSinkErator disposals like the Badger 5. (Here is a detailed comparison Moen vs InSinkErator)

The use of the high-speed motor helps to cut the food wastes faster and smaller. This fast cutting coupled with 3/4 horsepower helps to reduce jams considerably.

What can it grind

3/4 HP disposals are the second most powerful household disposals. They can grind almost every food waste from your kitchen, including cooked meat, fruit peels, small fruit pits, fish bones, etc.

What it cannot grind

Moen EX75C cannot grind hard or fibrous food items like chicken bones, corncobs, large fruit pits, asparagus, raw meat, etc. You should also not put any disposal un-friendly food wastes in it. You can see the full list of such items on this page.

Moen EX75C is good enough to dispose of the food wastes from a household of two to four people who cook a couple of times per week. Even if you cook every day, this garbage disposal is an apt choice if you use it wisely.

I should also mention that this is a continuous feed type disposal, a type where you can add food wastes while running it. This makes it easier and faster to get rid of the leftover food.

Build quality of Moen EX75C

Moen EX75C is a garbage disposal that has good build quality. It is also made to last, to give its owner many years of uninterrupted use.

It uses a grinding chamber made of corrosion-proof, glass-filled Nylon and Polyester grinding chamber, a high-quality plastic grinding chamber. Before you jump into thinking that plastic grinding chambers don’t last long, they are used in Waste King garbage disposals and are proven to resist corrosion and rust and many years of abuse. But if you manage to get a spoon or a fork in it while the disposal is grinding, there is a chance of it damaging this grinding chamber.

The grinding components of Moen EX75C are made of galvanized steel as well as stainless steel. Its turntable is made of stainless steel, but its other grinding components are made of galvanized steel. That is a real letdown because everyone expects stainless grinding components in a garbage disposal that is this beautiful. I am not sure why the company couldn’t afford to add stainless steel instead of galvanized steel, the unit targets a premium segment, and so you can’t fault anyone for expecting top-notch build quality.

Another letdown is the sink flange. I expected it to be stainless steel, but it is only stainless steel in the finish. Maybe I had too many expectations; after all, this garbage disposal is still considerably cheaper than some of the premium disposals by competing brands.

Noise insulation

Moen EX75C comes with noise insulation. It uses a noise insulation technology called SoundSHIELD, making it much quieter than a standard garbage disposal. I think SoundSHIELD technology is a collective name for Moen’s noise insulation efforts as the same technology is also used in their kitchen sinks to reduce noise.

The noise from this disposal should be further reduced if used with Moen’s own noise-insulated kitchen sink, but to be honest, I never tried this, so I can’t be sure.

If you don’t have the budget to buy a quiet garbage disposal, you can insulate a cheaper one by wrapping a noise insulation foam around its grinding chamber. While it won’t look any good, the technique does work to some extent.

How easy is it to install EX75C

Moen EX75C uses a 3-bolt assembly just like InSinkErator garbage disposals. It is called Universal Xpress Mount, and it works just like the InSinkErator sink mounts. Once you attach the mount to the kitchen sink, you can simply twist and lock the EX75C without any effort. Once the 3 bolts on the mount are tightened, the disposal sits firmly and with minimal vibrations.

But that is not all;

Moen EX75C also comes with a FAST TRACK feature for making the installation slightly easier. It comes with a snap tool that helps to put the snap ring on the sink flange easily. It also comes with an ‘Easy open’ dishwasher inlet, which is slightly easier to remove than that of a standard disposal. To be honest, this feature doesn’t make EX75C’s installation vastly easier than installing a standard 3-bolt disposal. There is some marginal improvement, but you will need only one or two minutes extra to install a disposal that doesn’t have these features.

One plus thing is the preinstalled power cord. This garbage disposal comes with a pre-installed power cord, so you don’t have to do any wiring, which leaves more of your time for other things. But if you don’t have a socket to plug this in or your previous disposal was hardwired, you are in trouble. You will have to either install a new power outlet under the sink or remove the preinstalled wire and hardwire it. This disposal can be hardwired by removing the cover plate on its bottom, which will expose its hot and common wires. Here is a detailed guide to wiring a garbage disposal for further reading.

Here is a quick but detailed installation video of Moen EX75C garbage disposal;

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TIilxgJ8JXY

Another good thing about this garbage disposal is that its splash guard is removable. This makes cleaning it easier, just pick it up through the sinkhole and wash it.

Compatibility with sinks and other garbage disposals

Moen EX75C is made to fit all kitchen sinks that have a 3.5 to 4-inch size drain hole. So you can use this on any sinks except those with a thickness of more than 3/4 inches. If yours is a fireclay sink or a similar one with such thickness, you will have to use an extended sink flange to install this garbage disposal.

The Universal Xpress mounting assembly of this garbage disposal is compatible with most other products using 3-bolt mounts, including those by other brands like InSinkErator. However, they are not compatible with the 3-bolt mount disposals of Waste King.

Dimensions: Is it compatible with deep sinks

The height of Moen EX75C is 14.375 inches. The height of the drain outlet from the bottom of the sink is around 7 inches. I wouldn’t call this a compact model for these reasons (this is slightly taller than the 13-inch height I consider as compact). Maybe this can be used with deep sinks, depending on how deep the sink is, but if you have a deep sink, check these low profile models.

Price and warranty

EX75C is priced fairly. Compared to competing garbage disposal models, it is priced somewhere in the middle; it is neither costly nor cheap. But considering its features and build quality I think it offers good value for money.

It comes with one of the best warranties in its segment. It is covered under a 10-year in-home warranty which is longer than most of its competition. Its main competitors Waste King L-3200 and InSinkErator Evolution Compact, come with 8-year warranties.

Reasons to buy Moen EX75C

Noise insulation

EX75C is not the only 3/4 HP garbage disposal with noise insulation. In fact, Evolution Compact by InSinkErator is much quieter than it but costs more. So, it must be said that for its price, EX75C has good noise insulation.

Eye-catching design

This garbage disposal is probably the best-looking one in its segment. The competing models come nowhere near it in terms of looks. However, in practice, looks don’t matter. But still, people prefer garbage disposals that look better and are willing to pay extra for it even though no one ever sees them after its installation.

Warranty

As mentioned before, Moen EX75C has the longest warranty coverage in its segment, which makes it a good, reliable choice.

Cons of Moen EX75C

All grinding components should have been stainless steel

Waste King L-3200, a main competitor of EX75C, has all its grinding components made out of stainless steel, and it is also cheaper. I do not see why this Moen disposal is not equipped with stainless steel components that are much more durable to rust than its current galvanized steel components.

It doesn’t come wth a hex hole

Many garbage disposals have a hex key slot at their bottom side which is directly connected to the axis of their motor. When the garbage disposal is jammed, every disposals jam eventually; you can insert an Allen key into this hex slot and move the disposal’s blades to bust the jam. But unfortunately, Moen garbage disposals do not come with such hex holes. So, in the event of a jam, you will have to insert a broom handle or similar equipment through the sinkhole o rotate the blades.

Alternatives to Moen EX75C

If you are not pleased Moen EX75C, here are some alternatives;

Waste King L-3200

InSinkErator Evolution Compact

Conclusion

Moen EX75C is a garbage disposal that offers value for money. It has decent noise insulation and a best-in-class warranty. You can’t go wrong purchasing this unit.

Additional reference: Resetting a Moen garbage disposal