Strainer or Stopper? How to Pick the Best Garbage Disposal Strainer

The little part in a disposal opening has two different jobs, and most of the confusion comes from that. A strainer lets water pass and catches forks and scraps. A stopper plugs the drain so you can fill the sink. Some parts claim both, a few only fit one brand, and many listings don’t say whether the disposal can run with them in place.

This guide sorts them by what they do, and it starts with a measurement. Take the size of your opening and the brand of your disposal before you buy anything, because fit is what these parts most often get wrong.

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Quick verdict: which garbage disposal strainer to buy

Five disposal strainers side by side

One for each kind of sink, from an all-day screen to a metal stopper. All eight are reviewed below.

Our picks for the best garbage disposal strainer

Which part suits your sink

You want spoons out of the drain and no fuss: the Disposal Genie, or the plainer Danco. You have young helpers at the sink: the Fox Run screen. Your sink is white: the LASCO or the BLANCO. You’d like scraps kept out of the disposal altogether: the Joie basket.

You need to fill the sink: a stopper, and one matched to your disposal or drain, like the InSinkErator or the Elkay. If what you really want is a basket for a sink with no disposal, our sink strainer guide is the better place to look.

How to choose a disposal stopper or strainer

Decide whether it should hold water

A strainer and a stopper do opposite things with water. Danco’s listing has water and food running into the drain with its Genie in place, so it won’t fill a sink, by our reasoning. InSinkErator’s listing describes its stopper as keeping water and food particles out of the drain. If you want both jobs, read the listing closely, because only some parts claim them.

Measure the opening

The sizes here range from about 3 inches to 4.5 inches, and BLANCO’s insert is for a standard 3.5-inch flange. Measure yours and check it against the listing. Words such as “universal” and “fits most” aren’t a guarantee.

Match the brand where the maker asks you to

InSinkErator lists its stopper for its own disposals, and Elkay names its Perfect Drain. A batch feed disposal is a special case. Waste King’s listing says its batch feed stopper is what activates its EZ Mount batch feed models, so buy the stopper made for your unit, and don’t swap in a strainer.

Check whether it can stay in

Only some listings say so. Danco says the disposal can run with the Genie in place. Where a listing is silent, we’ve written “Not stated,” and we’d lift the part out before grinding.

Look at material and care

Plastic is light, and Danco’s Genie is listed as dishwasher safe. Stainless steel suits people who want metal, though InSinkErator warns against abrasive cleaners on its finish. A strainer that sits in food waste needs regular cleaning, and our garbage disposal cleaner guide covers the rest of the unit.

How we picked these disposal strainers

We looked for parts sold for a disposal opening, from named plumbing, sink or kitchen brands, and kept those in stock with a new lead offer. We read each listing for type, material, fit and care. We left out listings for scarce colors, such as the matte black InSinkErator, and we used one finish of each stopper, since colors aren’t separate models.

We have not used these parts. A search for independent reviews returned parts-retailer pages and replacement guides, but no test of these models that we could read, so the picks rest on listing and maker details. Kraus’s page was useful for how a combined strainer and stopper can work, though its parts only fit Kraus’s own disposals, so none is a pick here. Family Handyman’s guide covered replacing a torn splash guard.

Disposal stopper questions, answered

What’s the difference between a disposal strainer and a stopper?

A strainer lets water through and catches solid items. A stopper closes the drain so that the sink can fill. Some, such as the Elkay, are sold as both.

Can I run the disposal with a strainer in place?

Only if the maker says so. Danco says the Disposal Genie can stay in while the disposal runs. Most of the other listings here don’t address it, so we’d take those out first.

Will any stopper fit my disposal?

No. InSinkErator lists its stopper for InSinkErator-made disposals, and Kraus lists its stoppers for its own EZLock disposals. Measure the opening and check the brand.

Does a batch feed disposal use a normal stopper?

Not usually. Waste King’s listing says its EZ Mount batch feed stopper activates its batch feed models, so you’d need the matching part from your disposal’s maker.

My disposal sprays back at me. Is that the strainer’s job?

It may be the splash guard, the rubber piece in the opening. Family Handyman describes a torn guard as something to fix by replacing it, and says to switch off the circuit breaker first if the disposal is hardwired. A part such as the Disposal Genie or BLANCO’s insert is sold with a splash-guard role, but neither listing says it replaces a torn guard.

Is a strainer a safety device?

Not in the sense of making it safe to reach in. Fox Run’s screen is listed to keep hands and cutlery out, but you should still cut the power before reaching into a disposal for any reason.

Our final pick for the kitchen sink

For most sinks, the Danco Disposal Genie is the one to buy, with a stopper added only if you fill the sink often. For more on the unit underneath, read our garbage disposal guide. To go with a clean drain, here’s our sink cleaner guide. When dishes are the last thing you want to deal with, Julia’s cooks too: call to order or see the menu.