GE GFC525N 1/2-HP Garbage Disposal In-depth Review

The GE GFC525N 1/2 HP Garbage Disposal looks the part as a cheap and quick replacement fix. Although the body was well-fitted, its material and construction feel low-quality. Several details even appeared rushed as plastic burrs are all over the disposal.

In the GE Disposall series, the GFC525N is the less popular one. Most positive reviews about the disposal refer to its fast and easy installation. In this article, we’ll find out more about the disposal’s performance and usability.

Key Specs

Where to Buy Price at publication $103.13

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Compared to Other Garbage Disposals

6.0 Performance

The GE GFC525N performed as we had anticipated. In our tests, it was adequate against a variety of foods, including cooked chicken bones. The disposal even managed to process raw meat scraps quite heavily. Unfortunately, the results were still a long way from being drain-safe.

5.8 Scrap Mix

Scoring Components ↓

The disposal had no problem handling 90 ounces of assorted food scraps, including toughies like avocado pits and cooked bones. Everything was reduced to but a few shredded pieces of dietary fibers that weigh roughly 0.1 ounces. That translated to an efficiency rate of more than 99%

Still, the slim pin bones from the salmon parts were tricky for the GE GFC525N Disposall as it let many slip through almost unaffected by the grinding mechanism. The rest were completely processed.

5.6 Raw Fish Scraps

Scoring Components ↓

Although the GE GFC525N didn’t receive a failing score, the overwhelming amount of leftovers as well as the state they were in wasn’t a reassuring sight. More than 7% of the input remained after the run and the pieces were still big chunks. Seeing how small the disposal is, the outcome was reasonable for such a challenging task.

We concluded that the disposal wasn’t suitable to deal with raw fish-type scraps. The raw skin and cartilage tissues would simply be too tricky for the grinder to guarantee drain-safe output.

6.8 Raw Chicken Scraps

Scoring Components ↓

The disposal didn’t have the easiest time with the uncooked chicken bones as it struggled to accommodate the long pieces in the input. After 3 minutes, the GFC525N was able to turn out satisfactory results, but it could not shred down the stringy and fatty tissues. By contrast, most of the boney parts were crushed enough to pass through the second filter.

7.9 Design

As an affordable kitchen garbage disposal, it’s understandable the GE GFC525N doesn’t offer much. It’s a small unit with a grinding assembly and a high-speed motor. That should make the disposal a simple buy but its questionable build quality makes it a rather risky one. 

The disposal is corded and easy to install, especially when you’re already using an EZ mounting set. It takes up very little room under the sink and adds minimal load to the counter.

In the Box

• GE GFC525N 1/2 HP Garbage Disposal
• EZ mount assembly 
• Removable splash guard
• Stopper
• Discharge tube and rubber gasket
• Flange and bolts 
• Documentation
• (Pre-installed) power cord

The disposal comes with a few essential pieces and a user manual. All texts are available in English, Spanish, and French.

Dimensions

The GE Disposall GFC525N is one of the most compact garbage disposals we’ve tested. Its humble size allows for more leeway in the sink cabinet. And it’s extremely lightweight.; compared to the InSinkErator Badger 5, the GFC525N is roughly 4.5 pounds lighter.

Mount Assembly

• Fiber gasket
• Rubber gasket
• Support ring
• Mount ring
• Cushion mount
• Sink flange
• Stopper
• Removable splash guard

Using the EZ mounting set is one of the reasons why the GFC525N is not hard to install. Even if this is your first garbage disposal, the uncomplicated design of the EZ system should take you but a few minutes to familiarize yourself with.

Power Cord

Unlike the GFC1020N 1 HP and the GFC720N 3/4 HP, the GE GFC525N comes corded with a type B plug. You’ll have to remove the power cord if you want to hardwire the disposal.

Accessories: Discharge Set

Alongside the grinder, there’s an elbow tube, a rubber gasket, a metal flange, and two bolts to complete the outlet setup for the garbage disposal. The tube is a standard 1.5-inch, and the bolts have slotted hex heads.

6.5 Grind Chamber

The GFC525N uses galvanized steel for its grinding components. The material is relatively strong and costs less than stainless steel but tends to lose its sharpness quicker. The chamber size is also reduced to save space. Naturally, the disposal is at its best against normal kitchen scraps—peel or stems, for example.

8.5 Motor

One of the disposal’s few strengths is its permanent magnet motor. These motors are fast but they don’t run hot, which means that they rarely jam or overheat. Take the Badger 5 for comparison: It has a much better build quality but its conventional induction motor has overheated more than once during our testing process, whereas the GE GFC525N has not.

8.5 Build Quality

Although the GE GFC525N Disposall 1/2-horsepower is an affordable alternative, some of its poorly made details have kept us wondering how to accurately rank the product. Because up until the faulty socket let loose one of the bolts (from the bottom casing), the machine had been delivering reliable results.

7.4 Usability

As compact as the GFC525N, its strongest point of usability is in how quickly and easily any regular person can buy the disposal and set it up to run. That, however, is a trade-off in itself since the product’s overall quality suffers and both the chamber and motor have to be small.

6.0 Ease of Use

One thing for sure is that if you don’t push it too far, the disposal should be able to help out. Of course, its limited capacity is only suitable for light work and small pieces of food scraps. Long and tough scraps are definitely not recommended; if you go back and watch the GE GFC525N’s runs in the raw fish scraps test and raw chicken scraps test, you see exactly what we’re talking about.

10 Installation

The GE GFC525N Disposall 1/2-HP Garbage Disposal receives a perfect 10 for installation. Basically, if you know enough about plumbing to understand what needs to be set up for the sink, you’re good to go. The disposal feels not much more than an additional device that you latch onto the sink in between the usual drain system. That refers to the disposal’s compact design and the straightforward EZ mounting system

(tips: *For safety reasons, you should ALWAYS set up to control your garbage disposal via a dedicated switch with a clear “Off” position.)

8.0 Smooth Operation

The GE GFC525N Disposall is not the smoothest garbage disposal. It’s loud no matter the type of scraps and if there’s something too tough, you’re going to feel it on the sink. That said, if you pick your fights wisely, it can be really smooth.

0.0 Unjam Mechanics

If the disposal jams during operation, turn the power off completely then use a stick to rotate the flywheel through the sink drain. There’s no other way to unjam the grinding chamber.