Moen 1/2-HP Garbage Disposal (GX50C) In-depth Review
Moen’s line of garbage disposal features some of the best models on the market. The GX50C Prep is one of the several series from Moen’s collection, and one of its most successful franchises as well.
Overall Verdict
The Moen GX50C Prep Series 1/2 HP Garbage Disposal is an affordable but quality product. It offers a long-lasting build with quality materials and a high-speed motor that lowers the risk of jamming. It has a neat and modern look and offers great craftsmanship.
Considering its configurations and price, the disposal is a well-balanced product. For a household with less than people who don’t hold a lot of parties, the GX50C should be able to provide considerable value.
Things We Like
- High capacity
- High-speed motor
- Stainless steel grind components
- Noise reduction
- Affordable
Things We Don’t Like
- Can be loud
- Heavy build
Key Specs
Where to Buy Price at publication $91.68
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Compared to Other Garbage Disposals
5.5 Performance
In the small garbage disposals category, the Moen GX50C 1/2 HP is easily one of the best-looking units—not so much in a “sleek and shiny” kind of way, but more in a “well-made and functional” way. The disposal enjoys a clever design that manages to save space and provide noise control at the same time.
The GX50C is very popular across online retailers, which is not a surprise considering what it offers. While it didn’t see particularly great results in performance evaluation, its affordability and quality build are nice recompense.
4.9 Scrap Mix
The Moen GX50C 1/2-hp garbage disposal scored under average for this test. The disposal did a great job chewing everything from the input down to just a few shredded pieces of random scraps. With less than 0.1 ounces of materials remaining in the chamber, the disposal delivered an efficiency rate of more than 99%.
However, it couldn’t deliver adequate results as plenty of materials from the output were caught by the filters. A lot of fish bone can be seen from the result piles; though interestingly, the chicken bones were all completely crushed.
5.7 Raw Fish Scraps
The GX50C 1/2 HP struggled to process the input of this test. After the run finished, there were plenty of materials left behind, much of which were fish skin and a few blocks of vertebrae. To be honest, we had expected more pieces of backbones, but the grinder surprised us.
Though the overall results from this test were unremarkable, it’s reasonable. Small garbage disposals are simply not meant for challenging tasks such as this one.
6.3 Raw Chicken Scraps
The disposal was considerably competent at grinding down the brittle chicken bones. In 3 minutes, it was able to bring the input down to only 0.6 ounces of materials. A lot of the leftovers are shredded pieces of cartilage and no distinguishable boney parts.
These results again highlight how effective the GX50C could be when processing scraps of the sort, but also its incompetence with slippery and spongy materials.
8.6 Design
The Moen GX Series in general, and the GX50C in specific, is well-made. The disposal uses strong and quality materials for its construction, from the body casing to the grinder components. From the very beginning, we can somewhat tell that the Moen GX50C is solid; getting a hold of and testing it only reinforced our impressions.
The disposal is compatible with 3-bolt mounting sets and has a power cord. It also employs an efficient motor and acoustic treatment for the noise, though the effects are dismissible.
In the Box
- Moen GX50C Prep Series 1/2 HP Garbage Disposal
- 3-Bolt mount assembly
- Removable splash guard
- Stopper
- Discharge tube and rubber gasket
- Flange and bolts
- Documentation
- (Pre-installed) power cord
Alongside the disposal, the box includes a few extra pieces, mainly for the outlet setup. All texts in the user manual and on the box are in English, Spanish, and French.
Dimensions
The clever design of the Moen GX50C lets it save some space under the sink while still providing an extent of soundproofing. That said, the disposal is not going to fit all cabinet sizes, especially those with small sinks.
In terms of weight, it’s not heavy but not the most lightweight model, either. Compared to the GE Disposall Green—our pick for Best Small Food Waste Disposal, this Moen is roughly 1 pound heavier.
Mount Assembly
- Stopper
- Sink flange
- Cushion mount
- Fiber gasket
- Removable splash guard
- Lower mount ring
- Mount ring
- Backup flange
- Snap ring
If you’re switching out another 3-bolt garbage disposal, the Moen GX50C should hook right on. If this is your first 3-bolt set, it can be a little daunting, disassembling the assembly, especially the mechanic of the snap ring. Due to its rather complex nature, spending some time getting used to the design and consulting the instructions in the manual should help.
Power Cord
The disposal comes with a pre-installed cord, which is helpful if you have power sockets in the sink cabinet. If you want to hardwire the unit to the mainline, you must manually remove the power cord.
Accessories: Discharge Set
A standard 1.5-inch elbow pipe, a rubber gasket, and a kit of flange and bolts complete the discharge set of the Moen GX50C. The bolts have Phillip drives and hex heads.
7.5 Grind Chamber
Moen gears the chamber of the GX50C with a typical grinding assembly found in other permanent-magnet garbage disposals as well. It has a simple chamber layout with stainless steel grinder parts that last and stay sharp longer than galvanized ones.
For a 1/2-hp garbage disposal, the chamber is generous in terms of capacity. In the small size category, the largest chamber capacity is 32 fluid ounces and the most restricted is 23 fluid ounces.
8.5 Motor
A 1/2-horsepower permanent magnet motor can easily outperform an induction motor of the same power rating. Take the Moen GX50C for example, the average rotational speed of its motor is 4214 revolutions per minute (RPM), which is way faster than the averaged 1478 RPM of the Badger 5. And when the grinder assembly spins fast, it avoids jamming much better.
Permanent magnet motors don’t run hot so they are much less prone to overheating than induction motors. During our testing phase, we noted that the induction-motor models overheated a total of five times whereas the permanent-magnet models didn’t at all.
9.5 Build Quality
The Moen GX50C is a well-made product with good craftsmanship; everything simply feels right and secure from top to bottom. Its body casing is made of quality plastic with a reinforcing structure underneath. Under that, a layer of acoustic foam wraps around the grinder’s core to treat loud noises.
In the small kitchen food waste disposer category on the market, the Moen GX50C probably has the best build quality—it already does when compared to the other seven 1/2-hp garbage disposals we’ve tested.
8.2 Usability
If it wasn’t for its rather disappointing performance, the Moen GX50C 1/2 hp would have everything to be the best garbage disposal. It can be a little heavy for its power rating but that’s a fair tradeoff for durability. Thanks to the clever design, the disposal is able to balance between size and utility.
Of course, being a compact model, the disposal has its share of inconveniences, like its poor ability to stabilize when processing tough ingredients.
9.0 Ease of Use
As long as there aren’t any food scraps that are too tough, like fish bones or raw chicken scraps, the GX50C should be fine. All discards from vegetables and fruits, even avocado pits, should not trouble the disposal at all. Its roomy chamber is comfortable to accommodate long pieces of stems or stalks and the sink baffle can be removed for larger scraps.
8.5 Installation
The part that usually gives people the most problems is the 3-mounting assembly. Other than that, its weight can be a challenge if you don’t have the strength. The disposal comes corded which is perfect for cabinets with power sockets built in. If you’re planning to hardwire but not particularly handy yourself, we recommend getting professional help.
(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
Despite its noise reduction features, the GX50C Prep 1/2 HP is loud. It’s technically quieter than disposals with no noise treatment, but it’s difficult to tell the difference.
The disposal is also not suitable to deal with animal bones either cooked or raw. It might get lucky with the crunchy bone tissues of chicken, but if the bones are thick and not thoroughly cooked, we wouldn’t put our bet on this Moen.
0.0 Unjam Mechanics
If jamming happens, which is rare, we can use a stick to rotate the flywheel through the sink drain to free the chamber.
Behind the review
Be Nguyen is a writer and product reviewer. Being naturally curious about technology and its real-world applications, Be spent several years in university studying engineering before joining the team at HealthyKitchen101 where he disassembles, tests, and rates household appliances.
Lap is Head of the Research, Testing, and Review Team (RTR Team) at HealthyKitchen101.com, where he directs and supervises the testing of kitchen gadgets and appliances.
Nguyen Ntk is a graphic designer, photographer, and videographer whose philosophy centers around respecting and celebrating the beauty of reality. Through his lenses, Nguyen strives to capture the true essence of objects and events, showcasing and highlighting authentic features without distortion or exaggeration.