Moen GXS75C Host Series 3/4 HP Garbage Disposal In-depth Review

The Moen GXS75C 3/4-HP Continuous Feed Garbage Disposal looks good. Its modern design saves space under the sink and the body frame feels well-constructed. The disposal has a basic grinding assembly with a single-level precutter—which is disappointing considering it’s a 3/4-horsepower model.

Key Specs

Where to Buy Price at publication $124.38

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Compared to Other Garbage Disposals

7.4 Performance: Strong, But Not Quite

The Moen GXS75C has little trouble dealing with typical kitchen foods, even in large amounts. In one of our tests, the disposal was able to comfortably deal with 11 different types of ingredients with varied textures. These ingredients are common food scraps in the kitchen.

In our more difficult tests where we used raw meat scraps, the disposal struggled. Its grinding mechanism couldn’t pulverize resilient materials like skin and tendons completely, leaving most of the materials as fatty shreds. Yet, the disposal crushed hard and crunchy bone tissue, cooked or uncooked, very effectively.

8.0 Scrap Mix

Scoring Components ↓

The Moen garbage disposal made quick work of our mishmash of scraps. 90 ounces of assorted ingredients, including toughies like avocado pits and (cooked) fish remains, were processed thoroughly in under 2 minutes. The processed remains, mostly fish bones, measured only 0.1% of the original input.

The output was largely drain-safe. Almost everything that went through the chamber also passed through the colanders. Still, the colanders caught about 20% of the output; most of it was visibly processed, save for a few pieces of long, thin fish bones. Out of all the kitchen disposals we’ve put through this test, the GXS75C has one of the best runs.

6.0 Raw Fish Scraps

Scoring Components ↓

As expected, the Moen GXS75C 3/4 Horsepower couldn’t really handle uncooked fish scraps—mid-range models rarely do. After 3 minutes, there were plenty of leftovers in the chamber. We collected 3 ounces of shredded skin and broken vertebrae, which added up to 6% of the input load.

Long thin bones were clearly a problem in the output. To be fair, the disposal did manage to break up a large number of them, although many slipped through intact. Such long boney pieces easily become enmeshed in the fibrous and stringy tissues. It’s difficult to go through the drainage system like that.

7.6 Raw Chicken Scraps

Scoring Components ↓

The disposal did a much better job with raw chicken scraps than fish. It pulverized most of the input in a span of 3 minutes, especially the boney parts. The run wasn’t the speediest, but grinding 7.4 ounces of raw meat scraps down to a tiny mass of 0.14 ounces wasn’t too bad at all. 

Samples in the two filtering layers appeared thoroughly processed. All the bones were crushed and other soft slippery tissue heavily shredded. We’ve seen better results, but considering its specs, the GXS75C was nonetheless impressive.

8.8 Design: Handsome and Rugged

The GXS75C 3/4 HP along with other Moen GX series garbage disposals are some of the best-looking models we’ve tested. Put next to the round bodies of other permanent-magnet models, the series stands out for its modern and space-saving design. These disposals look better than most from above the sink too, showing off sleek details.

The GXS75C’s build quality suggests it was put together with care. In addition to the durable stainless steel grinding components, the disposal has a thick protective casing. This reduces noise and vibrations as well as helps withstand the occasional bangs under the sink.

In the Box

• Moen Host Series GXS75C 3/4-HP Garbage Disposal
• 3-Bolt Mount assembly 
• Removable splash guard
• Stopper
• Elbow discharge tube 
• Rubber gasket
• Flange and bolts
• Pre-installed power cord
• Documentation

The box contains the bundled items typical of most other garbage disposals. You’ll find a mounting assembly, a standard discharge set, a user manual, and a registration slip for Moen products. All relevant information is available in English, French, and Spanish.

Dimensions

The Moen GXS75C is surprisingly compact for its power rating. In fact, it’s the smallest 3/4-hp food disposer we’ve seen so far. The disposal essentially has the same build as its 1/2-hp cousin, the Moen GX50C. Both of them are lightweight compared to the popular InSinkErator Badger 5, which is roughly 12 pounds.

Mount Assembly

• Backup flange
• Mounting ring
• Snap ring
• Fiber gasket
• Stopper
• Cushion mount
• Sink flange
• Removable splash guard
• Lower mounting ring

The GXS75C works with most 3-Bolt mounting systems even though its own mounting assembly looks slightly different. Specifically, Moen’s backup flange is not the usual triangle shape but more flower-like. 3-Bolt systems are typically harder to work with than EZ systems. Most noticeably, you’ll need at least a screwdriver to assemble the 3-Bolt; their pieces are considerably heavier, too. However, 3-Bolt is tighter and more secure which is why you don’t normally see heavy garbage disposals with EZ Mounts.

Newer Moen garbage disposals like the GXS75C all have what’s called a Clean Rinse splash guard. Basically, it causes the water flow to spread out. In doing so, the water is more likely to hit around the flywheel instead of the center which would result in more splashing in the chamber.

Power Cord

The Moen GXS75C 3/4-Horsepower Continuous Feed Garbage Disposal has a pre-installed power cord.

Accessories: Discharge Set

The discharge set consists of a standard 1.5-inch elbow pipe, a rubber gasket, and a kit of flange and bolts. The bolts have Phillip drives and hex heads that are 3/8 inches. Either a screwdriver or a wrench should work on them.

7.0 Grind Chamber

The disposal has about the same holding capacity as other 3/4-horsepower disposals from Waste King or GE Appliance. They all have near-identical chambers, especially the layout of the grinding assembly. The difference here is that the Moen GXS75C has a single-level precutter instead of a two-level—an upgrade often seen with 3/4-hp models and higher. Moreover, instead of stainless steel, the disposal only has galvanized steel grinding components. These are more susceptible to rust and wear.

9.5 Motor

The Moen GXS75C runs on a permanent magnet motor with 3/4 horsepower. These motors are known for their speed and efficiency. They’re about a few thousands revolutions per minute (RPM) faster compared to conventional induction motors. Case in point, while the induction Badger 5XP stabilized around 1470 RPM in our flywheel speed test, the GXS75C spun close to 5000 RPM. Such high velocity leaves very little room for jamming to occur. Permanent magnet motors also produce much less heat than their induction counterparts.

9.5 Build Quality

The Moen GXS75C has a clean and seamless appearance with all of its screw sockets and joints cleverly hidden. Detailing on the casing makes the disposal look sleek and high-grade while increasing the body’s feel on the hand. The casing also has reinforcing structures and a layer of acoustic foam for soundproofing. 

The disposal hung sturdy and secure through all our testing stages; other Moen GX models in our collection fared the same. This is significant since several disposals have somewhat lost their structural integrity during our testing procedures.

8.6 Usability

The Host Series GXS75C 3/4 HP by Moen maintains a top position in our rating chart thanks to its build and design. The machine is quick and effective against regular kitchen food scraps. Plus, it saves considerable space under the sink and the installation is arguably straightforward. 

The disposal is not exactly top-of-the-range and there is room for improvement. However, not many can beat it for less than $110.

9.0 Ease of Use

We found that the GXS75C works best with simple foods and moderate volumes. Thanks to the high-speed motor, dietary tissues from vegetables, fruit, or cooked meat scraps can go in continuously without any hassle. However, the disposal requires more time, power, and water to deal with things like raw skin or cartilage. It doesn’t do well with thin and springy scraps like fish bones, either.

The Moen GXS75C’s special rinse-assist baffle splashes water in the chamber and facilitates movement inside. Also, it is made of quality rubber with a better fit than regular baffles.

9.0 Installation

The disposal is neither heavy nor big, so usually, one person is enough to put it up. The body has a very satisfying grip to it and its space-saving design leaves more room to move under the sink. 

GXS75C is specifically built for sink cabinets with power sockets. If you plan to hardwire it, you’ll need to remove the power cord. The other thing to watch out for is the 3-Bolt assembly. It’s not too complicated per se but it may take some time if you’re new to this sort of thing.

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

9.0 Smooth Operation

Our main problem with the Moen GXS75C is how noisy it can get. The disposal’s noise reduction feature isn’t bad when the numbers are averaged out compared to similar disposals. That’s to say it’s not as quiet as you might expect, especially when you throw in something hard and crunchy—ice, for example.

0.0 Unjam Mechanics

The GXS75C, similar to other permanent-magnet disposals, rarely jams. But if it does, there is no external unjam mechanism. Instead, you should cut off the power supply to the machine and use a stick to rotate the flywheel inside the chamber.