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Original poster

Are there any downsides to having your bins built in to the cupboards/drawers?

65 replies

ScreamingBeans · 03/04/2022 18:38

Not sure whether to have freestanding or built in, any disadvantages to built in, do you spill bits of food all over the bottom of your cupboard or is it only good?

OP posts:
BarbaraWoodlouse · 03/04/2022 18:45

The only downside I can think of is that you lose a cupboard… Ours is a mix of rubbish and recycling. Needs wiping down around the sides, the bottom itself stays pretty clean.

Coatandhat · 03/04/2022 18:47

I love having the bins in a pull out cupboard from the kitchen island - recycling / rubbish / food waste. Agree with Barbara about the wiping down but it is so convenient to scoop peelings etc straight into bin. Highly recommend!

DogsAndGin · 03/04/2022 18:50

Fine if they’re big enough

bellac11 · 03/04/2022 18:51

I havent got a pull out cupboard, it was just an end cupboard, so not that big that I chose to use to put a bin in, I hate bins on show

Ours gets a bit of a mess to be honest but a) its hidden away b) its due to my 'housekeeping skills'

ouch321 · 03/04/2022 18:56

I wouldn't.

Pedal bin is more hygienic.

MarmiteCoriander · 03/04/2022 19:27

I'm looking into this also. Only downside is the bin capacity is much smaller than my current bins- so will need emptying a lot more often!

chloechloe · 03/04/2022 19:31

Built in all the way! Much nicer than having a bin on display. We have two in one cupboard - one for general waste and the other for recycling. They do need wiping down, as does any bin. Ours is currently under the sink but in my next kitchen I’ll have it to one side of the sink (dishwasher to the other side) so you can chop Veg etc on the worktop above it and then scoop it straight into the bin below. Genius!

Original poster
ScreamingBeans · 03/04/2022 19:36

I currently have 4 bins:

General waste (small)
Recycling (big)
Compost peelings (small)
Food waste (small)

Can't find a pull out solution for all of those. I did think about having them in the only 60cm cupboard I have (under the oven) but it feels like a waste of space... and I'm not sure if they'll fit in the 60cm sink cupboard because of the plumbing.

People do seem to like them built in though...

OP posts:
Flowerbedflora · 03/04/2022 19:37

Much prefer built in, as there are separate bins for food waste, recycling then general waste (4 inner bins in total). They are easier to clean as they're smaller, and I hate the look of a bin in the kitchen.

BaileysBreakfast · 03/04/2022 19:41

We have two large bins and two small all in one 60cm cupboard (from DIY kitchens). We use the big ones for recycling, the small ones for compost (one for council compost and one for our own heap) and then we have a freestanding Brabantia bin for rubbish which we use a lot less. We empty it all twice a week apart from the brabantia bin which lasts 2 weeks and it works really well. My only worry is that clever in- cupboard mechanisms can fail and be hard to fix after a few years

EventuallyDelighted · 03/04/2022 19:45

We have freestanding and much prefer them, having had pull out ones in holiday homes. We have a small countertop one for food waste, a large freestanding one with a motion sensor to open the lid so you don't have to touch it and a small crate for recycling under the sink. I much prefer my main bin to be hands-free, I don't want to have to open a cupboard door with dirty hands from food prep. Saves on cupboard space too.

TatianaBis · 03/04/2022 19:46

@ScreamingBeans

I currently have 4 bins:

General waste (small)
Recycling (big)
Compost peelings (small)
Food waste (small)

Can't find a pull out solution for all of those. I did think about having them in the only 60cm cupboard I have (under the oven) but it feels like a waste of space... and I'm not sure if they'll fit in the 60cm sink cupboard because of the plumbing.

People do seem to like them built in though...

I'd put the food waste under the sink, and the general waste and recycling in two side by side bins in the pull out.

You can get compost boxes for kitchens that sit on a worktop.

FortunaMajor · 03/04/2022 19:47

@ScreamingBeans

I currently have 4 bins:

General waste (small)
Recycling (big)
Compost peelings (small)
Food waste (small)

Can't find a pull out solution for all of those. I did think about having them in the only 60cm cupboard I have (under the oven) but it feels like a waste of space... and I'm not sure if they'll fit in the 60cm sink cupboard because of the plumbing.

People do seem to like them built in though...

I have 2 of these pull out frames from IKEA which fit 4 bins. Mine do fit my under my sink cupboard. Took 20 mins to fit, which I did myself and they are really easy to clean.

www.ikea.com/gb/en/cat/hallbar-series-47255/

TatianaBis · 03/04/2022 19:47

@BaileysBreakfast

We have two large bins and two small all in one 60cm cupboard (from DIY kitchens). We use the big ones for recycling, the small ones for compost (one for council compost and one for our own heap) and then we have a freestanding Brabantia bin for rubbish which we use a lot less. We empty it all twice a week apart from the brabantia bin which lasts 2 weeks and it works really well. My only worry is that clever in- cupboard mechanisms can fail and be hard to fix after a few years
Nifty.
fijicava · 03/04/2022 19:49

They are generally quite tiny if you have a family and bags need replacing regularly. We had a kitchen unit built which holds a free standing bin inside which is the best of both worlds.

Original poster
ScreamingBeans · 03/04/2022 20:30

Blimey that IKEA one is about a fifth of the price of some of the things on the market. And it fits under the plumbing in the sink you say? Hmmm....

Thanks all it does seem that built in is the way to go

OP posts:
StCharlotte · 03/04/2022 20:53

We have a three way bin in a cupboard. No idea where we'd put a freestanding one. My only concern is if the local authority decide to add another refuse category.

I'm just glad I don't live in Cotswold District Council - they have four different receptacles just for recycling! We have rented a cottage there a few times and it's known as "the house of many bins" Grin

TwinkleToesStrikesAgain · 03/04/2022 20:58

Whenever I see a non built in bin I wonder why on earth the kitchen designer forgot that and what else isn't well designed in the room.

Who wants a bin on display, taking up floor space?

JoanDarc · 03/04/2022 21:05

Love my pull out bins, so much more convenient and nicer than having bins on display. We’ve got a double pull out bin, one for rubbish and one for recycling, we then separate the recycling into two separate wheelie bins outside, takes about two mins. Food waste is a separate bin attached to door under sink cupboard so easy for putting any scraps into before plates go in dishwasher.

RandomMess · 03/04/2022 21:09

Hmmmm I am intrigued by the ikea ones!

HotDogKetchup · 03/04/2022 21:12

Mine are pull out so you don’t get food at the bottom of the unit.

The unit door does sometimes get grubby, but only takes a wipe down

abbey44 · 03/04/2022 21:51

I've always had a freestanding bin but the house I moved into last year has built-in and I'm a convert. Main reason is that the dog can't get in and rummage through the rubbish now - she'd worked out how to get in most of the kitchen bins I'd tried. They are smaller capacity, but it's just part of the routine you get used to.

HomeprideSaucy · 03/04/2022 22:18

Grim. My friend has one. Bin is always full to the brim and muck and crap is smeared rounds all sides of the unit.

sausagepastapot · 03/04/2022 22:23

We had them in my new kitchen in my old house. I thought I'd miss them when we moved to this house (Reno project) but with retrospect, I bloody hated them in the old house- far far too small for a family of 4. Had to empty them every day, sometimes more than once. Ballache. Freestanding makes life so much easier!

TatianaBis · 03/04/2022 22:42

@sausagepastapot

We had them in my new kitchen in my old house. I thought I'd miss them when we moved to this house (Reno project) but with retrospect, I bloody hated them in the old house- far far too small for a family of 4. Had to empty them every day, sometimes more than once. Ballache. Freestanding makes life so much easier!
You can get large pullout bins.

I’ve got a wide bin drawer on the central island with huge side by side bins plus a smaller one for tech/batteries that need to go to the tip. Only needed emptying once a week.

Under the sink I’ve got a smaller bin for food waste.