This site runs on reader support, useful finds, and stubborn curiosity. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.5 Best 13 Gallon Kitchen Trash Can | Hands-Free 13-Gallon Pick

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The ELPHECO 13-gallon stainless steel can gives you the full premium experience: a brushed fingerprint-proof finish that actually stays clean-looking, a foot pedal that opens the lid smoothly, and a soft-close mechanism that eliminates the slam entirely. The 90° stay-open lid is a smart touch — prop it open during meal prep and close it later without holding the pedal down.

A removable inner bucket lifts out for carrying the entire bag to the outdoor bin or rinsing the can at the sink. The included 20 trash bags are a genuine convenience — no hunting for the right size liner out of the box. At 16.7 x 14.1 x 26.5 inches, the footprint fits standard kitchen layouts without sticking out into walkways.

The brushed silver finish resists fingerprints better than glossy stainless, but it will still show marks over time if you handle the lid directly. The pedal mechanism feels solid and doesn’t wobble during repeated presses. For a mid-range investment, you get quiet operation, easy maintenance, and zero liner slip.

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Glad brings its odor-fighting reputation into the hardware side with a 13-gallon step can that integrates bag rings and a lid designed to trap smells inside. The foot pedal offers hands-free operation without requiring you to touch the lid at all — push with your toe, toss the trash, and the lid drops shut. The plastic body keeps weight down, making it easy to slide out from under a counter for bag changes.

Bag retention rings on the rim grip the liner edges so you don’t have to fish a crumpled bag out of the bottom after the first heavy load. The matte black finish hides smudges better than glossy or bare stainless, though the plastic exterior can scratch if you slide it against cabinet bases repeatedly. The step pedal action is crisp without being stiff.

Because the lid seals shut with a decent rim gasket, lingering odors from meat wrappers or spoiled leftovers stay more contained than with an open-top bin. The trade-off is a slightly smaller effective mouth opening compared to a full square rim — you have to angle certain items when tossing them. For a budget-friendly hands-free can, Glad delivers reliable odor control and solid liner retention.

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Sterilite’s 13-gallon touch-top wastebasket is a no-fuss plastic can with a press-lid that opens with a light palm push. The white polished finish blends into most kitchen decors without drawing attention, and the crack-resistant plastic construction handles daily use without warping or splitting at the corners. At 49 liters (roughly 13 gallons), the capacity is standard, but the rectangular shape fits tight counter gaps better than round cans.

The touch-top mechanism uses a simple hinge — push the center or edge of the lid, and it flips open, staying upright until you push it closed. There is no dampening, so the lid does make contact noise when it drops, but the plastic-on-plastic impact is muffled compared to metal. No bag retention ring is built in, but the rim is wide enough to fold a 13-gallon liner over without it sliding inward immediately.

If you need a lightweight bin that you can move between kitchen, laundry room, or garage without straining your back, this Sterilite works. The titanium-colored latch detail is cosmetic only but adds a slightly more finished look than a plain bucket. For households on a strict budget or a secondary kitchen location, the touch-top provides decent one-handed convenience at a minimal entry point.

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If you prefer a low-profile lid that lets you toss trash with zero pedal presses or palm pushes, the Sterilite Swingtop offers a classic solution: a curved flap that swings inward when you push waste through it, then falls back into place. The 13-gallon black plastic body is unobtrusive and the swing-top opening is large enough to accept dinner plates or takeout containers without squeezing.

There is no foot pedal, no bag retention ring, and no soft-close mechanism — this is a straightforward bin designed for one-handed, high-speed disposal. The swing flap does not seal airtight, so odors from strong food scraps will escape more than they would from a sealed step can, but the convenience of dropping trash in without any lid contact is hard to beat in a busy cooking environment.

The matte black surface hides scuffs and dust better than white plastic, and the rectangular footprint fits standard 13-gallon bags neatly. Because there are no moving parts other than the swing flap, there is very little that can break over time. This is a dependable secondary kitchen can or pantry bin for anyone who prioritizes speed over odor containment.

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The Dowell 50-quart (13-gallon) wastebasket sits at the simplest end of the spectrum: no lid, no pedal, no moving parts — just a high-density polyethylene (HDPE) rectangular container that stacks neatly when empty. This design makes it a strong candidate for under-sink cabinets or desk-side spots where a swing-top or step-on mechanism would take up too much vertical or horizontal clearance.

HDPE is tougher than standard polypropylene bins; it resists cracking from cold garage temperatures and doesn’t warp from humidity. The polished grey finish cleans up with a quick wipe and doesn’t show every fingerprint. Because there is no lid, any interior odor is fully exposed, so this can works best for dry waste — paper, packaging, recyclables — rather than kitchens with heavy organic scraps.

Stackability is the standout feature here — if you have multiple bins for sorting recycling or organizing a pantry, they nest inside one another for storage. The Dowell is not sold with lids, so if you need odor containment, this is not the bin. But for a budget-friendly, no-nonsense rectangular can that fits narrow gaps and stacks away easily, it gets the basic job done without any frills.