01 — Best overall
simplehuman 45L Rectangular Step Can with Liner Pocket
The kitchen can that solves bag fit properly, with a pedal rated for 150,000 steps and a liner pocket that ends the hunt for the box under the sink.
- Capacity
- 45 liters / 11.9 gallons
- Liner code
- Code Q
- Pedal rating
- 150,000 steps (manufacturer figure)
- Lid
- Soft-close, damped (Lid Shox)
- Body
- Brushed stainless steel or dent-proof plastic
- Inner bucket
- None — liner pocket instead, so more usable volume
Two things separate this from everything at half the price. The first is the liner pocket: a slot inside the can that stores the roll and dispenses the next bag as you pull the full one out. The second is that simplehuman publishes a code letter for each can and sells a liner cut to that exact size, so the bag sits flush instead of hanging four inches over the rim. The steel pedal is rated at 150,000 steps and the Lid Shox damper closes it slowly and silently rather than letting it clap shut.
What we'd flag: the custom-fit liners are the point, and they cost meaningfully more per bag than a supermarket box. A generic 13-gallon bag physically works but undoes the tidiest thing about the can. Budget for the liners or buy something else.