It depends on what the trash compactor looks like. Will it tie into the cabinetry or match the appliances? Also, I think it is getting harder to find trash compactors, so it might be an issue for resale if it would be hard to replace. I personally would go with the pull out garbage, but we don't have that much garbage and I don't mind emptying it. I guess it is a personal decision and I can't really imagine the compactor devaluing the home. Good luck.

Trash compactors came with two of our kitchens, and we hated them. We had a trash can & made multiple trips to the garage to dump the recycling.

Our new kitchen has two trash pullouts, one in the cleanup zone next to a dishwasher & the other in the far side of the island across from the refrigerator & pantry. Each pullout has a bin for garbage & a bin for recycling. Wonderful!

I don't think trash compactors are considered a mandatory part of a kitchen anymore.

I don't care for compactors. They are great for tin cans, but we use only a few canned goods a week. The only compactor I've ever owned just didn't do much to reduce the volume of most other trash.

Better a good pullout system with re-cycling bins...

Oh, I think I'd die from the sheer volume of all the trash we produce without our trash compactor. My old house had one when we moved in and I became spoiled by it. I like the KA model with the fan. Keeps everything fresh. I have to empty the garbage once a week! Saves on trash bags and trips out to the garbage can.
I don't use it for my recycling. I have a separate center for that.
I do use it for everything else!
As far as the cleanliness issue, as long as you put a piece of paper on top before you crush, the part that crushes the trash never gets dirty.
I can't imagine how a thousand dollar appliance can de-value the kitchen!

I tend to think of them as (a) dated applianced, perceived as cutting-edge in the 1980s but no longer necessary, and (b) alternative to recycling, thus in my book bad. However, I admit that (a) is subjective and (b) is not necessarily true, so if you promise to use yours to recycle everything than can be recycled, I won't think of it as dated :)

This is one appliance that causes strong reaction on both sides - so people swear by them and some hate them. I like mine - chose to replace it when I remodeled a few years ago. That comment about lowering resale is nonesense - it can easily be removed and replaced with a pull-out. Get what you want!

GIven that it requires probably the same
amount of space (18 inches?) as a pullout,
it does give you some versatility since you
can use it how your please.
I would also consider the cost of the pullout
versus the cost of the compactor.
I've had one in the past when I lived in a townhouse
and it was useful because the garbage bins were
two flights down and then some. Now my kitchen is
near the outside bins and opted not to have it.

Just checked, and saw you can get a kitchenaid stainless
steel unit for around 700, which can't be much more
than a pull out, but depends on your cabinetry (mine
was way too much) In my mind, a stainless steel unit
wouldn't detract from resale or looks or utility.

I have one that came with my kitchen. /shrug. We're not attached. We use it for recycling (my apologies to whoever gets to sort it) because it got too stinky to hold garbage. We use a lidded can for non-recyclable garbage. We'll probably replace both of those with a two-compartment can after the remodel. We definitely won't be doing the compactor again. Not because we're anti-compactor. We'd just rather use cabinet space in our small kitchen for junk. :)

I don't think it would affect resale one way or the other unless you live where trash pickup is limited.

I can't imagine that it would devalue your kitchen, but we had one before and opted not to in our new house. We can fit a trash can and a recycling can in the same size spot. The trash compactor either has limits on what you can put in it or can get gross to clean, in our experience, and the compacted trash is HEAVY to haul out. We're happier to take it out more often.

I've never had one, but my Mom did, and she felt 'obligated' to use it, cuz it was there. But, when she built a brand new fairly high end home, she didn't put one in. I think if she was looking at two identical pre-owned homes, one with, and one without (so, something else in that place), she would definitely buy the house without the trash compactor. So, I think that's what your friend is implying. Wouldn't be a deal breaker for everybody- but it's one of those things that some people like, and some people don't.

I never had a trash compactor and our new kitchen is getting one. We NEVER put food in the trash because we would be picking up the torn bags after the animals get into them. We use the disposal for food and the freezer holds bones and any meat, chicken or fish remnants until trash day. I had to deal with taking out the bags of trash when DH had some surgery and that convinced me that neither he nor I was going to be lugging all those bags in the future. We also recycle and will be switching over to 96 gal containers on wheels in the near future which might only have to be hauled to the curb once a month.

We are putting a trash compactor in our new kitchen (we are using it in our current kitchen now). We have a bunch of kids, and it is nice to only have ONE bag of garbage each week-leaves more room in the garbage cart for remodeling trash...
However, we do not put food scraps or diapers in there so it doesn't get smelly; recycleables have their own bin in the garage.
I have seen many trash compactors in really high-end home tours-they are always stainless steel or have panels to match the rest of the cabinetry.

We reno'd our kitchen 3 years ago and put in a GE Profile SS compactor and it is my favorite item! We are a family of six and thanks to the compactor, I only empty the garbage once a week! Recyclables go in the bin in the garage and all "wet" garbage goes down the disposer. I also rinse and recycle the styrofoam meat trays from the supermarket. It has greatly reduced our trash volume! Every week there is only one bag in our 'ginormous' curbside trash can!

I think trash compactors are one of those things people either love or hate. I've never had one and would not want one. All things being equal I'd pick the house without one. If you put in a pull out trash, and your buyer wants a compactor, they can install one. If you put in a compactor, it's a lot harder to get rid of that and get the matching cabinet door to convert to a pull out trash.

HOWEVER! The real question is: Are you remodeling for yourself or for some potential buyer down the road? Are you going to sell your house immediately after the remodel? If so, then yeah, you want to do what will sell the house. But if not, then IMHO you want to remodel your kitchen to please yourself. Trying to guess what some potential buyer might or might not want, years from now, is a no-win game. And in the meantime you're living with a kitchen that's less than ideal for you.

Something to think about ... it would be easy enough for someone to put in a compactor if the electrical is there. If not, it is another huge project. So, I suggest this: put in what you want. If you end up going with the pull-out, then at least while the walls are open, put in the electrical behind it so that a compactor can be installed easily should someone want one.

I didn't have one until 5 years ago; what I mainly like is the foot pedal, so if I replace in the future I would want foot-operated system. It's so convenient and a reflex now!

We put very little garbage in it since I compost a lot. We do use it for a lot of miscellaneous items that our community is not recycling at curbside, but since we don't put cans, glass, plastic, or newspaper, and no veggies, it is becoming less valuable as a compacting device than it once was. I use the undersink area for just a plastic trash can for recyclables now.

So I would be open to a new system in the future that organizes recycling and a smaller bit of trash, but I would love a no-hand operation if I can get it. And, if I could devise a pretty convenient such system, I think I would like not being dependent on an "appliance" for trash, due the the hassle of replacing.