I have to disagree with LazyGardens - we have not had any problems with trash "splattered onto the walls inside the cabinet, or the door of the cabinet,or behind the trash can" in the four years we've been using ours. In fact, I think it's cleaner than a standalone trash can b/c it's contained and dogs cannot get to it :-) I suppose if you leave it open and throw things into it from several feet away, it might be an issue, but it would also be an issue for a standalone can. I guess what I'm saying is the same as Palimpsest said - it has more to do with the users of the trash can than it does the location of it or its type. As to the location of the trash compactor, it's in a very good location for using the trash while prepping and cooking - the two tasks that generate the most trash and recycling. It's even near the Cleanup Zone - so useful for all primary work zones. However, if this is a home you are renting out (and I assume it is), I would not upgrade the appliances too much unless (1) you upgrade everything in the kitchen to the same level or (2) you have to to compete in the rental market in your area. I'm assuming the range is still functioning just fine since you called it "the old, reliable electric range". Stainless steel and white (or black) appliances are not that bad together. I think of SS as a neutral that goes with just about everything!

sw_in_austin..I had forgotten about the dirty wall behind the trash can! We also had a stand alone trash can in our old kitchen. Like sw_in_austin the wall behind it would need constant cleaning b/c my DH & then DS & DD would "shoot" the trash into the can from half-way across the room (too much basketball in our family!). We used to take the trash out every day or two. Recyclables were kept in the garage in 3 separate containers...glass/plastic, newspapers, cardboard. Recyclables would either sit on the counter until someone took time to take them to the garage or they just go thrown out b/c it was easier. With the remodel, we put in an 18" double-bin trash pullout. The bins are 35qts each. The front bin is for trash, the back is for recyclables. I find that we recycle a lot more...which reduces the amount of trash. We now put glass/plastic & cardboard in the one bin (our county does mixed recycling). B/c of the increase in recycling, I find that we still only take the trash out every day or two. I wouldn't want the trash around any longer than that b/c it does start to smell. Recyclables, btw, also have to go out every couple of days. As to whether there's a mess on the door, no there isn't. My family no longer treats the trash can as a basket so trash is thrown out w/less force now! There have been a couple of times when something spilled, but we wiped it up right away. As to keeping the trash open while prepping/cooking...if you install a foot pedal you could open it hands-free! (We have the pedal but we haven't installed it yet.)

We used an 18-inch base cabinet with the deep drawer at the bottom and a shallow drawer on top. We attached a regular door front to the deep drawer hardware (can't remember exactly how we did it but it wasn't complicated). I didn't want to use the small IKEA trash bins so I looked all over to find the largest trash can that would fit the space; I can't remember exactly how big the can is (I think it was a Rubbermaid can) but it fits exactly side to side and top to bottom (without the lid) and is the perfect size for the Costco 13-gallon kitchen bags. I thought I would then look for a smaller can to fit behind for recycling but until I could find it we started putting a paper grocery sack behind the main can and it worked so well that I never looked for a smaller can. We reuse the sack until it gets too weak and then throw it into the recyling with whatever is in it. We've been using the trash set up for 2 1/2 years with no problems; the door/drawer seems as sturdy and stable as it did when we started using it. And that's with two teenagers who certainly aren't concerned about overstuffing the trash can.

OK...I checked this evening and you're right GardenWebber! It's a little over half-full when it's time to empty...we wait until the trash can is really full, too! Like RHome, my DH goes around and collects trash from the PR, Library/Computer Room, etc. to fill it. Also like RHome, we'd rather take out a bag that's not quite full than leave it sitting out where the dogs could get into it. One thing, in our old kitchen we had a larger stand-alone trash can that was a tad larger than the 13-gallon bags and we did find that if we filled them to the top we couldn't adequately close them...so I think we're happier with this arrangement than the previous.