Qualia 1 gal Stainless Steel Multipurpose Countertop Trash Can, Silver with Gray Lid

This is a super-cute item I wasn't sure I needed, and now can't do without. It's more of a "bin" than a can, with a brilliant flat design you'd never guess holds a full gallon. Check out my photos: it fits neatly into the three inch wide countertop area next to my microwave and I am using it all day long as: • A sleek garbage bin to catch kitchen scraps while I'm cooking. • A roomy pail for giving my fresh fruit and vegetables a long soap and water soak to remove pesticides (which I do a couple of times a day). Even though I am not a neatnik, I am easily squicked by slime, especially when I'm cooking, so I love the fact that my hands don't go anywhere near garbage with this pail. No need to touch the lid -- it stands up neatly in a groove designed for the purpose. And thanks to the swinging handle, when the bin gets full I just have to tip it to empty. Before the "can" arrived, I was using a separate plastic bathroom bin for discarded food scraps plus a full size mop bucket as a vegetable soaker -- a combination that monopolized my galley kitchen countertop. I wasn't sure this would be big enough for all the fruits and vegetables we eat, but when I went to wash my grapes today, I could fit about six pounds in at once. I am thinking of buying another one of these for the bathroom -- it would be handy for discarded cotton balls, Q-tips, etc., and the fuss free lid is nice for when I need to sharpen eyeliner crayons.

Many of the recipes I make require chopped vegetables. Chopping onions can be a real pain in the butt especially if you have allergies and your eyes get irritated easily. I love that this product helps keep the onion smell contained until I'm ready to use them. It's made of very sturdy material so I know it will endure many years of use.