Frédéric Perigot designed this trash bin with "the body of an aircraft," "a lid like a Frisbee," and a lid that closes with the "feel of a sedan." Which fulfills most, if not all, of our ideal trash can requirements. It's not cheap, but it will last forever. The round Frisbee version is €298; the larger, rectangular Mobil version with two canisters on the interior is €598.
This design editor is a little obsessed with things trashy. Namely, she doesn't want to see or smell said trash, so it must be contained in a tidy area that's easy to empty. Other musts? Simple lines, easy to clean, a lid with a soft close, a sturdy foot pedal. And while stainless steel is certainly a thing as far as kitchens go, we have found that powder-coated metal resists smudging and fingerprints much better. After a recent European jaunt, in which we saw lots of amazing things while scoping out trash cans everywhere, we added a couple of entries to our list of acceptable receptacles.