How Do You Use A Salad Spinner
The answer to this will depend on the type of spinner you purchase, but as far as basics go, prepare your ingredients by chopping up vegetables, greens, fruits, or whatever you plan to wash and dry in the spinner. Place those ingredients in the basket and run cold water over the basket to thoroughly flush the dirt and debris. Place the basket in the work bowl and affix the lid. Start spinning via crank, plunge, pull-cord, or twist-knob, depending on your style of spinner. Stop once you see water in the bottom of the bowl with dirt or debris in it. Remove your ingredients and move to the next one.
Jean Patrique Salad Cutter Bowl
Best for chopped salad
- less effective drying
- flimsy
This simple piece of kit from Jean Patrique is a bit of a wild card here in the line-up. It is not a spinner, but it does help dry salad though its primary purpose is to chop it. Using the evenly spaced slots on the domed lid to cut one way, lift and turn, then chop in another direction for a simple, easy salad.
The soft plastic dome makes a neat little colander to rinse the leaves. Pop the base on and hold on firmly with both hands and shake over the sink. Surprisingly it does a reasonable job, but is not as good as a spinner.
At just over £10, it does not have the most substantial construction however, though flimsy, it does work and is a fabulous little gadget for anyone who struggles to hold a knife and chop.
Available from:
Best Salad Spinners Of 2022
Buck YedorAdam MinichLearn moreSpinning Mechanism:Brake Mechanism:
The Mueller 5-Liter Vegetable Washer performed well in the battery of tests that we threw at it. Though pricier than many spinners we tested, its unique benefits outweigh the added expense. The unit was a breeze to get up to a high spin rate, which allowed for an impressive amount of water removal. After two consecutive five-second spins, it averaged 96.5% water removal across the four types of plants tested. We especially appreciated the ability of this model with freshly rinsed kale and blackberries. The lid fits securely on the bowl while offering trouble-free clean-up. Although its braking button was small, it still easily stopped after a fast-spinning operation.
Not everything was perfect, though. Perhaps this unit could benefit from a redesign on the colander. In both the dirt test and its ability to be cleaned, the colander created issues that caused it to lose points. Despite this, this product more than made up for lower scores after receiving perfect scores in the water removal, ease of spinning, and ease of braking tests. If you’re after an excellent spinner, this might be the answer.
Recommended Reading: Southwest Avocado Chicken Salad Wendys
How Do You Clean A Salad Spinner
Many salad spinners are dishwasher safe, at least on the top rack, but you can also clean them by hand. To clean by hand, pour dish soap in the salad spinner, and then put warm water about halfway up. Replace the lid. Activate the spinner via plunger, cord, hand-crank, or knob, and make sure you get a good spin going to push all the bits of leftover food out of the holes. Stop the spinner and drain it. If your top comes apart, separate the lid pieces and place them in your drying rack. Clean the bowl and basket with a damp sponge to get any last bits of food debris, rinse the basket and bowl, and either dry by hand or place in the rack with lid pieces to dry.
If you choose to wash in the dishwasher , separate the lid pieces if they come apart. Place the basket, bowl, and lid pieces in the dishwasher . Run on a normal cycle. Once complete, make sure all parts are dry, or hand dry any still-wet parts. Reassemble and store.
Zyliss Easy Spin 2 Salad Spinner Large
Best all-round spinner
- Fluffs up salad as it dries
- Ergonomic handle
Cons
- None
The Zyliss salad spinner was our favourite on the test as a solid, well-built spinner. This was the only one we tested with a pull cord, which initially seems an odd system to use but just one good, effortless pull and the bowl whizzes round, and in most cases was all that was needed to dry our salad completely. If the bowl spins too fast, the brake was incredibly responsive and the waved colander bowl stops suddenly. The unique shape of the colander bowl helps to noticeably fluff up the salad.
The spinner has a deep, substantial plastic bowl with a non-slip base and makes a great serving bowl. The Zyliss is a perfect size for a large number or to wash and dry plenty of salad at once.
The Zyliss comes with a five-year guarantee and everything except the lid is dishwasher proof. The results were the driest, fluffiest salad on the test it is no wonder we were impressed.
Available from:
Read Also: How To Make 7 Layer Salad
Best Compact: Oxo Good Grips Little Salad And Herb Spinner
-
Works just as efficiently as larger version
-
Small footprint for easy storage
-
Silicone grip on bottom discolors over time
-
Limited capacity
Sometimes you only want a petite spinner that stores compactly, but has the oomph of larger models. The Oxo Good Grips Little Salad and Herb Spinner is perfect for small portions of lettuce, berries, and especially bunches of fresh herbs with its 2.5-quart basket. Its diminutive footprint makes storage simple, even for small kitchens.
Just like the larger model, this one has an easy pump-action spinner and patented brake to stop with ease. The clear bowl allows you to see when greens are dry, and the plunger locks flat in place for stackable storage. All parts can be washed on the top rack of the dishwasher.
-
Small knob design slightly difficult to operate
-
Takes longer to dry greens
Road trips, camping, barbeques, and dorm life just got easier with the Progressive Collapsible Salad Spinner. If you need something that won’t break, but can handle washing and drying your lettuces, this 3-quart model with its silicone construction and collapsible design is a wonderful option. It actually reduces to just 3 inches when fully collapsedstorage could not be more convenient.
-
Bulky
Operation is easy with the pump-action plunger and stopper. This model also has a locking mechanism for the plunger, which makes for flat storage. If you host larger family meals, the Farberware Professional Pump will make salad, fruit, and vegetable prep stress-free.
Best Salad Spinners To Buy At A Glance
- Best overall salad spinner: Zyliss Easy Spin, £29.99
- Best for small spaces: Dreamfarm Spina Colander and Salad Spinner, £24.99
- Best for extra features: JosephJoseph Multi-Prep spinner, £50
- Best for families: Oxo Good Grips, £29.99
- Best for dry and dress in one: KitchenCraft Spinner, £20.99
- Best large spinner: Kuhn Rikon spinner, £29.99
- Best no-frills spinner: Judge salad spinner, £14.10
- Best budget salad spinner: ProCook salad spinner, £17
- Best for salad storage: Symple Stuff Rotator, £28.26
- Best for chopped salad: Jean Pratique salad chopper, £10.55
Read Also: How Many Calories In Potato Salad
Dreamfarm Spina Colander And Salad Spinner
Best for small spaces
Cons:
- no lid sends salad flying
At 21cm, the Dreamfarm is one of the smaller spinners on the test. It is cleverly designed to be a handled colander that flips into a spinner and is operated by pumping the central column, much like an old-fashioned spinning top. Unfortunately, there is no bowl, so you need to do this in the sink. Once dried, tip the leaves into a salad bowl to serve. Rinse the spinner to clean, and to store, the handle slips inside the bowl, all neat and tidy.
The Dreamfarm is sturdy for such a small spinner. It stands firmly on the worktop but does slip around a little without any non-slip material on the base. And, as theres no lid, once up to speed, lettuce leaves fly, so we had to pull back a little. Even so, the leaves were thoroughly dry and undamaged.
We found this is an excellent small salad spinner and perfect for small spaces.
Available from:
Why Trust The Spruce Eats
Carrie Honaker is a food writer who has prepped a lot of salads over the years. As a restaurateur and avid home cook, she knows the importance of thoroughly washing and drying your vegetables. She loves her Oxo Good Grips Salad Spinner for its durability and functionality. It helps that it can be used for rinsing beans, washing and drying herbs, and lots of other tasks, as well. Carrie’s work has appeared in many publications, including Bon Appetit, Allrecipes, and Wine Enthusiast.
You May Like: Easy Sweet Potato Salad Recipe
Clean Your Greens With The Best Salad Spinners On The Market
Our editors independently research, test, and recommend the bestproducts youcan learn more about ourreview process here.We may receive commissions on purchases made from our chosen links.
The Spruce Eats / Photo Illustration by Chloe Jeong / Retailers below
The humble salad spinner may seem like an unnecessary kitchen tool, but we beg to differ. There are lots of reasons to keep this gadget in your cabinet. It’s revolutionary when it comes to yielding crispy, fresh greens, as the centrifugal force created by spinning draws the liquid from spinach, arugula, and more, warding off lingering moisture that might make your salad soggy or even moldy. It also provides optimal cleaning without much hands-on time. Sure, hand washing your greens will do the trick just fine, but a salad spinner will pull out dirt particles hidden in ribs and crevices.
The convenience of cleaning and prepping large quantities of greens, vegetables, and fruits cannot be understated. Many models even double as serving bowls and colanders. That collard green gratin just got a whole lot easier, and all the veggies in your antipasto salad can be drained, cleaned, and washed in the same container.
Here are the best salad spinners.
-
Grip on bottom discolors over time
-
Bulky to store
How We Tested Salad Spinners
Each spinner was tested by washing leaves and herbs for our classic green salad recipe.
We looked at the design and quality of the material, the build of the spinners, how they operated and any additional features. We checked that the spinner felt secure and stable, simple to use, and easy to store and clean. Notably, was all the water removed from the leaves and were any damaged or crushed?
Don’t Miss: Does Chick Fil A Have A Salad
How To Choose A Salad Spinner
Size: it is important to consider size and storage space as most spinners are pretty bulky. Many can double up as a colander for rinsing, and the outer bowls for serving, so they can save space that way. Also, look out for space-saving features such as folding handles, flat lids and multi-functions.
Ease of use: the mechanics to make spinners spin vary and can include handles, knobs and even pull cords. Choose the one you feel most comfortable using.
Functions: most spinners simply spin-dry leaves, but look out for others with other functions you may find helpful, such as graters, choppers or for adding dressings.
Slipping: non-slip rubberised bases or feet are handy to stop the spinner from slipping on the worktop.
Best Steel: Oxo Steel Salad Spinner
-
Doubles as a serving bowl
-
Non-slip base
-
Must dry after use to avoid rusting
-
Can’t see greens unless colander is removed
If you’re looking for a salad spinner that’s efficient, but also modern and attractive, the Oxo Steel model is a great choice. It has the elements expected from Oxo’s trusted brand, plus a sleek design that looks as good on the table serving your freshly spun salad as it does on the counter as a tool. The 4.95-quart basket capacity is ample to clean and dry at least one head of lettuce or two for smaller types, like radicchio or red leaf.
The patented pump-action plunger makes one-handed operation easy, and the built-in brake mechanism skids your spinning to a halt quickly. When finished, the plunger neatly locks into position, making for easier storage. The bowl is made of food-safe stainless steel and the cover is acrylic, so you wont be able to see your food spinning other than through the top. This model has a base coated in non-slip material that keeps the spinner stable during operation, but you’re are not limited to spinning with this model. It easily doubles as a sturdy colander, even with hot pasta or steamed vegetables, and because of its gorgeous design, it begs to be used as a serving bowl on your table.
Don’t Miss: Low Fat Vegan Salad Dressing
Analysis And Test Results
Our lead tester identified five categories of importance to contrast performance and features between the ten spinners. The five metrics used were water removal, dirt removal, ease of spinning, ease of braking, and ease of cleaning. These factors helped to create a holistic appraisal and understanding of each product.
Prepworks By Progressive Collapsible Spinner 3
- 1
Spinning Mechanism:Brake Mechanism:
If you are looking for a spinner with a small footprint, then the Prepworks by Progressive Collapsible 3-Quart is a good choice. Though it underperformed in many of our tests, it still functioned adequately in most situations. This spinner was very easy to clean. The silicone walls of the colander may have contributed to inferior scores in the water removal and dirt removal metrics, but they did prove easy to clean. Those same silicone walls are also what allow this product to collapse and nest very efficiently.
In many of the other categories, the Prepworks by Progressive Collapsible seemed to be plagued by issues related to the fragile and cheap feeling crank arm mechanism. The inadequacies of the crank arm led to slower spinning and harder-to-brake operation. This collapsible spinner might be your best bet to add to a camping or RV setup, but it fails to stack up well against the competition.
You May Like: Fiesta 7 1 4 Inch Salad Plate
Oxo Good Grips Little Salad And Herb
- 1
Spinning Mechanism:Brake Mechanism:
The OXO Good Grips Little Salad and Herb Spinner 4.0 brings the same high-quality design of the OXO Good Grips but in a much smaller package. The larger model has a 4.95-quart capacity basket, while this version’s basket only has a 2.44-quart capacity. Besides the obvious reduction in volume, what this really translates to is a much smaller storage footprintwhich in a world full of kitchen gadgets is a huge plus. If you are a single person or don’t find yourself washing large quantities of greens all at once, we found this device’s size ideal for our salad and greens consumption. As with the other Good Grips spinner, this device has a comfortable and easy-to-operate push button and a highly effective brake that takes minimal effort to engage. Spinning off both water and dirt with ease, this OXO model left us with few complaints.
One of the few design flaws we found with this little spinner was a sticky storage latch. To make storage even easier, you can depress the push button and lock the button flush with the top. While this is a handy function, we found that the latch would occasionally get stuck and would need to be fiddled with to release. If you are looking for a high-quality option that won’t take up large amounts of precious storage space, look no further.
Spinning Mechanism:Brake Mechanism:Spinning Mechanism:Brake Mechanism:
Appearance Of The Bowl
Sometimes, you can find an outer bowl with a flow-through design with holes in the bottom to drain the water as you spin. The advantage is that the lettuce dries faster, but this has to be done over a sink to avoid messy spillage. Many types of salad spinners have an outer bowl that doesn’t feature holes in the bottom, though. The upside is that you can do your spinning on the counter, but you must dump your bowl periodically to drain the water. There are some models, like the Westmark, that have pour spouts that allow for a more convenient draining experience.
As far as bowl material goes, for efficient spinning, you need to be able to see your product to know when it’s dry. Clear bowls are best for this, but they’re not as attractive if you want to also use it as a serving bowl. Stainless steel tends to be more expensive, but make attractive serving bowls.
Don’t Miss: Best Dressing For Shrimp Salad
Oxo Good Grips Salad Spinner 40
- Easy, one-handed operation
- Patented pump mechanism and brake button for improved function
- Soft, non-slip knob locks down for convenient storage
- Sleek bowl design can be used separately to serve
- Basket doubles as a colander
- Clear lid disassembles for easy cleaning
- Material: SAN, polypropylene, TPE, resin, santoprene, stainless steel and polymer
- Dimensions: 11.1″ x 11.1″ x 6.6″
- Weight: 3.7 lbs.
Why You Should Trust Us
Our salad spinning expert team is lead by Adam Minich with assistance from Buck Yedor. Adam is an avid home gardener that uses each product daily. For years, he has been using a salad spinner to clean and dry his store-bought and garden greens. Every spring, he and his partner set up raised beds of arugula, kale, lettuce, collard greens, and all sorts of herbs. Sometimes, however, a home garden can bring with it spider webs, aphids, and dirt. Using one for this clean-up of his homegrown veggies proves to be a daily occurrence. Buck has expertise in various commercial kitchens, and his input has helped assess each product.
During our tests, we evaluated several products that are designed to dry and clean veggies. We chose options ranging from small and compact to large and voluminous. In addition to evaluating the functionality of each, we designed objective tests to look at how well each cleans fine particulates and dries. We also look at the capacity and ease of use. After hours of spinning veggies, we gather our data for a well-rounded look at what the best salad spinners on the market have to offer.
Read Also: Can Eating Salad Cause Diarrhea