OXO Good Grips Little Salad & Herb Spinner, Plastic

Product Information

The multi-functional lid of the Kitchen Craft Salad Spinner is what makes this model stand out – a chunky, lime green handle allows you to maintain a solid grip while spinning the salad as you wind; two substantial clips firmly secure the lid to the bowl underneath; finally, there is a dedicated opening for the addition of salad dressings as you spin, coating leaves perfectly, with no excess sauce (or calories). A salad spinner is a must-have for anyone who enjoys fresh salad greens. Our culinary experts researched more than 75 of the most popular options before purchasing 9 of the best salad spinners available on the market. We tested these spinners side-by-side, using them in our own kitchens for more than 20 hours of comparative analysis. We carefully assessed drying efficiency by measuring the amount of water removed from various produce, and purposefully dirtied clean lettuce to examine how well each spinner removes dirt and debris. Our test team carefully considers each model for relative capacity, ease of spinning, braking, and ease of cleaning. Our in-depth review offers expert recommendations for the best overall salad spinner, as well as a few that excel for niche purposes. Along with overall construction, size, and quality, we tested the bowl's versatility with other tasks—such as mixing pancake batter. Since we love multi-function kitchen tools, we also noticed how the bowls worked as serving vessels (for example, if they retained food temperature).

Spinning should be a fluid process since that's the purpose of these products. However, not all of these models stop well when it comes time to hit the brakes. Some of the salad spinners come with a brake button. Other models with a crank arm spinning mechanism do not include this feature. There are certain advantages and disadvantages to each braking system. Crank arms rely solely on the arm for braking, and we found this style can be challenging to stop when functioning at higher speeds in comparison to the button-style brakes, which were more effective at braking.Pump-Operated Spinners: To activate the spinning function on pump-operated spinners, you simply push down on a button or lever. The more you pump, the faster it spins. These are relatively easy to use and don't require quite as much effort as a manual/crank spinner. 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.

With salad proving a popular healthy meal option, there are many models on the market today – small salad spinners, ideal for individual servings, ones that allow dressing to be added while you spin, and those that spin simply by pressing a button. Here are our top 5 best salad spinners. P ull-string salad spinners work like they sound; you pull a string to activate the spin. ood momentum, too, but we don't love how the string gets wet during use and eventually discolors. Standout features include the patented plunger, which is incredibly easy to operate—even one-handed. During testing, we lauded the minimal strength it took to depress the plunger while still feeling sturdy and comfortable in hand. It only took 10 pumps to completely clean and dry a large head of romaine lettuce, and no berries were bruised after five efficient plunges and fast-action braking. The wide, flat base has a rubber ring that we noted held the spinner completely secure on the counter while processing across all three tests. 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 them as a serving bowl. Stainless steel bowls tend to be more expensive but make attractive serving bowls. The lever takes some force to push it down, but once the bowl gets spinning the lever is easier and easier to push, and it can be done with one hand. The brake stops the spinning immediately, which the company says will help "fluff" the greens. We did feel like the rapid momentum that the lever motion was able to achieve, coupled with the sudden braking, helped shake every bit of water off the leaves, making this a very effective salad spinner. And the flat design of the lid makes it ideal for storing the greens right in the spinner.

A salad spinner is not a necessity, but it does make meal prep a lot easier—and not just for greens. You can wash and dry a multitude of lettuces and other greens, like kale or collards, but you can also efficiently wash and dry fresh herbs, berries, and bulky vegetables, like broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, potatoes. You can even wash and dry your hand-wash-only laundry. It's an efficient way to complete the task, but you may want a separate spinner.