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A great way to maximize your nutrient intake on a vegan diet is by incorporating bountiful and colorful salads!
Not only is a salad fairly quick to toss together, it’s simple to store, and its base greens, ingredients, and dressings can be easily varied, so you’ll never have to be bored by the same old dish.
But when it comes to food preparation, in addition to buying the best kitchen knife set for fruit and veg, there are a few other gadgets out there that might be helpful to have in the kitchen: One such item is a salad spinner.
Below, we’ll illuminate what a salad spinner does, how it can be used, and what to look for if you are on the hunt for one, as we review several models and determine what we consider to be the very best salad spinner on the market.
What is a salad spinner?
If you’re like us, then you diligently rinse your greens after purchase and before consumption. However, though this action is crucial to ensure your greens are clean, it also ensures that they get sopping wet! And this is no way to begin building a pleasant, crispy base for your delicious dish.
So, a salad spinner is helpful in that, most functionally, it is a salad dryer. It’s a simple yet effective contraption that consists of an outer bowl, typically plastic or stainless steel, a removable, circular basket that fits just inside of the bowl, and of course, a lid.
How do I use a salad spinner?
If you’re thinking, “How do salad spinners work?” we have good news: it couldn’t be a more straight-forward system. These devices work by doing just that… spinning salad!
The machine has a button, a drawstring, or a lever, most commonly located on top of the unit. Once pressed, a centrifuge creates a spinning motion, and this process removes excess water from lettuce, kale, spinach leaves, and any green you might want to include in your dish.
The water flows through the inner basket (which functions like a strainer) toward the edges of the outer bowl. It collects at bottom where it can then be easily discarded.
And while a traditional dryer (for clothes, we mean) requires heat during its spin cycles, the repeated, circular motion of a salad spinner is all that’s required to leave your leaves feeling fluffy and ready to be incorporated with your other ingredients.
That being said, for those who are both extremely passionate about their food and consider themselves to be DIY experts, check out this video where an actual clothes washer morphs into a salad spinner! We think it’s pretty cool!
Other ways to use a salad spinner
Now that we know what this contraption is and how it generally works, let’s take a look at some other helpful uses for this very vegan-friendly vessel before we review some of the best salad spinners on the market.
Washing
Great news! Your lettuce dryer can double as a salad washer. Just toss your greens into the detachable basket strainer and run it under the sink. This way, when moving from washing to drying your leaves, there’s no need to transfer from one container to another.
And just because we’re talking about a lettuce spinner doesn’t mean you can’t wash other food items! Salad spinners work great for washing delicate herbs and vegetables that tend to contain dirt like Brussels sprouts, cauliflower and broccoli. It’s also a great system for rinsing and draining beans.
As funny as it might sound, did you know that you can also use a salad spinner to wash your delicate laundry items? Check out this video!
Tossing
Once your greens have been washed and dried, you can use a spinner to toss your salad as well. Just dump in any chopped up contents, like vegetables, nuts and berries, and take it for a spin! The result should be a fairly well mixed dish. Pour it in a bowl and enjoy….
Serving
…or, if you’re pressed for time or short one large bowl, you can eat and/or serve right out of the container!
Storing
What’s more? You can use some spinners to store the dry contents (from greens to beans) in your fridge should you want to save some for later.
Drying (More than just salad!)
If you’ve ever cooked vegetables on the stove, you know where we’re going with this!
Even with a good recipe or a personal history of trial and error, it can still be difficult to find that perfect amount of water to put in the pot or pan. Despite your best efforts, your food might be cooked, but also soggy!
So, a salad spinner can be a great way to remove any excess water from your veggies all at once. In fact, it may be even more accurate to call this handy kitchen gadget a vegetable spinner–salad being just one of the many kinds it can successfully handle….
Oh, and don’t forget about pasta! Whether by itself or along with veggies, add cooked pasta to the list of items that are salad-spinner approved.
What to consider when buying a salad spinner
At this point, you might be thinking, “so, what is the best salad spinner?” Well, we’ll get to our reviews quite soon, but the answer to this question will largely depend upon several factors, and their importance will vary from person to person based on what he or she values most.
Let’s take a look at what they are:
Price
Just because an item costs more doesn’t mean that it’s the best value or even of highest quality. And so, even though the very best salad spinners are not wildly expensive, we certainly take price into consideration during our reviews below.
We shouldn’t have to pay more than necessary for our very own effective salad washing and drying system!
Size
Spinners can come in several sizes. For example, a typical large salad spinner can contain up to five liters while a small salad spinner may hold around 3 liters. So, we suggest you consider the amount of greens you’re going to spin with your gadget before you buy.
Remember, it’s not just for drying leaves! So, think of all the berry washing, pasta drying and vegetable mixing you might be doing over the course of a day or week as well.
Or, if you really do only want to use your spinner for salad purposes, that’s good to know, too. If so, and the best rated salad spinner is also a large contraption, it might be too big for your needs, and you’ll be more interested in the best small salad spinner instead (which, naturally, should have a smaller price, too)!
Size also matters in that you will either need extra counter space or storage for your new gadget.
Function
Perhaps you’re sick and tired of wet lettuce every time you go to make a new dish, and so, you’ve arrived at this article solely in search of a lettuce dryer or for reviews of lettuce spinners. You’re not alone!
But now that we’ve uncovered the true multi-purpose nature of a this handy kitchen aid–that it really can be used for washing, rinsing, draining, drying and tossing just about any kind of veggie or fruit (and pasta, too!)–you’ll want to not only be mindful of the size you seek, but the function.
Some dryers we reviewed were constructed with multi-use in mind as opposed to other devices that are more traditional. Even something as seemingly insignificant as where the button or lever is located or how the strainer locks into place can play a role in how well the unit functions overall, especially after repeated use across various contents.
Materials
A general search for salad spinners will show you that there are two main styles: plastic and stainless steel. We review both kinds below, and there are advantages and disadvantages to both.
For example, a plastic container might be cheaper but raises the issue of BPA, while stainless steel might be more expensive, but last longer and look nicer in your kitchen. (1)
Also, it might be important for you to purchase material that is dishwasher-safe. A salad spinner will already save you time in the kitchen (and oodles of paper towel!) by not having to hand-dry your greens, veggies and berries.
But, to save even more time when you’re cleaning up, a device that is dishwasher-safe will be helpful, especially if you’re going to be using your spinner every day.
Rating
Of course, how one gadget stacks up against another matters very much, especially when they’re similar across the other categories. In fact, it can be tempting to simply purchase the top rated salad spinner, no questions asked. And it is especially difficult to ignore the validity of a consensus!
That being said, let’s get to those reviews, shall we? We hope these brief-yet-detailed assessments paint a vivid picture of the current market selection of salad spinners and lighten the load of your decision-making process.
Best salad spinner reviews
A quick and easy way to know if a product is truly as good as a manufacturer claims is by hearing the feedback from those who’ve actually tried it out!
So, here are our seven best salad spinner reviews to help you determine which is best for you.
OXO good grips little salad and herb spinner
The OXO Good Grips Little Salad and Herb Spinner is small, per the title, but large enough to fit enough lettuce for one big salad or two side salads (think 1 large head of romaine chopped up), and it fits on the counter nicely.
If you’re looking to prepare leaves in advance for a few days or a week, you’ll want to look into OXO’s bigger version (it can fit 2-3 times more lettuce), which will function better as as storage unit. We review this larger gadget below.
As the title also suggests, this is a multi-purpose device. Even something as thin as young broccoli sprouts, for example, this spinner handles with care, and it saves you a lot of time that might be otherwise be spent dehulling.
One strong suit of this salad spinner is that it’s very user-friendly. The basket doubles well as a colander, and since it’s compact, it fits easily under a sink faucet. The unit spins by pressing the button on top, and it has an additional button to stop the motion, so you can adjust the length of the spin in real-time.
While this spinner isn’t as fast as some others on the market, it does come with a no-slip liner around the edges to prevent the whole bowl from sliding around on the counter. The unit is affordable, and even though it’s made of plastic, it has a durable and quality feel about it, and after a month of use, shows no signs of wear and tear.
LIKES
- Affordable
- User-friendly
- Multi-purpose
- Clean design
DISLIKES
- Smaller than we’d like, although this will suit some
- Takes multiple spin to dry
Pykal large stainless steel salad spinner
Though the Pykal Large Stainless Steel Salad Spinner costs a little more than the average spinner, it makes sense due to its quality materials and construction.
This option also includes an extra lid for storing in the fridge, durable tongs, and a solid serving fork-spoon combination, which actually comes in very handy since the look of the stainless steel bowl makes it great for serving at the table.
This spinner is also very easy to operate; it doesn’t take much effort to use the pull lever on top and the brake mechanism works well, though the lid is plastic and a bit more fragile than the sturdy bowl.
You do have to be careful not to overfill this spinner. When the basket is quite full (think several heads of chopped lettuce), sometimes it takes one or two rounds of spinning to get your greens as dry as you’d like, but in the end it gets the job done.
As with all of the spinners we list, we do recommend that you wash this device after every use as it’s easy for pieces to get trapped in crevices.
LIKES
Great value for moneyVery lightweightSimple and straightforward operationComes with extendable table (although its usefulness is questionable)
DISLIKES
For very basic tasks onlyCan be a bit wobblyNo reverse stitch
Mueller large salad spinner vegetable washer
The Mueller Large Salad Spinner Vegetable Washer will surely interest those in search of a large salad spinner (and washer) that’s also highly affordable.
And not only is it large, but it’s also bright red and white, so it will probably stand out on your kitchen counter (which may be or may not be a desirable trait, again, depending on the consumer)!
The design is appealing and despite being made of plastic, which is BPA-free, it’s sturdy and solid. This spinner also fits better in the cabinet than most, and it’s well-suited to sit alongside other kitchen devices.
Perhaps most importantly, this spinner works very well. As opposed to a push button or a turn handle, the system is triggered by a pull lever that doesn’t take much strength to operate, and it can be easily stopped by pushing a button right on the top of the lid. It spins quickly and dries lettuce efficiently without wobbling around due to it’s sturdy construction.
Another helpful feature is how the lid has a spout, so there’s no need to remove the basket strainer in order to dispose of the excess water, which saves time and energy should you need to perform multiple spins.
LIKES
- Large size
- Pull lever system
- Stores easily
- Water spout on the lid
DISLIKES
- Nothing at all!
OXO good grips salad spinner
The OXO Good Grips Salad Spinner is a larger version of the device we reviewed at the top of our list and, as with any other large sized spinner, this model will have its advantages (it can fit more lettuce) and disadvantages (it requires more counter/storage space).
We like that this unit has a clear outer bowl, so that you can see if whatever’s spinning inside has released particles of dirt. If that’s the case, you can drain it, and then send the contents through another wash before another round of drying.
The spinning is triggered by pushing a large button on top a few times and then pressing the brake button to end the spin cycle, though the spinning will stop on its own eventually, too. And while it spins quickly, it sits well on the countertop and won’t slide around while activated.
A clear outer bowl can function nicely as a serving bowl, too. As far as doubling as a storage container, this spinner keeps lettuce fresh and crisp for several days to a week. Again, make sure you have the space in your fridge, and if that’s limited, you might be want to look into a smaller size spinner.
LIKES
- Easy to clean
- Clear outer bowl, which can be good for serving
- Grips to counter well
DISLIKES
- Doesn’t dry as well as some other devices on our list
- Some may find it too clunky; hard to store
Salad spinner LOVKITCHEN large fruits and vegetables dryer
Though the Salad Spinner LOVKITCHEN Large Fruits and Vegetables Dryer claims to be of the “large” variety, the unit holds less than the other spinners we’ve considered to be large in our reviews.
So, while this spinner very well might be bigger than some, “large” is definitely a relative term, and you’ll always want to check the specs of any product for exact measurements.
This spinner dries lettuce and other contents effectively, even when it’s totally full, after one or two rounds, but if you’re looking to dry large amounts of food items for a longer term, you’ll need to do it in batches with this one. But for the great price, you might not mind.
The mechanism works by turning a handle, and since it’s off to the side of the unit (rather than on top) it can complicate the process and cause the whole bowl to wobble a bit, and it’s important to note that there is no brake button. The position of the handle, since it’s elevated and juts out, can make this spinner a bit more difficult to store.
Though it claims to be dishwasher-safe, there have been reports of this plastic spinner gaining deformities if you run it through the dishwasher (though it is backed by a 24-month warranty). So, if interested in this item, you’ll want to err on the side of caution and hand-wash it.
LIKES
- Affordable
- Dries small batches really well
DISLIKES
- Not as large as you think
- Handle placement makes for difficult storage
- Can wobble a bit during use
Fullstar salad spinner lettuce dryer
The Fullstar Salad Spinner Lettuce Dryer utilizes a handle mechanism with a knob that makes it easier to get things moving without having to apply as much force.
What’s nice about this design is that the lever is able to be folded into the unit when you’re done. This feature makes storing the spinner, from fridge to cupboard to counter, a bit more manageable.
In addition to its compact nature, this spinner is fairly spacious inside (it can hold more than a large head of lettuce). It’s very competent when it comes to drying greens, herbs and fruit, and you can remove the excess water without having to remove the inside container: just pour the water out of the handy spout in the top.
Another fact to point out about this spinner is that despite being cheap in price, it isn’t built that way. In fact, it comes off as sturdy and solid as some of the more expensive models we’ve seen.
We also think that the black and white color scheme gives it a classy look, and this monochrome style probably increases the chances of it suiting several kinds of kitchens.
The company also makes a point to communicate that their plastic materials are “non-toxic and BPA free,” and that this unit is dishwasher-safe as long as it’s placed in the top rack.
LIKES
- Very reasonably priced
- Clever design
- Water spout in lid
- Dishwasher-safe
DISLIKES
- Takes a little longer to dry effectively
- Can move about a bit when spinning
OXO steel salad spinner
The OXO Steel Salad Spinner, which we might call the Ferrari of salad spinners, is on the higher end of the price spectrum, but most will agree that it’s worth the money.
The fact that it has a stainless steel outer bowl means it’s dishwasher-safe (without fear of deformities), so this will save you time in the long run, and extremely sturdy.
The large button on top of the clear lid is easy to operate with a gentle push, and the same goes for the braking mechanism. It spins very quickly and doesn’t skid thanks to a rubber grip on the bottom.
Light greens and denser veggies alike emerge dry after just a few rotations, and they stay crisp and fresh in storage for up to a week. The basket can hold up to five quarts (more than 2 bags of lettuce).
Improvements on this luxury vehicle? For the price, we do wish that the inside container were a bit sturdier and that it had a spout to empty the excess water without having to remove it from the bowl first.
Even still, this spinner will interest those who spend a lot of time in the kitchen (on salads and beyond) and want to make an investment: for a little bit more now, you really will get a lot more over time.
LIKES
- Solid, stainless steel outer bowl
- Excellent storage unit
- Easy to operate
- Can hold a lot
DISLIKES
- Inner wash basket could be sturdier
- No water spout in lid
- Expensive
What is the best salad spinner?
While there were a couple in the running, if we must pick just one winner to earn the title of best salad dryer spinner, we select the Mueller Large Salad Spinner
We feel this spinner is “best” since it checks the most boxes (meaning, the values we laid out when we discussed how to choose the best unit for you) while also offering the most affordable price.
Some of these valued benefits include a large sized container, so you can dry more lettuce, vegetables, fruit and pasta in one sitting, mindful features like a water spout to facilitate operation and a folding lever to assist in storage, and a classy color scheme to add aesthetic value to the plastic material, which is surprisingly dishwasher-safe.
Are you set on stainless steel and willing to pay twice the price? Go for it! We just feel the Fullstar salad spinner offers the best bang for your buck, so to speak, and so that is why we’ve chosen it as our winner.
Of course, we want this comprehensive review to help every vegan and salad-lover to find the perfect match for his or her own needs.
If you have any further questions or concerns, let us know by leaving a comment below!
If you click a link on this page and make a purchase, we may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. Learn more.
About The Author:
Carly Keyes
Carly Keyes is writer and personal trainer who decided to go plant-based after a visit to the True North Health Center in Santa Rosa, CA. The change has completely revolutionized the way she feels, looks, thinks and behaves, making her a very vocal advocate of the vegan lifestyle.
She’s also a keen singer/songwriter and has studied screenwriting at the University of Michigan. Carly lives in Bloomfield Hills, MI.
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REFERENCES
- Facts About BPA | BPA Overview | https://www.factsaboutbpa.org/bpa-overview/
