FOLLOW US:
logo
search

Eat Fresh And Healthy: Reviewing the Best Salad Spinners

Diet is one, if not the most important aspect when it comes to staying healthy. Eating healthy food – such as salads will lead to long-term positive effects. Unfortunately, there are so many hurdles, both big and small, in the way of achieving a healthy diet. Salad, for example, is notoriously difficult to wash and […]

Cuisine Review Team
By Cuisine Review Team
Published: 6 Nov 2023

Diet is one, if not the most important aspect when it comes to staying healthy. Eating healthy food – such as salads will lead to long-term positive effects. Unfortunately, there are so many hurdles, both big and small, in the way of achieving a healthy diet. Salad, for example, is notoriously difficult to wash and dry manually. Luckily, this is where the cool salad spinners of 2023 come into the picture. 

These ingenious devices make washing your greens as easy as dripping them in a bowl, adding water, spinning it all with a handle to wash, and then again spinning without the water to dry. Yes, it is that easy. 

However, washing your salad is this simple only when the salad spinner works as intended. With hundreds of options to choose from online, finding the right one is becoming increasingly difficult. That’s why we took matters into our own hands and checked out a whole bunch of salad spinners and reviewed them thoroughly. These are the five salad spinners that stood out as a cut above the rest.

Show contents
Best Salad Spinners Worth Considering in 2023

Buying Guide: Salad Spinners

Buying Guide: Salad Spinners

The world has been, slowly but surely, waking up to the importance of personal fitness. Every day, more and more people are realizing the need to eat healthily. Salads, in particular, are exploding in popularity.

Unfortunately, preparing a healthy salad at home can be quite a hassle. Cleaning and then drying the greens, in particular, is quite challenging without ruining the salad. Luckily, salad spinners make the most tedious parts of making a salad, the cleaning, one of the easiest.

How Do Salad Spinners Work?

Salad spinners are a two-in-one combination of a washing machine and dryer, just a lot smaller and hand-operated. Here’s how they work:

Construction

The salad spinner consists of three main components. The first of these is the bowl. This is just a large, strong bowl and is very often completely transparent. Then there is the plastic strainer that holds the vegetables. This is the thing that spins to clean and dry the veggies. Lastly, we have the lid, which is sort of the brain of this device. It contains the mechanism that makes the strainer spin.

Washing

Washing is done by filling the strainer with the veggies, closing the lid, and filling the bowl with water. The next step is to spin the strainer fast. This will create a sort of water wave inside the strainer that will take off a large chunk of the dirt and stuff from the salad. Just drain the bowl after that, and you’re done.

If the veggies are particularly dirty, you can repeat this process multiple times until you’re happy with the final results.

Drying

Drying works almost identically to basic clothes drier. Just remove all of the water from the washing session and spin the strainer very fast. This will create an outward centrifugal force on the contents of the strainer, removing water from the greens. Just drain the removed water, and you’ve got yourself a salad that is just the right amount of moist.

What Are the Different Salad Spinning Mechanism?

There are hundreds of different salad spinners to choose from on Amazon. A large number of these options come with a unique spinning mechanism design. However, not all of these designs are created equally. A lot of them are completely useless, while a few work exceptionally well. These are the three mechanisms that work the best.

Pump style

You can find this style of spinner on the number one bestseller on amazon from Oxo. This involves a pump that can be pressed down. This downward motion triggers a few gears and makes the strainer spin. It is fast and reliable. Though, it does take quite a bit of effort to spin it fast.

Crank style

The crank-style spinning mechanism is fairly old but still fully functional. It involves a crank/knob on top that you spin like an antique stone grain grinder. These spinners are not as structurally sound like the pump mechanism, but they still hold very well during regular home use.

Pull style

The pull method of salad strainer spinning is fairly new and is only found in a handful of famous salad spinners. However, it has a lot of benefits over the other two mechanisms. The key feature of these is that they are fairly easy for you. You do not need to put much effort into it.

The long-term reliability of this style of the spinner is still in question, but they seem to be holding up pretty well so far.

What Is the Right Size for a Salad Strainer?

Salad spinners come in all sorts of sizes and capacities, and there is not a single “right” option among these. Instead, the choice depends entirely on your needs.

  • A salad spinner with a capacity of 2 Qt is suitable for only a single small serving of salad.
  • A salad spinner with a capacity of 3 Qt allows you to make enough salad for a single full serving.
  • A salad spinner with a capacity between 4 and 5 Qt will let you make salad for a small family.
  • Salad spinners of 6 Qt or more are suitable for making enough salad for more than five folks at a time.

Additional Features To Look For – Salad Spinners

If you’re trying to get an extra bang out of your buck, these are some of the features and attributes you should look out for when buying a salad spinner:

Locking lid

A tight-fit locking lid is necessary as it will allow you to drain the water while keeping the lid on, so you can do another round. Or you can also leave the salad inside the spinner for a few hours, and it will stay fresh as long as the lid is airtight.

Dishwasher-safe construction

A salad spinner made from BPA-free and dishwasher-safe plastic is an obvious choice. Luckily, almost all spinners from reputable brands like Oxo follow this guideline. But, there are also plenty of cheap no-name spinners that do not state these features on their product page. Avoiding these unmarked spinners is the best choice, even if they can save you a few dollars.

Best Salad Spinners Worth Considering in 2023

1

OXO Good Grips Salad Spinner

– Best Overall

First on our list is the gold standard of salad spinners. This one from Oxo is the number one bestseller on Amazon, and for a good reason. Everything about this particular salad spinner, from its spinning mechanism to its capacity of 6.22 Qt, is on point. Even the clear material is ideal as it allows you to actively monitor the salad during the cleaning and drying process without having to open the lid, and it also fits perfectly in almost every kitchen.

Then there is the spinning and braking mechanism of this salad spinner which has the Oxo patented pump mechanism and brake button. The whole thing works like a charm without any hitches or issues. It spins when you want it to and stops when you want. Plus, the quality of Oxo ensures that your spinner will work like new, even after months of regular use.

Pros
  • Minimalist clear design
  • Durable construction material
  • Comes with a non-slip ring under the base
Cons
  • Requires quite a bit of force to spin fast
2

Zulay Kitchen Large Salad Spinner

– Best Design

The Zulay Kitchen Large Salad Spinner is your ultimate kitchen companion. If you want to create an effortless and efficient salad preparation process, then this salad spinner is designed for you. It helps take the hassle out of washing and drying your leafy greens and vegetables. That way, it ensures that your salads are fresh, crisp, and ready to delight your taste buds. With its impressive water removal capabilities, this spinner efficiently drains excess moisture.

In turn, it has the power to prevent soggy salads, which guarantees that your ingredients stay in perfect condition. This salad spinner also stands out thanks to its generous capacity. It’s the ideal choice for households of all sizes. Plus, the user-friendly design ensures that you can use it with ease while the dishwasher-safe components simplify the cleaning process.

Pros
  • Effective at drying lettuce
  • Has a secure lid lock
  • Compact for easy storage
Cons
  • Can be too bulky to store
3

OXO Good Grips Little Salad Spinner

– Great for Single Servings

Next in line is another option from Oxo. The number one bestseller version of Oxo Good Grips salad spinner is fantastic, but it is also a bit too large. This is especially for folks that usually make single servings of salad. If you’re in a similar boat, then this smaller 3 quarts spinner is perfect for you. This smaller size also makes it extremely portable and easy to store.

Everything other than the size is exactly how it should be. The spinning and braking mechanism is responsive, the construction material is strong and reliable, and the white transparent design ensures that it fits in every kitchen, no matter the background.

Pros
  • Ideal for single salad servings
  • Made from BPA-free plastics
  • The pump can lock flat for easy storage
Cons
  • Requires even more force to spin fast
4

Farberware Pump Salad Spinner

– Contender

The transparent bowls from Oxo are excellent for blending them in with almost every kitchen design. However, they can also feel bland and uninspired at times. This is where the Farberware salad spinner comes into the picture. It takes the classic top-mounted pump spinner design and adds quite a bit of flair to it with white lid and green accents. The green on the basket is also very close to the fresh greens you would be washing and drying in this spinner.

Plus, even if you completely ignore the design of this spinner, it is still a fantastic option for many. The pump and brake are second to none, the 5.25 Qt capacity is enough to make enough salad for a small family, and the whole thing is built to last. The base of this spinner is also nice and wide, so you can get it spinning really fast without having any wobble issues or instability in the bowl.

Pros
  • Wholesome white and green design
  • Made from sturdy material
Cons
  • The spinning mechanism can be annoying at times – gets stuck
5

Cuisinart Green and White Salad Spinner

– Honorable Mention

Next on our list is a salad spinner from Cuisinart. It looks like a very normal salad spinner at first glance. But it does not have the same pump to spin mechanism as the previous three options on this list. Instead, it has a handle on top that you have to spin manually. This method is both better and worse, as you have increased control over the pace of the device, but it also requires significantly more movement to achieve the same results.

The thing that makes this salad spinner a part of this list, however, is not its mechanism, design, or construction quality. They are all fairly decent, but the special factor about this particular spinner is its low price. It is, in fact, the cheapest option on our list for just under $19. Despite its low price, it is still a fully functional salad spinner that will work fine for a long time if you take care of it properly.

Pros
  • Offers great value for your money
  • Easy to add and drain water without removing the lid
  • Bowl is made from sturdy clear plastic
Cons
  • Requires more force to operate than other methods
6

Mueller Large 5L Salad Spinner

– Also Consider

The last option on our list is also the most interesting one. This salad spinner from Mueller stands out immediately with its unusual design. You do not see any pump to press or knob to rotate. So, how can you get this thing to work? Well, this spinner works by pulling a plastic hook to the side. This ingenious design makes operating one of these spinners extremely easy as you are not pushing down or swinging your arm around. Plus, the braking button is right next to the pulling hook, so you can fully operate this thing with one hand.

The rest of the spinner is not less impressive either. The whole thing is made from reinforced ABS plastic, giving it exceptional strength. Even the spinning mechanism is made with reliability in mind. Lastly, the combination of vibrant orange and white looks aesthetic and adds a hint of color to most kitchens.

Pros
  • Well-designed spinning mechanism
  • Anti wobble base
  • Made from reinforced ABS plastic
  • Lively orange and white colors
Cons
  • The brake is a bit unreliable

People Also Asked

Q: Are Salad spinners used for mixing the salad?

A: No, they are primarily to wash and dry the salad without much hassle. But, spinning the salad so fast underwater can mix it around, depending on its contents.

Q: Are salad spinner bowls made from glass?

A: Yes, and no. A few high-end "premium" salad spinners come with an outer glass bowl. But, they are very heavy and not very practical. You can also easily break them when draining the water. That is why the vast majority of salad spinners have a strong, clear plastic bowl.

Q: How long can I leave the salad in the bowl?

A: If the bowl has a tight-fit lid, then you can leave the salad in it for 3-4 hours without worrying about it. Just make sure that the bowl is not completely dry or filled with water.

Table Serving
Cuisine Review Team
By Cuisine Review Team
The Cuisine Review Team’s in-depth guides and product reviews are designed to help you pick the best products for a beautiful and professional-grade kitchen and dining room. The Cuisine Review Team curates this content, and Cuisine’s editorial staff is not involved. Cuisine at Home is reader-supported: When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. The Cuisine at Home Review Team is composed of authors, editors, and kitchen aficionados. Large language models may have been used in the research and creation of the content. Please contact aimperiapt@gmail.com for all inquiries regarding articles or product testing.