Buying Guide: The Best Salad Spinner
Salad tossers are pretty basic, low tech kitchen appliances. Choosing a great one, therefore, doesn’t require you to be all serious and vigilant.
However, a great salad spinner must have certain qualities that you must never miss.
Here. We prepared this checklist for you.
Capacity:
Salad spinners come in all sizes.
Going for a large bulky unit is great if you plan to prepare generous servings every day. Otherwise, such a unit will simply prove to be inefficient, difficult to store, and high maintenance.
On the contrary, if you have a large family to prepare leafy greens for, or a salad bar to run, going for a tiny unit won’t serve the purpose.
The trick here is to choose the right size according to your lifestyle.
For commercial use, large units such as the Dynamic SD92 Manual 5 Gallon Salad Spinner and Relaxdays Salad Spinner are great.
To prepare greens for a small daily serving, go for small salad spinners such as the Andcolors SMALL Salad Spinner.
Still confused?
Here is a tentative size chart for you:
- For 2 side salads: 2 quarts
- For 3 side salads: 4 to 6 quarts
- For 6 to 8 servings: 5 quarts and above
A Lid That Fits:
To ensure the proper functioning of the gear mechanism, you need the lid to fit tightly to the unit. A loose-fitting lid gives rise to accidents as well.
Make sure the lid of your purchase has locks installed to make sure that it firmly stays closed.
Material:
Your salad spinner must be food-safe. Go for the ones that are either made of premium grade stainless steel or BPA free plastic.
The steel made units, such as the OXO Steel Salad Spinner, look sleek and stylish. Another advantage of stainless steel salad spinners is that they are almost unbreakable. Ergo, these are the best for regular use.
BPA-free plastic is another popular alternative to steel. Picking from any of these two options means that your veggies are in a safe place.
The Mechanism:
There are two to three popular styles of salad spinners.
The more traditional one involves spinning the leaves using a hand crank. This mechanism requires more effort but gives you a greater sense of control and precision. Westmark German Vegetable and Salad Spinner is a great device that operates via the crank mechanism.
Some devices utilize pull-cords to generate rotations. This requires comparatively little effort. ZYLISS Easy Spin Salad Spinner is a wise pick if you are looking for such a device.
The easiest salad spinners are the ones that run at the push of a button. Our top pick, MUELLER Large 5L Salad Spinner contains the most convenient buttons for your comfort.
Storage:
A spacious salad spinner does not necessarily have to carry a large footprint. Manufacturers employ innovative ways to make their devices as compact as possible for easy storage.
Collapsible salad spinners are innovative devices that take up the least of your space. Prepworks by Progressive Collapsible Salad Spinner is an ideal example of such a smart design.
You can also look for flat lids, retractable handles, and anything that reduces your salad spinner into a compact structure.
Salad Spinner FAQs: The Commonest Questions Surrounding Salad Spinners
Below you’ll find answers to questions we get asked the most about salad spinners.
01. Do salad spinners keep salads fresh?
Yes, sort of.
A salad spinner alone is not sufficient to keep your salad fresh for an extended period of time. However, it does play a vital role in extending its freezer life.
For starters, it removes harmful bacteria and toxins from the surface of your leafy greens. Therefore, they last longer before perishing.
Secondly, if you keep the lid tightly shut, salad spinners keep salads fresh inside the freezer for a longer time.
02. Should I wash pre-washed salad?
Yes, you should.
Pre-washed salads are treated with strong chemicals. Traces of these still remain on the surface of lettuces.
It’s always a wise idea to give them a spin or two inside a salad spinner.
03. What else can I use a salad spinner for?
Different parts of a salad spinner can be used for different purposes. For example, you can use the inner sieve as a colander and the outer bowl as a serving dish.
Here is a list of things you can use a salad spinner for:
- Rinsing beans
- Draining excess water from boiled pasta
- Washing berries and fruits
- Proofing bread dough
- Squeezing water out of swimsuits. Yes, you read it right!
04. Where can I buy a salad spinner?
Salad spinners are available everywhere. But it’s better not to buy yours from just any place.
Amazon is just a few clicks away and we think this is the best place to shop. Costo salad spinners work great as well.
05. How to use a salad spinner?
Different salad spinners work in different ways. But generally, these are uncomplicated.
If you are planning to switch from paper towels to salad tossers, this video tutorial will help you get the hang of it.
