3 Best Salad Spinners, Tested by Food Network Kitchen
We spun multiple heads of romaine to find the best salad spinners.
Our Top Salad Spinner Picks
- Best Overall: OXO Good Grips Large Salad Spinner
- Best for Small Batches: Cuisinart 3-Qt Salad Spinner
- Best Heavy-Duty: Rosle Stainless Steel Salad Spinner
Tested by Lambeth Hochwald for Food Network Kitchen
Whether you’re an every-now-and-then salad maker or a person who eats a salad daily, a salad spinner is an underrated kitchen tool you'll want to own. Salad spinners make for crispier greens that hold dressing more efficiently and last longer in the fridge compared to greens that are dried with just a paper towel. Plus, you can use a salad spinner for so much more than just greens. Smaller models are ideal for rinsing herbs and we like to use the baskets to rinse veggies like broccoli when breaking out a colander feels unnecessary. We tested eight salad spinners evaluating their ability to dry greens and how easy they were to clean and assemble to find the best salad spinners.
How We Tested
We purchased eight top-rated, well-reviewed salad spinners on the market. We studied the instructions for each spinner before placing two cups of chopped romaine lettuce into the basin of each spinner. We then rinsed the leaves using the same amount of water. To determine the best spinner, we timed how fast the lettuce dried and how many pumps or cranks it took, how much water drained from the lettuce and how seamless it was to use the spinner. We also noted if there were any design flaws and if the product lived up to its claims.
- comfortable pump-and-spin design with one-handed operation
- can store with lid flat
- brake button
- nothing
There’s a reason this BPA-free spinner is an award-winner. It’s more than up to the task — just press down once on a soft, non-slip knob and the moisture will wick right off your greens. When you’re ready, the built-in break button puts a stop to the spinning and the non-slip base means the appliance will spin steadily while you prep the rest of the veggies for your salad. It’s dishwasher-safe and the lid comes apart for easy rinsing. We know you’re going to reach often for this workhorse of a spinner that’s built to last. Plus, OXO's salad spinners come in a variety of sizes and materials.
- Overall Dimensions 10.5 x 10.5 x 6 inches
- Material BPA-free plastic
- Spinner Type pump
- great for small kitchens
- convenient hole-in-the-top design for adding and removing water
- not particularly stylish
One of the coolest features of this BPA-free lime green and white spinner is its hole-in-the-top design. This enables you to add and drain water in your spinner without ever having to remove the lid, which has locks on the sides to prevent your greens from spilling. You’ll appreciate this timesaving trick and the fact that turning the spinning knob won’t take much effort. This spinner took about five to six pushes to get the greens dry. Bonus: If you have a small-sized kitchen, you won’t need a lot of cabinet space to store it in between spins.
- Overall Dimensions 8.25 x 6.75 x 8.25 inches
- Material plastic
- Spinner Type crank
- durable materials
- sleek design
- expensive
There’s nothing low-rent about this spinner. It’s as fancy as it is functional and it’s got heft thanks to its glass lid and heavy stainless steel bowl, which most definitely can transition right to your dining room table once you’ve spun your greens dry. Sure you’ll have to crank the lid to start the spin, but you’ll hear nothing but silence as the gadget quickly goes to work to remove excess water.
- Overall Dimensions 10.43 x 10.43 x 7.68 inches
- Material stainless steel, glass and polypropylene
- Spinner Type crank
What to Consider Before Buying a Salad Spinner
Size and Storage: Let’s face it, salad spinners are typically large and somewhat cumbersome to store. Consider how much lettuce you plan to be washing at a time and what your storage situation looks like when choosing between a larger, 5-quart spinner (think family-sized or main course salads) and a smaller, 3-quart spinner (great for a single-serving, side salad or herbs).
Type of Spinner: Salad spinners come in two main styles: pump and crank spinners. If you’re looking for a model that will spin your lettuce clean and dry with ease, opt for a pump spinner. If you don’t mind putting in a little work, the crank spinner can be a quieter option. Two of our top picks are crank-style salad spinners.
Material: If you are looking for a salad spinner that offers versatility, opt for one that doubles as a serving or mixing bowl. Something like a stainless-steel spinner (see our pick for "best heavy-duty" below) might sit at a higher price point, but you’ll get double the use out of it. If you’re looking for a single-use gadget, a plastic spinner will do just fine.
Clean-Up: If your spinner isn’t dishwasher safe, you’ll want to make sure you can easily take it apart to clean. The last thing you want is to find hard-to-reach pieces of lettuce stuck between your outer bowl and basket.
