Silly question - salad spinners*UPDATE*

[teachermom2834]

Apparently I cannot live without a salad spinner. I eat salads everyday and for whatever reason I just cannot function without a salad spinner and find it an indispensable kitchen item. I am not high maintenance but do not take my salad spinner from me. Lol

 

Apparently I also need an indestructible salad spinner. The people in my house just cannot keep from dropping and breaking my salad spinner. After going through several plastic salad spinners I bought a $50 salad spinner with a stainless steel bowl. But it does have a plastic lid. I threatened everyone in my home to treat my salad spinner lid tenderly...or else.

 

I went out of town for about 36 hours and came home to a broken salad spinner lid.

 

Is there such thing as an indestructible salad spinner? How can I possibly keep people from breaking my salad spinner lids? Why is this the one item no one can hold without smashing?

 

In another thread recently someone mentioned the rage of the fortysomething year old woman. Yep. Rage this morning over a salad spinner.

 

*UPDATE*

 

I emailed Oxo customer service to see if it was possible to buy a replacement plastic lid for my salad spinner and they sent me a new one for free. No questions asked, no sending in a proof of purchase. Nothing.

 

I just wanted to let everyone know that Oxo rocks and my dh doesn't have to sleep on the couch anymore because my salad spinner rage has subsided. LOL

Edited March 14, 2018 by teachermom2834

[azucena]

I have no answers, but I feel your pain.

[Cosmos]

How are they breaking it?? The only salad spinner we've broken was my fault when I put it to dry on the stove and later turned the wrong burner on. :eek:  That is not a smell I will forget.

 

Maybe buy one that is for you and you only to use. Let the careless people go without one!

[SparklyUnicorn]

What the... I have one with a stainless steel bowl.  It was a wedding gift.  I've been married about 18 years!  And I'm not careful with my stuff at all. 

 

So I guess you need a concrete salad spinner.  LOL

 

 

[Cecropia]

At 10:55

[skimomma]

I say hide it from everyone else.  I cannot imagine what the heck they are doing.  Like you, my salad spinner is one of my most cherished kitchen items. Mine was extremely cheap and poorly made.  It is almost 20 years old and has been dropped and otherwise mistreated many times without breaking.   Is there someone in your house that holds a salad spinning grudge?   

[Carol in Cal.]

I love my Pampered Chef one.  It has two baskets--a big one for greens and a small one for berries.  It also has a snap on lid so you can pour the salad into the bowl, snap on the lid, and take it to a potluck or just put it in the fridge.  Plus it is hands down the fastest spinner I have ever used--great gearing.  Whether it's indestructible I'm not sure, but mine has lasted a good long time.

[klmama]

I bought my salad spinner at a garage sale 20 years ago; it was old then, but it's still going strong. The only trouble I've had with it is the spinner's plastic gears in the lid occasionally coming apart if I overload the basket, but it's an easy fix.  It's a crank model by Hoan; I don't know if they make them anymore.

 

ETA: Ebay has some; some are listed as Southbury Hoan.

 

ETA:  Does anyone have any ideas why I can't post links anymore?  When I do, it always goes to a page that says that page doesn't exist.  It doesn't matter what site it is.  

Edited March 6, 2018 by klmama

[SparklyUnicorn]

I never thought I'd want a salad spinner, but I have to say I DO love my salad spinner!

 

My mother never made salads so it never came up when I was growing up. 

 

Same with my immersion blender.  I love that thing....

[Seasider]

Hide it.

 

Charge whoever breaks it a replacement cost.

 

I'd like to have a bigger one. A big electric one. Is such a thing available?

[teachermom2834]

They are dropping it and breaking the plastic. I imagine largely in shuffling things around in our small fridge to reach what they really want because it is normally not the lettuce they are craving.

 

I can't think of anything else they have been this hard on. Maybe a bigger fridge or a spare fridge reserved just for my salad spinner would be cheaper than constantly replacing salad spinners. I guess what I need to do is spin my salad and transfer it to a different container so it isn't getting shuffled around the fridge.

 

I would like to charge the offender but considering we share a joint account it is not very satisfying ;)

[Bluegoat]

My mom has the same spinner I remember from the 70s.  It's Tupperware, so the plastic is hard but not brittle like a lot of spinners.  I'd look for something like that.

 

My dh would probably just threaten the kids though.

[mellifera33]

Maybe you could buy one of the industrial salad spinners used by farmers/produce packers to wash salad mixes before sale? It seems like they must be on the "indestructible" side. 

[SparklyUnicorn]

My lid is plastic, but it's not brittle. 

 

I will say though that a couple of small plastic pieces chipped off on the insert.  I have no idea how, but this is after 18 years of use so I'm not exactly complaining.

 

I like the Tupperware idea.  If they have salad spinners, I bet they'd be well made.

 

 

[Alessandra]

I love my oxo spinner, but it's breakable.

 

I have an old French basket spinner, like this (but with plain wire handles). Cost a few dollars; now they are $$ on Etsy. However, it's collapsible and could be hidden or carried in your pores, lol.

 

http://feedingfourfood.blogspot.com/2011/11/french-collapsible-wire-salad-baskets.html

 

I checked the webstaurant website, but nothing looks unbreakable

 

https://www.webstaurantstore.com/14235/salad-dryers-spinners.html

[Alessandra]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lnwORE68dgc&feature=youtu.be&t=10m55s

At 10:55

Love the Julia Child!

[Cosmos]

Wait, you keep your salad spinner in the fridge? I've never heard of that. What is the reason? It sounds like that's the source of your problem.

 

I keep my lettuce in plastic bags in the produce drawer. When I make a salad, I wash the leaves, tear them up, and spin them out in the salad spinner. Then I rinse the salad spinner and set it to dry on the counter. Put it away in the cupboard later.

[Laura Corin]

I don't keep mine in the fridge either. Could the cold be making the plastic more brittle?

Edited March 6, 2018 by Laura Corin

[teachermom2834]

I do think putting it in the fridge is the problem because it gets knocked around. But I believe it is intended to be used in that way. Pretty sure it is meant to be storage as well as spinner. I do think I need to stop using it that way but I don't think I'm crazy. But it is definitely possible that I am. I never had home ec and I blame lots of my mishaps on that hole in my education. Lol

[Cosmos]

I do think putting it in the fridge is the problem because it gets knocked around. But I believe it is intended to be used in that way. Pretty sure it is meant to be storage as well as spinner. I do think I need to stop using it that way but I don't think I'm crazy. But it is definitely possible that I am. I never had home ec and I blame lots of my mishaps on that hole in my education. Lol

 

I'm not saying you're crazy. :) I'm just trying to understand the benefit, especially if it seems to come with this added aggravation of constantly breaking spinners. Why do you find it helpful to keep it in the fridge? We might be able to help you come up with solutions that have the same benefit without the downside.

[skimomma]

I do think putting it in the fridge is the problem because it gets knocked around. But I believe it is intended to be used in that way. Pretty sure it is meant to be storage as well as spinner. I do think I need to stop using it that way but I don't think I'm crazy. But it is definitely possible that I am. I never had home ec and I blame lots of my mishaps on that hole in my education. Lol

 

I could never put mine in the fridge because I use it multiple times a day!

 

For salad, I'll wash and spin several days worth but always put the spun greens in another container.  I have a handful of gallon sized ziplock bags that I wash and reuse for this purpose.  That way I can squish out most of the air which takes up less room and tends to make the greens keep longer.  And they are not breakable.   :lol:

[teachermom2834]

I'm not saying you're crazy. :) I'm just trying to understand the benefit, especially if it seems to come with this added aggravation of constantly breaking spinners. Why do you find it helpful to keep it in the fridge? We might be able to help you come up with solutions that have the same benefit without the downside.

Haha. The benefit was convenience. One less container to wash, etc. and honestly I always thought that was the intent. I never really thought about transferring it to another container as that seemed like another step. ????

 

And of course while I am raging about my inability to have nice things (like salad spinners!) I am exaggerating. It is not as though I am buying them weekly and can't figure out I need to change my ways. I am sure I have had this one for years. I was just hoping it was the last one and when I had my salad craving today I found a cracked lid. Grrr.

 

But yeah, I'll have to switch up to transferring to another container and keeping my salad spinner where no one else encounters it.

[Carol in Cal.]

Well, I used to bring huge salads to work.

 

I would spin the greens in the morning, make salad dressing in the bottom of a big Tupperware bowl, and then put little cheese chunks or crumbles and hard veggies (celery, carrots, radishes, that kind of thing) into the dressing, mix it well, and THEN put the salad greens loosely on top, never enough to touch the lid of the bowl.  Almost none would get into the dressing and get soggy by lunchtime.  

 

The point--I never put this in the fridge at work.  I would leave it out on a shelf.  And the greens were just fine.  As long as they aren't sitting in salad dressing, they can stay fresh for 4-6 hours at room temperature if they are reasonably fresh to start with.  So I don't actually see a need to put the spinner in the fridge unless you're trying to spin up 3-4 days worth in advance (which at my quantities would not fit in the spinner.  YMMV).  I keep my spinner to the left of my kitchen sink at all times.

[Seasider]

I actually use one of the produce drawer bins in my fridge to hold the washed salad. I like to spin that much at once and doesn't go bad when dried well.

 

I do have an extra fridge, though, so I can afford the space. Not much more space that an entire salad spinner takes up, tho, gotta say.

[Farrar]

People use salad spinners for things other than spin art?  :tongue_smilie:

[Cosmos]

Haha. The benefit was convenience. One less container to wash, etc. and honestly I always thought that was the intent. I never really thought about transferring it to another container as that seemed like another step. ????

 

I don't transfer it anywhere, except to the salad bowl. Spin it dry, put in a salad bowl. Is there a reason you need to spin it far ahead of using it? (Again, just brainstorming here. Feel free to ignore if my questions are annoying.)

 

[xixstar]

I also never considered storing my salad spinner in the fridge.

I spin my greens and usually lay them out on a half-sheet pan lined with a towel to dry for a few hours (in front of a fan because we have one in the kitchen anyways) to super dry my greens and then place them in a plastic bag, usually with a section of paper towel too. I also hate damp greens plus that last for at least a week this way (well if we don't eat them that fast).

Cold does make plastic extra brittle so I can image that it's is not helping your problem. 

[teachermom2834]

I spin 3-4 days worth and store them. I hate chopping veggies including lettuce and I do as much as will keep at one time. I am lazy I guess.

[dirty ethel rackham]

Oh, I hear you. Dh though he could heat up milk for hot chocolate in my temperature controlled electric tea kettle. Luckily for him, I caught him in time. I had to put up a sign "H2O only!"

 

Sent from my SM-G900T using Tapatalk

[Rachel]

Maybe the most recently broken spinner has a warranty? I’d check on that at least.

[JanetC]

You might try the OXO one since they guarantee their stuff

https://www.amazon.com/OXO-1071497-Steel-Salad-Spinner/dp/B000ND5C9I

 

I have this one and it has worked well, but is plastic

https://www.amazon.com/Leifheit-23200-Signature-Salad-Spinner/dp/B005IMZ7MQ

[SparklyUnicorn]

I try to do some ahead, but it never lasts that long.  I wonder if the salad is just old already by the time I get it.  : (

 

 

[bibiche]

A Dynamic salad spinner is about the closest you'll get to indestructible, but it also takes up a lot of room and is expensive (and not the most aesthetically pleasing).

 

I've had a Copco for a couple decades. And an OXO that is also going strong. For summertime and travel, I use an old foldable French salad spinner. It is great, but not fun if it isn't warm outside.

 

If you're desperate, you can just shake the greens in a colander to get much of the water out and then roll them in kitchen towels and put them in the fridge to crisp up.

[unsinkable]

Salad spinners:

 

When I worked in a restaurant, we'd wash the greens and then put them in a huge food service bucket that had dozens of holes. We'd go outside and literally spin the bucket around in a circle, flinging the water through the little holes. You had to start spinning really fast so the greens would stay in.

[Bambam]

I have a friend who claims to puts the salad in a clean pillow case and then in the washer on just the spin cycle.

 

I haven't tried it.

 

If you do, please report back.

[SparklyUnicorn]

I have a friend who claims to puts the salad in a clean pillow case and then in the washer on just the spin cycle.

 

I haven't tried it.

 

If you do, please report back.

 

That's nutters....

[Bootsie]

I have never been able to find a salad spinner worth the trouble and the space it takes up in the kitchen.  So many people seem to find them helpful.  What am I doing wrong?

[bibiche]

I have never been able to find a salad spinner worth the trouble and the space it takes up in the kitchen.  So many people seem to find them helpful.  What am I doing wrong?

 

Maybe yours isn't big enough? I have a friend who has one that is so tiny (so as not to take up room) that using it is simply an exercise in frustration. Bigger really is better when it comes to salad spinners. 

[Cosmos]

I have a friend who claims to puts the salad in a clean pillow case and then in the washer on just the spin cycle.

 

I haven't tried it.

 

If you do, please report back.

 

I went searching for the French metal spinner mentioned earlier in the thread and came across this blog post --

 

https://myplasticfreelife.com/2013/11/a-tale-of-two-plastic-free-salad-spinners/

 

She found the French metal kind and also tried using a pillowcase, though NOT in the washing machine. The pillowcase sounds like a decent option, actually, if you don't want to use a spinner.

[Amber in SJ]

Dh takes a salad to work every day in the warmer months and I have a salad at some point most days so on Sunday, I wash & spin whatever greens looked good that week.

 

I fill 4 Rubbermaid Salad Blox for Dh (I found these on clearance at my local grocery store for a couple dollars each)

 

I also fill one of the large Rubbermaid produce keepers (17 cups) of mixed greens, shredded carrots and any other veggies that sound good.  The salad container comes out at every dinner as one of the veggie choices or when the kid cooking dinner doesn't feel like adding a separate veggie.

 

Tossed salad keeps for a week this way.

 

I have several of the large produce keepers (most found at thrift stores) so in the Summer they will be filled with cut fruit, watermelon, strawberries or whatever I want to kids to eat.

 

I also use my salad spinner when I do large batches of herbs for basil pesto, cilantro pesto with cotija or chimichurri.

 

I use the salad spinner frequently, but I don't store the produce in it in the refrigerator.  I suppose I could, but then it would be in there when I needed it :)

 

I have gone through 4 salad spinners in the 27 years I have been married.

 

Amber in SJ

 

 

[teachermom2834]

So many great ideas for spinning salad! But I really just want my salad spinner :)

 

I had a 30% Kohl's coupon so I got a new plastic one. I will hide it from the rest of my family and not use it to store my lettuce. Just wish I would have hidden the nice expensive one instead of letting it get broken.

 

Thanks for all the tips and comments. I knew the Hive would have all kinds of thoughts on salad spinning.

[Laura Corin]

When I was a child we used to put salad into the centre of a cotton kitchen towel, hold onto the corners and whirl it around our heads. It worked fine.

[Ausmumof3]

Apparently I cannot live without a salad spinner. I eat salads everyday and for whatever reason I just cannot function without a salad spinner and find it an indispensable kitchen item. I am not high maintenance but do not take my salad spinner from me. Lol

 

Apparently I also need an indestructible salad spinner. The people in my house just cannot keep from dropping and breaking my salad spinner. After going through several plastic salad spinners I bought a $50 salad spinner with a stainless steel bowl. But it does have a plastic lid. I threatened everyone in my home to treat my salad spinner lid tenderly...or else.

 

I went out of town for about 36 hours and came home to a broken salad spinner lid.

 

Is there such thing as an indestructible salad spinner? How can I possibly keep people from breaking my salad spinner lids? Why is this the one item no one can hold without smashing?

 

In another thread recently someone mentioned the rage of the fortysomething year old woman. Yep. Rage this morning over a salad spinner.

Jamie Oliver recommends wrapping it in a clean tea towel and whirling it around overhead.

 

I guess a clean tea towel is fairly indestructible 😆

[xixstar]

I have a friend who claims to puts the salad in a clean pillow case and then in the washer on just the spin cycle.

 

I haven't tried it.

 

If you do, please report back.

Lol a farmer friend had a washing machine installed in her prep area for this exact reason, lol. Of course, all it washed was produce, but it still cracked me up every time I saw. 

[Bootsie]

Maybe yours isn't big enough? I have a friend who has one that is so tiny (so as not to take up room) that using it is simply an exercise in frustration. Bigger really is better when it comes to salad spinners. 

Maybe that was the problem--I have had several over the years, but maybe I was trying to put too much in at one time.  I just finally gave up; maybe I will have to try again.

[importswim]

I second the Pampered Chef spinner. You can keep your greens in the fridge with a paper towel in the bag OR keep them submerged in water for a couple of days then spin them. That might help with the constant breaking of the spinner.

[teachermom2834]

Update- Oxo customer service rocks. New plastic lid arrived in the mail today. All I did was email and ask how to purchase a new one and they replaced it, no questions asked. No submitting proof of purchase or sending the broken one back or anything.

 

So, I have my nice salad spinner replaced :)

[katilac]

Update- Oxo customer service rocks. New plastic lid arrived in the mail today. All I did was email and ask how to purchase a new one and they replaced it, no questions asked. No submitting proof of purchase or sending the broken one back or anything.

 

So, I have my nice salad spinner replaced :)

 

Excellent! Saved money, saved space in the landfill.