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Salad spinner recommendation?

Kassia

By Kassia,
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Kassia

Kassia

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I never considered getting a salad spinner until I read the thread on wedding gifts.  Now I have convinced myself that I need one but I don't want to spend a fortune and the lower priced models don't have great reviews.  Anyone have one they can recommend or advice on what to look for/avoid?  

 

 

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kbutton

kbutton

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We had a Zyliss forever that was a wedding gift. I can't remember what happened--I think maybe we broke the bowl?

We have the OXO one. It's really good, but we don't use it as often as we thought.

I currently use an inexpensive one from IKEA that doesn't hold a lot because we tend to make smaller amounts of salad than we used to. I works well for the price. It's not going to make you an instant convert to "I must have one," but it's not difficult to operate.

They double nicely as a crisper, btw.

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Kassia

Kassia

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10 minutes ago, kbutton said:

We had a Zyliss forever that was a wedding gift. I can't remember what happened--I think maybe we broke the bowl?

We have the OXO one. It's really good, but we don't use it as often as we thought.

I currently use an inexpensive one from IKEA that doesn't hold a lot because we tend to make smaller amounts of salad than we used to. I works well for the price. It's not going to make you an instant convert to "I must have one," but it's not difficult to operate.

They double nicely as a crisper, btw.

Do you have a preference between the Zyliss and OXO?  We don't have IKEA near us but I have the Zyliss and OXO in my Amazon cart along with a really inexpensive one with good reviews.  

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GoVanGogh

GoVanGogh

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I had an oxo one for probably close to 20 years. Since when they first came out. I dropped it recently and broke it. I don’t know the brand I replaced it with, but I went with the largest one I could find on Amazon. Now I see some online garden places carry a five gallon commercial one and I may be crazy enough to get one. I eat a ton of salad greens. I would actually like to have several, as they do make a great crisper. If I had multiple ones, I would use some for storage and one to… spin. A salad spinner is probably my most used kitchen item.  

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kbutton

kbutton

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27 minutes ago, Kassia said:

Do you have a preference between the Zyliss and OXO?  We don't have IKEA near us but I have the Zyliss and OXO in my Amazon cart along with a really inexpensive one with good reviews.  

Our Zyliss was old enough to have a pull string, lol! I don't see one like it on Amazon. Both are good brands. 

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Kassia

Kassia

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7 minutes ago, KungFuPanda said:

 I replaced it with the oxo. Just do it and don’t look back. Yes, it’s overpriced but it gets used so much it really has earned its keep. 

LOL, I was sold after the wedding gift thread but DH...not so much.  He's not convinced it's worth the space and money.  Meanwhile, he said he'd do the salad himself today and it was a wet soggy mess.  😛 

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Clarita

Clarita

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I have the OXO one. No complaints but it's also the only one I've ever owned.

21 minutes ago, Kassia said:

He's not convinced it's worth the space and money.

Your husband is clueless. It does much more than make a salad. Having leafy greens dry also elevates the stir fry leafy greens and your hamburger. 

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Kassia

Kassia

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8 minutes ago, KungFuPanda said:

You could send your Dh outside with the veggies in a laundry bag and let him spin them 🤣

I told him that - pillowcase, though.  He figured out his own way but it was soggy.  He thought it was fine, though.  I'm going to get my way eventually.  😉 

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Grace Hopper

Grace Hopper

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2 hours ago, GoVanGogh said:

I had an oxo one for probably close to 20 years. Since when they first came out. I dropped it recently and broke it. I don’t know the brand I replaced it with, but I went with the largest one I could find on Amazon. Now I see some online garden places carry a five gallon commercial one and I may be crazy enough to get one. I eat a ton of salad greens. I would actually like to have several, as they do make a great crisper. If I had multiple ones, I would use some for storage and one to… spin. A salad spinner is probably my most used kitchen item.  

I’d love a link to a big one! The only large capacity ones are for commercial restaurants and cost a mortgage payment. 
 

Adding to what @Claritamentioned, it’s also great for washing and drying herbs without crushing them. 

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Carol in Cal.

Carol in Cal.

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I LOVE my Pampered Chef one.  The gears are good, so you don’t need to pump it a lot to really make it spin fast and long.

It has two baskets—a big one for salad greens and a small one for berries.

The outside bowl is transparent and doubles as a salad bowl.  

When I got mine you could buy a snap on lid for it, as well as a freezer disk to put between the bowl and basket for cool transport.  I used the lid a lot but not the freezer dish.  I’m not sure whether either of them are still available but I think the spinner itself is.

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GoVanGogh

GoVanGogh

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1 hour ago, Grace Hopper said:

I’d love a link to a big one! The only large capacity ones are for commercial restaurants and cost a mortgage payment. 
 

Adding to what @Claritamentioned, it’s also great for washing and drying herbs without crushing them. 

https://www.johnnyseeds.com/tools-supplies/post-harvest/wash-pack/salad-spinners/
 

The 5 gallon is $200, so pricey. The 1 gallon is $100. I eat a high % raw vegan diet for chronic health issues so I could easily use a one gallon one. I really think I may put it on my anniversary/Christmas/birthday list. (Yeah. They are all right there at Christmas.)

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skimomma

skimomma

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12 hours ago, KungFuPanda said:

Have you considered the spin cycle on your washing machine? Use the gentle cycle. It’ll be fine. Salad for a crowd. 🤣

I actually know someone with a large CSA that does this!  They have a cheap washing machine just for this purpose.

I have the cheapest, flimsiest, most difficult-to-use garbage spinner than I bought for $10 about 20 years ago.  I use it daily!  I really REALLY should upgrade but this one happens to fit in a really handy space in my kitchen and it is all plastic, which I prefer to the glass bowl options.  It is easier to see if the greens are still expelling any grit on the white background of plastic rather than the clear glass bowl.  Any spinner is better than no spinner.  I am completely baffled as to what people do without one.  Whenever one of those "what 10 items could you get by with as a complete kitchen" games comes up, the spinner is on my list.  I take it with me when we go camping, if that is any indication of how strongly I feel about them!

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Selkie

Selkie

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12 hours ago, GoVanGogh said:

https://www.johnnyseeds.com/tools-supplies/post-harvest/wash-pack/salad-spinners/
 

The 5 gallon is $200, so pricey. The 1 gallon is $100. I eat a high % raw vegan diet for chronic health issues so I could easily use a one gallon one. I really think I may put it on my anniversary/Christmas/birthday list. (Yeah. They are all right there at Christmas.)

If you get one, let me know how you like it.

Someone in one of my Nutritarian groups has a 5 gallon spinner and loves it. They paid just over $200 for it a few years ago, but said the price has now gone up to $350-ish.

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bibiche

bibiche

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I’d go with an OXO or similar reliable brand. Get the biggest one because doing batches is annoying.

The electric type are a pita. Dynamics are excellent, but bulky and probably overkill for most homes. For camping, we have a classic collapsible metal salad spinner. These would also be fine for home use if you don’t mind going outside and doing a little exercise for your salad. I don’t know if they’re easily available though.

If you don’t have a salad spinner, shake out as much water as you can with a colander or mesh strainer that you’ve covered with something to prevent the lettuce flying out. Then spread the lettuce leaves out on a towel and roll it up. Pop it in a fridge and come back later to crisp, dry salad.

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skimomma

skimomma

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I just watched that video and I now remember the most important reason I still have my really crappy spinner!  The base of mine is not a bowl.  It has big drain holes on the bottom and sits up on short feet.  It also has a water hole in the lid.  I can run water directly into the spinner as it is spinning and it drains out the bottom holes.  The downside for most people, I think, is this mean you must use it in the sink, which can be a pain if your sink is not empty.  But I always keep my sink empty, so this is not a problem.  And I wash a lot of REALLY dirty greens.  Our CSA grows in sand as do many other local growers so I often run my greens through the spinner before the initial soak to get the bulk of the sand out.  This would never work with a closed bowl.  Even if I skipped the initial run, I would have to soak, spin, and empty multiple times to get everything clean whereas now, I can just run the tap through the spinner until I don't see any grit exiting the spinner.

Anyone know of currently available spinners that are like this?  I have not seen one, which is why I have not given up my current spinner....which is really terrible in every other way.

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KungFuPanda

KungFuPanda

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10 hours ago, skimomma said:

I actually know someone with a large CSA that does this!  They have a cheap washing machine just for this purpose.

I have the cheapest, flimsiest, most difficult-to-use garbage spinner than I bought for $10 about 20 years ago.  I use it daily!  I really REALLY should upgrade but this one happens to fit in a really handy space in my kitchen and it is all plastic, which I prefer to the glass bowl options.  It is easier to see if the greens are still expelling any grit on the white background of plastic rather than the clear glass bowl.  Any spinner is better than no spinner.  I am completely baffled as to what people do without one.  Whenever one of those "what 10 items could you get by with as a complete kitchen" games comes up, the spinner is on my list.  I take it with me when we go camping, if that is any indication of how strongly I feel about them!

I’m pretty sure those clear bowls are plastic. Do they make glass ones???

 

Why hasn’t Kitchenaid or cuisinart made an attachment for this purpose? 

Edited by KungFuPanda
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teachermom2834

teachermom2834

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I don’t have a specific recommendation but you need one. I don’t know how I lived without one. I posted a thread here once about how frustrated I was that my family members kept breaking mine. I would replace it every time though. I’m not living without my salad spinner.

Apparently people live without them though. I must have at some point. All my extended family members act like I am so fancy because I have one. They can mock me all they want. I’m not giving up my salad spinner. 
 

Buy them all. Someone will break whichever one you buy anyway 🙂 

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klmama

klmama

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I have a 1970's Hoan salad spinner I purchased for a few bucks at a garage sale about 30 years ago. It requires muscle to crank it, the plastic gears pop off sometimes, and it takes up a huge amount of space in my tiny kitchen, but I wouldn't be without it.  Any salad spinner is better than no salad spinner.

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skimomma

skimomma

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In case anyone is wondering, they *do* still make salad spinners with drain holes:

https://www.amazon.com/spinner-lettuce-draining-capacity-Essential/dp/B0B4NRB2KZ/ref=asc_df_B0B4NRB2KZ/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=619306654220&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=9587399604199603794&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9017741&hvtargid=pla-1823380169207&th=1

This is pretty much the one I have.  Apparently everyone hates these but I do like mine.

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