We Tested 10 Salad Spinners and Found Four Favorites

Most of us will only ever use a salad spinner for one task: drying lettuce. However, dry lettuce is important. 

This is because salad dressings are oil-based and, as you probably know, oil and water don’t mix. If there’s water left on your salad greens, the dressing won’t adhere to the leaves, collecting at the bottom of the bowl. A good (keyword: good) salad spinner is the most efficient way to remove a lot of water quickly. 

We last tested salad spinners in 2016, when we named the Zyliss Swift Dry Salad Spinner our favorite. Since then, notable brands (like OXO) have come out with new models. That, coupled with the fact it’s been eight years since we last reviewed them, meant it was time to retest salad spinners. 

So, we put 10 models through the paces, starting out with a small wish list. Our ideal spinner could handle enough lettuce to make a large salad to serve four or more and we didn’t want to have to take out a small loan to buy it (plus it had to be easy to use, as well as clean…but we’ll get to all of this below). We focused on models priced from $20 to $65, with a stated capacity of five quarts or more. 

The Winners, at a Glance

The Best Salad Spinner

OXO Good Grips Glass Salad Spinner

$65 $59 at Amazon $65 at Williams-Sonoma $65 at Sur La Table

This newer offering from OXO was among the top performers in all of our tests. It dried lettuce efficiently, handled delicate herbs without bruising them, and was able to fit 10 ounces of mixed greens without compacting them. The spinner’s design, versatility, and stability put it ahead of the pack. On first impression, its bowl felt too heavy (and it still may be for some). During use, though, this weight provided an advantage and kept the salad spinner from wobbling. The glass base also doubled as a nice serving bowl.

The Best (More) Inexpensive Salad Spinner

Zyliss E940005 Swift Dry Salad Spinner

$43 $39 at Amazon $42 $33 at Walmart $30 at Sur La Table

Our previous favorite from our 2016 review held up. During testing, the Zyliss dried greens the fastest out of all the spinners, and the pedal-style pump mechanism created a smooth spin. Its all-plastic construction may be a downside for some but is reflected in its lower price tag. 

The Most Durable Salad Spinner

OXO Steel Salad Spinner

$65 $59 at Amazon $65 at Williams-Sonoma $65 at Sur La Table

This spinner shared many high-performing qualities with its glass counterpart. And in terms of durability, it’s hard to beat stainless steel. Its metal bowl is lightweight, dishwasher-safe, and shatter- and crack-proof.

Editor's Pick

OXO Good Grips Salad Spinner

$30 at Amazon $30 at Walmart $30 at Target

This was a solid salad spinner that, like its siblings, featured a pump spin mechanism and a stop button. It dried lettuce well and could accommodate large portions of greens. "My mom has had one for years, which I grew up using, and I've carried on the tradition in my household," commerce editor Grace Kelly says.

The Tests

• Drying Test One: Dry five ounces of mixed greens to determine how effectively each spinner worked. Weigh the greens (in grams) prior to washing, after washing, and after drying. Time how long each spinner takes to dry the greens. 
• Drying Test Two: Wash and dry seven-and-a-half ounces of mixed greens to test the salad spinner’s ability to dry a larger amount of lettuce. Weigh the greens (in grams) prior to washing, after washing, and after drying. Time how long each spinner takes to dry the greens.
• Drying Test Three: If the salad spinner is able to successfully dry seven-and-a-half ounces of mixed greens, dry 10 ounces of mixed greens, to further test its ability to handle a large amount of lettuce. Weigh the greens (in grams) prior to washing, after washing, and after drying. Time how long each spinner takes to dry the greens. 
• Fragile Herbs Test: Dry an 80-gram bunch of cilantro, looking to see if the salad spinner bruises or otherwise damages the herbs. 
• Cleanup Test: After each test, wash the salad spinner by hand. At the end of testing, run the dishwasher-safe components of each spinner through the dishwasher to ensure they come out unscathed.
• Usability Test: Determine how easy each salad spinner is to use and store. 

What We Learned

Generally, Faster Was Better

Salad spinners are like little centrifuges. As a salad spinner’s perforated basket spins, you’re observing several types of force in action. The water on the lettuce experiences centrifugal, or center fleeing, force. As the lettuce travels in a circle, the water continues to go in a straight line, escaping through the sides of the basket and leaving dry lettuce behind. The walls of the basket provide centripetal force—the force that keeps the lettuce moving in a circle around the center of the spinner. 

Centripetal force is measured using the following equation: Force = mass * velocity^2 / radius.

For the purpose of choosing a salad spinner, it’s not essential to understand every part of this equation. It is, however, helpful to consider the factors that determine salad spinner efficacy. Salad spinners that generate more force will cause more water to flee and will deliver drier greens. Mass and radius remained relatively consistent between all of the spinners tested and the greatest variable between the products was velocity. The faster-spinning models, those operated by pumps or pedals, generated consistently better, drier results. Our three winners all removed over 90% of water from five ounces of greens in 30 to 45 seconds. Slower models, like the Westmark and collapsible spinner from Prepworks, scored much lower. The Westmark was only able to remove 75% of the water and the Prepworks 81%, even after nearly a minute of spinning.

And if you’re thinking: will a too-fast salad spinner damage fragile herbs or, say, berries? In theory, it could. However, none of our favorite salad spinners bruised the cilantro. There’s also always the option of lining your salad spinner’s basket with paper towels to act as a buffer when drying more fragile foods.

The Spinning Mechanism Mattered

When it came to how they generated velocity, the salad spinners fell into two broad categories: we’ll refer to them as free-spinning or fixed rotational. 

Imagine you’re standing next to an old-fashioned merry-go-round. Your goal is to spin it as quickly as possible. Would you hang on to one handle and run in a circle so that the merry-go-round spins along with you? Or would you stand in one place and push the handles as they spin by, so that the merry-go-round rotates freely on its center axis, increasing in speed with each push? 

That’s kind of the choice you’re making when you choose between a hand crank-operated or a push-pump salad spinner. Fixed rotational, hand-crank salad spinners like the ones from Prepworks and Cuisinart will only spin as quickly as you're able to turn the handle. Free spinning, pump-style devices like the OXOs and Zyliss Swift Dry get a push from their spinning mechanism and then continue spinning on their rotational point. Push again, and you’ll increase the rotational velocity, generating more force and vigorously drying the lettuce. Obviously, we preferred these more powerful, easier-to-operate, pump-style mechanisms.

What's the Best Size for a Salad Spinner?

If you've got the storage space, a large salad spinner is best. Three of our favorite salad spinners have an over-6-quart capacity, and we think that's ideal. (The Zyliss tops out at 5.75 quarts.) Salad spinners will work just as well when filled half or even a quarter of the way full, so there's very little downside to getting the biggest you can.

We Liked Larger Salad Spinners

A big salad is great, but it’s definitely possible to overfill a salad spinner. According to the lettuce package, a serving size of mixed greens is two-and-a-half ounces. Following these guidelines, you’d need to wash and dry 10 ounces of lettuce to make enough salad for four people. All of the models we tested were able to handle five and seven-and-a-half ounces of greens (with varying degrees of success, as we covered above), but not every salad spinner made the cut when we increased the amount to 10 ounces.

When more lettuce is packed into a salad spinner's basket, there’s less free space remaining between the leaves. This makes it harder for water to escape. We found that basket dimensions, rather than the stated capacity, were the best indicator of high-volume performance. This is partially because some salad spinners list the capacity of the serving bowl rather than the basket. Our winning models all had basket diameters over nine-and-a-half inches and were able to remove more than 90% of the water from 10 ounces of greens. Models with basket diameters of eight-and-a-half inches or less either could not contain 10 ounces of greens or left significantly more water behind. 

Drying more lettuce also meant that the leaves crept further up the sides of the basket, and sometimes touched the bottom of the lid. Some models that we tested, including the Mueller and Cuisinart salad spinners, had exposed spinning mechanisms on their lids' undersides that resembled the spokes of a wheel. These exposed elements trapped small pieces of lettuce and made clean-up more difficult. The best salad spinners circumvented this. The Zyliss Swift Dry and OXO models featured detachable plates that kept lettuce away from their gears.

Examining Usability Differences

For any kitchen tool to make it into regular rotation, it has to be easy to use. A salad spinner is no exception. This came down to stability, features, storage, and clean-up. 

While all salad spinners should be lightly held in place during use, some of the models we tested wobbled more aggressively than others. The direction of the force applied to make it spin was a key differentiator here. With pump or pedal-operated spinners, you’re applying force straight down into the counter. This helped stabilize the spinner, and it kept the lid in place. On models where the force was applied laterally, like the Mueller or the Zyliss Easy Spin, it was easy to accidentally displace the salad spinner while pulling on the bar or cord. The added lateral force also encouraged the salad spinner to move across the counter while spinning. 

To add to stability, two of our favorite models also had non-slip rubber bumpers or a rubber-coated base. Another feature we found particularly helpful was brake buttons (typically located on top of the lid), allowing you to press down with one finger and stop the basket from spinning. 

As far as storage, you’ll have to make some space for a salad spinner. Our winning models are all the size of a large bowl, and there’s no easy way around it. (The Prepworks collapsible model promised the best storage solution, but the gains in cabinet space did not make up for the poor performance and cumbersome setup.) In addition to size, handles presented a storage issue. Spinners like the Cuisinart or Westmark had fixed handles that couldn’t be collapsed. These models could be stored by turning the lid upside down so that the handle was inside the basket, but this made it more difficult to retrieve the spinner without knocking the lid off. Our winners offered improved storage with spinning mechanisms that could be locked down in a flat position.

For cleanup, the most important factor was the underside of the lid, as described above. All of our winners had lids that trapped minimal lettuce and at least one dishwasher-safe component. Basket design didn’t impact clean-up too much, but baskets that were super tightly woven did trap bits of lettuce more readily.

The Criteria: What to Look for in a Salad Spinner

The best salad spinners had easy-to-use, pump-style mechanisms and worked quickly and smoothly. They were able to dry greens and tender herbs efficiently (and without bruising them) and handled enough lettuce for a four-serving salad. They were also stable on the counter as they spun and had added usability features like brake buttons that allowed you to easily stop their basket. For better cleanup, our favorite spinners had dishwasher-safe components and didn't trap too much lettuce in the lid or basket.

Our Favorite Salad Spinners

The Best Salad Spinner

OXO Good Grips Glass Salad Spinner

$65 $59 at Amazon $65 at Williams-Sonoma $65 at Sur La Table

What we liked: The OXO’s pump-style spin mechanism was easy to use and generated plenty of force, spinning quickly and smoothly and drying large and small batches of lettuce with ease. However, its design and construction really earned it the top spot. It had a brake button, a lid that came apart for easy cleanup, and a lock that kept the handle flat for storage. Most of the spinners that we tested suggested using the base as a serving bowl for the eventual salad, too. The OXO Good Grips Glass Salad Spinner is the best match for this function, as its base looks like a simple glass serving bowl.

What we didn’t like: Although the heavy bowl provided stability while spinning, the large size and considerable weight (the entire device clocked in at eight pounds) may make using or storing this product a hassle for some. At $65 (at the time of publication), it was among the most expensive of the spinners we tested. 

Key Specs

• Materials: Borosilicate glass bowl; plastic basket and lid; rubber
• Style: Pump
• Amount of time taken to dry 5 ounces of greens: 45 seconds
• Basket dimensions: 9.5 x 9.5 x 4.75 inches
• Bowl capacity: 6.2 quarts
• Weight: 3.23 pounds
• Dishwasher-safe: Yes
  

The Best (More) Inexpensive Salad Spinner

Zyliss E940005 Swift Dry Salad Spinner

$43 $39 at Amazon $42 $33 at Walmart $30 at Sur La Table

What we liked: The Zyliss Swift Dry was the winner of our 2016 testing and remained a favorite. This powerful model featured a pedal-powered spin mechanism that was intuitive and easy to use, generating a lot of force without much effort. Of all of the salad spinners we tested, this was the fastest. It dried five ounces of mixed greens in just 30 seconds. It also had silicone bumpers on its base that provided stability, a brake button, and a handle that locked flat for storage.

What we didn’t like: This salad spinner had more going on under the lid than its competitors. The pedal-style pump operated two plastic gears, which rotated to spin the basket. The lid itself featured a detachable plate designed for easy cleaning. However, this plate was looser than we’d like and could be separated from the lid if bumped. Some customer reviews reported this spinner’s gears stripping over time. 

Key Specs

• Materials: BPA-free plastic; rubber
• Style: Pedal
• Amount of time taken to dry 5 ounces of greens: 30 seconds
• Basket dimensions: 10 x 10 x 4 inches
• Bowl capacity: 5.75 quarts
• Weight: 14.4 ounces
• Dishwasher-safe: Hand-wash lid; bowl is dishwasher-safe
  

The Most Durable Salad Spinner

OXO Steel Salad Spinner

$65 $59 at Amazon $65 at Williams-Sonoma $65 at Sur La Table

What we liked: This model’s pump-style spin mechanism was easy to use and effective, making it one of the fastest salad spinners we tested. It handled large and small batches of greens (as well as delicate herbs without bruising them). It had a helpful brake button to stop the basket from spinning, a non-slip, silicone-covered base, and a handle that locked flat for storage. The stainless steel bowl was durable but lightweight. It was also dishwasher-safe.

What we didn’t like: To use, the basket rested on a raised rotational point and it was a little difficult, at times, to align the basket. The opaque bowl also meant you couldn’t easily check to confirm the basket was centered. Like the glass OXO, this stainless steel model was pricier.

Key Specs

• Materials: Stainless steel; BPA-free plastic; rubber
• Style: Pump
• Amount of time taken to dry 5 ounces of greens: 40 seconds
• Basket dimensions: 9.75 x 9.75 x 5 inches
• Bowl capacity: 6.3 quarts
• Weight: 4 pounds
• Dishwasher-safe: Yes

Editor's Pick

OXO Good Grips Salad Spinner

$30 at Amazon $30 at Walmart $30 at Target

What we liked: Like its glass and metal siblings, this plastic salad spinner did a great job at getting lettuce dry. It also featured a pump-style spin mechanism, a stop button, and a locking pump. "The OXO is a no-frills model that wrings out romaine, frisee, and baby spinach with a few pumps," Grace says. "It's quick, effective, and holds a whole lotta leafy lettuce!" It's fairly inexpensive, too.

What we didn't like: Plastic is lightweight, and therefore less stable, than glass.

Key Specs

• Materials: BPA-free plastic
• Style: Pump
• Amount of time taken to dry 5 ounces of greens: 33 seconds
• Basket dimensions: 9.5 x 9.5 x 4.75 inches
• Bowl capacity: 6.22 quarts
• Weight: 2.5 pounds
• Dishwasher-safe: Yes

The Competition

• Cuisinart Salad Spinner: In short: this was too small and rattled a lot when spinning. The hand-turned crank didn’t generate enough power and was harder to use.
• Farberware Pump Spinner: This salad spinner performed solidly throughout testing. The pump mechanism was powerful and it dried lettuce well. However, it was hand-wash only and felt cheap.
• Mueller Salad Spinner: An unusual “pulling bar” spin mechanism generated more force than a simple hand crank, but this still ranked toward the bottom of our drying tests. It was also unusually loud—enough to scare a (skittish) dog out of the room during testing. This spinner is out of stock as of August 2024.
• Prepworks by Progressive Collapsible Salad Spinner: We had high hopes for the space-saving promise of this collapsible salad spinner. Unfortunately, this model underperformed in the drying tests and wasn’t able to accommodate 10 ounces of lettuce. Expanding and collapsing the bowl and basket took a considerable amount of muscle, too. 
• Westmark German Vegetable and Salad Spinner: Inexpensive materials, a hand crank, and a slow-spinning speed landed this salad spinner towards the bottom of our results. The Westmark also appears to be out of stock.
• Zyliss Easy Spin Salad Spinner: Cord-operated salad spinners seem to have a nostalgic appeal for some. But the long cord on this model made using it fairly awkward…and a considerable upper body workout. Customer reviews also report that the cord frays over time.

FAQs

What does a salad spinner do?

A salad spinner is a hand-powered kitchen centrifuge used for drying lettuce and other greens. Wash your greens, ready the salad spinner, and spin away. Salad spinners generate centrifugal force that sends water flying off of the lettuce, which travels through the strainer basket and collects at the bottom of the bowl.

How do you use a salad spinner?

To use a salad spinner, start by rinsing your lettuce—you can do this right in the basket provided or by adding the greens to the basket, filling the salad spinner with water, and then lifting up the basket to drain. After the greens have been washed, it’s time to dry. Our favorite salad spinners use a pump or pedal to generate lots of force, but some are operated by a hand-turned crank or a string you have to pull (both of which we think you should avoid). After a minute or less of spinning, press the brake button or stop turning the basket, remove the basket, and enjoy your dry greens.

Do salad spinners completely dry lettuce?

The answer: nearly. Our winning salad spinners were able to remove more than 90% of water off greens in under a minute. Any residual moisture on the lettuce is likely not going to get in the way of whatever dish you're making, but if you need to, you can pat the lettuce fully dry with a tea towel.

What else can you use a salad spinner for besides drying greens?

Salad spinners can be used to dry berries or fresh herbs as well as greens. Try using your salad spinner to remove water from anything too small or delicate to dry with a towel. For easily bruised items, line the basket of your salad spinner with paper towels before drying to help prevent damage. You can also use the basket as a strainer to wash produce, which drains faster than a colander due to it's larger holes.

How should I store greens after I've washed and spun them?

Roll them in a slightly damp paper towel and place them in a plastic (or reusable) storage bag—this works for both herbs and lettuce/leafy greens. If you have the space (or want to keep your greens highly visible so you don't, um, forget about them), layer them with paper towels in plastic storage containers.

Can you store lettuce in a salad spinner?

Sure! To keep the lettuce from getting soggy, dump out any residual water. Storing the greens in the basket set inside the bowl (instead of directly in the bowl) will allow for maximum airflow and steady drying.

How long do freshly washed and spun greens last?

While it depends on the green (more tender greens tend to shrivel up faster than hardy greens, like romaine lettuce), freshly washed and spun greens can last seven to 10 days. After, that, you might find them starting to wilt a bit. But, overall, cleaned and spun greens of all kinds will last longer than if you just pop the bag or tub of greens in the fridge.

What's the best way to clean a salad spinner?

Some of the spinners we tested were dishwasher-safe, so that's an easy and effective option to get your spinner clean. You can also hand-wash your spinner, just make sure to get a sponge or dishcloth into any nooks and crannies and thoroughly dry the device afterward (we've had water mildew build up in the crannies of spinners in the past). No one wants musty-tasting spinach!

Why We're the Experts

• To find the best salad spinners, we tested 10 models—evaluating how efficiently they were able to dry various amounts of greens, how easy they were to clean, and more.
• We last tested salad spinners in 2016, when we named the Zyliss Swift Dry Salad Spinner our favorite. During this re-test, the Zyliss was still one of our favorites, which means it's stood up to about eight years of evaluation.
• Madeline Muzzi is a freelance writer and has contributed to Serious Eats for a couple of years, having written reviews on nonstick spatulas, wine subscriptions, and more.