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A trusty salad spinner can thoroughly dry salad greens (and even herbs and some veggies) quickly, but is also easy-to-use, store and clean. Dressing clings best to dry salad greens and a better-prepped salad green on-hand means you're closer to enjoying your favorite salad recipes whenever you like.
If you're not ready to make a salad yet, thoroughly cleaned and dried greens will stay fresh longer compared to just washing them. You can even store your greens in the colander — the vents help with air circulation, which slows down the rate of spoilage.
Our top picks:
In the Good Housekeeping Institute Kitchen Appliances and Innovation Lab, we've tested 37 salad spinners since 2008. Our analysts have spun over 33 pounds of mixed greens, utilized about 50 cups of water and spun salad spinners 370 times. When we evaluate salad spinners, we test to see which models remove the highest amount of water out of salad greens, whether they can operate with one hand, if there is the presence or absence of a break and nonslip base, number of parts to clean and store and ease of cleaning.
You can read more about how we evaluate salad spinners in our Lab — plus everything you need to know to shop for your perfect salad spinner — at the end of this guide. Interested in other cooking tools to prep your ingredients? Check out our guides to the best cutting boards, kitchen utensil sets and vegetable peelers.
Zyliss Easy Spin Salad Spinner
Pros
- Non-slip ring on the bottom
- Pull string has large handle that is easy to use
- Five-year warranty
Cons
- You need to use two hands to operate
In our Lab testing, this 5.2-quart Zyliss Easy Spin Salad Spinner dried mixed greens better than most of its competitors, drawing out 88% of water.
We loved being able to watch all of the water shoot out and hit the clear plastic walls while operating and found the pull-string and break easy-to-use, but you will need to use both hands to operate. There is a non-slip base to ensure the spinner doesn't move around while spinning and the bowl can be used to serve your salad in as well.
We also tested the Easy Spin 2 Stainless Steel Salad Spinner which performed well and has a stylish bowl for serving as well, but it is more expensive. Zyliss stands behind their salad spinners and offers a five-year guarantee.
| Type | Pull-string |
| Dimensions | 10.1 x 10.1 x 5.6 inches |
| Capacity | 5.2 quarts |
| Weight | 1.9 pounds |
| Pieces | Four |
| Material | Plastic |
| Dishwasher-safe? | Bowl only |
Farberware Pro Pump Salad Spinner
Pros
- Large capacity
- Great Lab performance
- Soft, non-slip base
Cons
- Not dishwasher-safe
This pump-operated salad spinner from Farberware has a break and a lock to hold the pump down for easy and compact storage. With a 6.6 quart bowl and a 5.5 quart colander, it is the largest of our featured bunch and also very affordable for its size and great performance.
It spun out 83% of water from the mixed greens in testing and did so in an easy one-handed operation. It features a soft, non-slip base to protect your countertops and allow it to stay in place and we also found the pump to be soft and comfortable in the palm of your hand. Take note that this pick isn't dishwasher-safe.
| Type | Pump operated |
| Dimensions | 10.3 x 10.3 x 7.4 inches |
| Capacity | 6.6 quarts |
| Weight | 3 pounds |
| Pieces | Three |
| Material | Plastic |
| Dishwasher-safe? | No |
OXO Good Grips Little Salad & Herb Spinner
Pros
- Compact size
- Works just as efficiently as larger version
- Lock-on-lid keeps pump in place when not in use
Cons
- Silicone grip on bottom discolors over time
The OXO Good Grips Little Salad and Herb Spinner is small but packs a big punch and is perfectly sized for solo diners or couples. With a two-and-a-half-quart basket capacity, it's perfect for drying leaves for smaller portions of lettuce, berries or herbs. It also takes up minimal space in the cabinet, ideal for city dwellers.
In our Lab testing, it removed 87% of water out of mixed greens. It also features a soft, non-slip pump that locks flat for compact storage, a non-slip base and break. The lid comes apart for thorough cleaning and all pieces can be cleaned on the top-rack of the dishwasher. Keep in mind that during long-term testing we found the silicone grip to discolor overtime.
If you're in the market for a larger salad spinner we also recommend the OXO Good Grips Stainless Steel Salad Spinner which boasts a nice stainless bowl for serving and the OXO Good Grips Large Salad Spinner.
| Type | Pump operated |
| Dimensions | 8 x 8 x 7 inches |
| Capacity | 3 quarts |
| Weight | 1.7 pounds |
| Pieces | Four |
| Material | Plastic |
| Dishwasher-safe? | Yes |
Pros
- Machine washable
- Requires little storage space
- Absorbent material
Cons
- Requires some manual effort
The Salad Sling is a new take on a salad spinner. It features thick microfiber material that is able to dry freshly washed salad greens by gathering the corners together and swinging it in a circle using centrifugal force. While this salad spinner requires more manual effort than other picks we've tested, we found it to nicely dry salad greens, removing 82% of water.
When the Salad Sling gets dirty you can simply throw it into the washing machine and then neatly fold it up into a small rectangular shape for very easy storage in any kitchen cupboard or drawer. We think this pick is great for camping, small apartments and those who might not need to dry salad greens that often.
| Type | Manual |
| Dimensions | 30 x 30 inches open |
| Capacity | ~1 quart |
| Weight | 0.5 pound |
| Pieces | One |
| Material | Main fabric: 88% polyester and 12% nylon; lining: 100% polyester; laminate: 100% polyurethane |
| Dishwasher-safe? | Machine washable |
How we test the best salad spinners
In the Good Housekeeping Institute Kitchen Appliances and Innovation Lab, we've tested 37 salad spinners since 2008. Our analysts spun over 33 pounds of mixed greens, utilized about 50 cups of water and spun salad spinners 370 times to find the best-tested models.
Our salad spinner testing procedure includes a performance evaluation to determine how much water is removed from mixed greens. A standardized amount of mixed greens and water is combined and then each salad spinner is spun 10 times. After each salad spinner is spun, the mixed greens are weighed to examine how much water was retained and how soggy the lettuce remains.
The best-tested models churned out dry salad greens that didn't need to be spun for longer and were ready for building an unsoggy salad.
Ease of use evaluations determine how simple it is to operate the salad spinner as well as the ability to operate with one hand, presence or absence of a break and nonslip base, number of parts to clean and store and ease of cleaning. If models were dishwasher-safe we also put that to the test, in addition to some picks that are machine washable.
What to look for when buying the best salad spinner
✔️ Type: Generally, there are three types of salad spinners you'll have to choose from:
- Pump operated salad spinners require you to push down on a large button to activate the spin. They're easy-to-use, as one push usually creates many spins. Only one hand is needed for most of these spinners.
- Pull-string salad spinners work like they sound; you pull a string to activate the spin and that pull will create multiple spins as well. You do need two hands to operate this type of spinner.
- Manual salad spinners often come with a small handle that you turn or a bag that you manually spin. They're relatively easy-to-use, but we've noticed they dry salad greens less than their counterparts.
✔️ Material: A majority of the salad spinners we've tested are made out of plastic. However, there are some with metal or glass bowls that double as serving bowls. We've also tested some non-traditional picks made out of microfiber and cloth material which required some hand spinning, but store very easily and compactly.
✔️ Size: Salad spinners vary in capacity. A small model is about 2 quarts and is ideal for a single portion of salad greens, some herbs or berries, while larger salad spinners have a 4 to 5 quart capacity. These are ideal for a large salad for a family of four to six.
✔️ Number of pieces: The salad spinners we've tested had a variety of piece amounts. Most are either three or four pieces. The more pieces that a salad spinner has, the more there needs to be cleaned. However, some models with fewer pieces trap water and require additional drying.
✔️ Cleanability: Not all salad spinners are dishwasher-safe. If the idea of throwing a salad spinner in the dishwasher after you're finished using it sounds good, select a model that allows this.
✔️ Accessories: Most salad spinners don't come with additional accessories, but some do, like snap-on grating pieces so you can grate your veggies inside the bowl for your additional salad prep. These features give more versatility to a salad spinner, but that can raise the price of a salad spinner.
What is the point of a salad spinner?
A salad spinner is designed to help you clean and dry your salad greens, herbs, berries and even other produce like green beans or sugar snap peas. Don't forget sandy leeks — they're especially helpful for cleaning and drying those!
You should be washing your produce, especially if it's sourced from a local farm or isn't a pre-washed bag of lettuce. Drying your produce after washing can be a pain and that's exactly where a salad spinner comes in to throughly dry your greens and veggies.
How do you use a salad spinner?
- Fill your salad spinner bowl up with cold water and your dirty salad greens.
- Transfer thoroughly washed salad greens to the strainer.
- Add strainer filled with damp lettuce to the emptied salad spinner bowl.
- Secure the lid of the salad spinner on top of the bowl and spin the salad spinner about 10 times.
- Press the salad spinner break once completed and check lettuce to see if it's thoroughly dried.
- If lettuce isn't completely dry, you can remove the water in the bowl and spin the spinner a few more times.
Do you cut your lettuce before putting it in a salad spinner?
You don't need to cut your lettuce before putting it in a salad spinner, as long as leaves fit inside the spinner, but lettuce leaves should be separated and loosely packed into the salad spinner. However, if you want, you can cut up your lettuce beforehand for even easier meal prep.
Can you store washed salad in a salad spinner?
Yes, you can store or even serve your lettuce in most salad spinners. For storing, empty out extra water and add a paper towel to help absorb any remaining moisture — the strainer will also help with air flow. For serving, you can build your salad right inside the bowl.
If your lettuce gets a little sad, you can use the salad spinner again to crisp up old leaves. Plunge the lettuce back in ice cold water and spin it again.
Why trust Good Housekeeping?
Eva Bleyer has professionally tested all kinds of kitchen equipment in the Good Housekeeping Institute Kitchen Appliances & Innovation Lab, from oven ranges to kitchen scales to blenders. She conducted the most recent side-by-side testing of 10 salad spinners, in addition to sifting through old test reports to compile our findings. Eva loves using a salad spinner for delicate herbs and salad greens from the farmer's market that usually need a good wash.
Eva (she/her) is a reviews analyst in the Kitchen Appliances and Innovation Lab, where she tests kitchen gear, home appliances and culinary innovations. She graduated from NYU with a bachelor of science in food studies, nutrition and public health and is a trained chef through the Natural Gourmet Institute. Eva has more than 10 years of experience in the food industry, working as a food stylist, personal chef and marketing manager.
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