The 10 Best Salad Spinners For Clean, Crispy Greens

Nothing ruins a homemade salad faster than soggy greens, gritty sand, or the rogue caterpillar. One handy kitchen gadget that can effectively put these fears to rest is a salad spinner. Washing and drying salad greens is a necessary but tedious task for prepping salad. While there are plenty of hacks for getting the job done without a salad spinner, this kitchen gadget worth the investment if salads are a part of your regular meal rotation.

Here's a quick run-down of how salad spinners work. Nearly every model of salad spinner includes an inner strainer basket which holds the lettuce greens and an outer bowl that is attached to a spinning mechanism. In a matter of a few drawstring pulls or pumps (depending on the device), the spinning action of the basket sends the water flying off the leafy greens inside and out into the bowl. Essentially, salad spinners harness the power of centrifugal force, taking advantage of inertia to create an outward force to push the water off the greens and through the holes in the strainer basket.

Dry lettuce greens not only stay crisp, but they also allow the dressing to stick to them better — essential if you're interested in achieving a restaurant-quality salad at home. If you're on the fence, it may be helpful to know that salad spinners can be multipurpose. They make quick work of removing seeds from canned tomatoes and can upgrade your homemade french fries. We've scoured the internet for the highest rated salad spinners to help you decide which are worth your money (and cabinet space).

The OXO Good grips large 6.22-quart salad spinner is undoubtedly the most popular salad spinner on the market, and for good reason. For starters, the large 6.22-quart bowl is big enough to thoroughly dry a large batch of greens all at once, which is one of the features beloved by many reviewers. Like many spinners, the spinning mechanism features a pump handle so you can spin your greens one-handed. Another necessary perk is that the bottom of the outer bowl is fitted with a non-skid base so the spinner doesn't move around on the counter once the greens get moving inside.

What's more, the strainer basket/bowl on the inside of the OXO Good Grips is removable, so you can use it as a colander for washing your greens in the sink. Reviewers also speak highly of the durability of this salad spinner in particular as others often break easily with washing. Many say they've gotten many years of use from their spinner. The biggest drawback is that its large size means you have to fork over quite a bit of cabinet space for storage. One other complaint that comes up often is that it is near impossible to clean the enclosed center section of the bottom of the pump. But even with these drawbacks, you won't find many much better.

If you like the design of the OXO salad spinner but want a pop of color, the Farberware Pro 6.6-quart salad spinner is a similar option. This one has a green strainer basket inside as well as a white lid — if you feature those colors in your kitchen and are looking for a gadget to match, you're in luck. The spinning action for this one is also initiated with a pump in the lid which allows for one-handed spinning. Reviewers find that it's easy to use and dries lettuce quickly and effectively.

The pump lid for the Farberware spinner does have a locking option which saves a bit on storage space, but like the OXO spinner, you'll need to find a spot for storing this larger kitchen gadget — reviewers complained that it is quite big and bulky. The strainer bowl is removable so it can be used as a colander to wash greens in the sink. After dumping any extra water in the bowl from spinning, some reviewers like using the clear plastic bowl perfect for mixing and serving their salad.

If lack of storage space is the one thing holding you back from investing in a salad spinner, the Progressive Prepworks collapsible 4-quart salad spinner is likely the best option for you. Unlike other salad spinners, the bowl and strainer basket for this one both collapse down to half their unfolded-size for easy storage. Despite the smaller cabinet footprint, this spinner can still hold a decent amount of greens, so you can dry several servings of lettuce at once.

Instead of a pump lever in the lid, this one has a grip for your fingers to spin a disc within the lid and dry your greens. Some reviewers said that this mechanism is much harder to hold compared to other spinners with a handle. Reviewers appreciate that this spinner is easy to use and compact, but it's worth noting that several found that its durability was not what they were expecting and the flexible silicone for the folding action starts to separate from the plastic sections of the bowl after some time.

In addition to the popular OXO Good Grips salad spinner with a clear plastic bowl, they also came out with a spinner that has a stainless steel bowl instead. The OXO Good Grips 6.34-quart stainless steel salad spinner is as pretty as it is useful. It's perfect for those who are looking for a salad spinner but are wary of using too much plasticware in the kitchen.

The lid and bowl are designed the same way as the standard spinner. Reviewers love that this one looks much higher quality and that the stainless steel bowl is a more stylish option for serving. Another perk of the stainless bowl is that this bowl can be tossed in the dishwasher since most salad spinners are not dishwasher-friendly. This one is still a bulky kitchen gadget, but keep in mind that a salad spinner can be multi-functional. Plus, it's always handy to have an extra stainless steel bowl. There are endless uses for those in the kitchen beyond just salads.

Take your salads to the next level with the handy Joseph Joseph 4-piece multiprep salad-making set. The overall design of this salad spinner is similar to others with a strainer bowl that sits within a solid bowl and a lid that includes the mechanism for spinning. However, what sets this spinner apart is that the lid has four interchangeable discs that can be used for salad spinning as well as spiralizing, grating, and slicing. That means you can wash and dry your lettuce in the spinner then switch out the top disc and slice your toppings right onto the greens inside the spinner. A finger guard is also included to make sure your digits stay safely out of range of the sharp blade.

Essentially, with this one gadget, you can prep your salad without dirtying your cutting board or chef's knife — a win-win for sure. The bowl has a non-slip base which keeps it in place no matter whether you're spinning greens or spiralizing zucchini. Despite having lots of different pieces, this one still stores compactly since the discs fit neatly within the bowl. The biggest drawback that many reviewers mention is that the spinner knob is small and difficult to hold and that it doesn't spin as fast as other salad spinners.

The only salad spinner in this list that comes without a bowl is the Dreamfarm Spina in-sink 2-in-1 salad spinner. This is essentially a tricked-out colander with a non-slip foot that attaches to the bottom of your sink. A pump handle spins the strainer bowl which flings the water off of your greens and into your sink. Overall, reviewers appreciate that the handle makes it easy to hold the colander bowl for washing your produce under the faucet. They also find that it is simple to use and clean and spins fast enough to dry your greens thoroughly.

However, a few common complaints about this spinner is that you have to have a clean and clear sink to use, which isn't always the case when you're in the middle of cooking. In addition, the Dreamfarm isn't as big as other salad spinners so you have to work in batches if you have a lot of greens to wash. One other drawback is that the contents in the spinner can fly out the top as you spin since there isn't a lid. Overall, though, its convenience and unique design is enough to keep buyers satisfied.

The Zyliss easy spin salad spinner is one of the few salad spinners on the market that still features a pull cord and ergonomic handle for spinning versus a pump. (Which kind of feels like you are revving up the engine for a lawnmower.) The basic design is the same as all the others with a strainer bowl fitting inside a solid bowl with a lid. Like the OXO salad spinner, this one also features a brake button to stop the bowl from spinning. The clear outer bowl can also be used for serving your salad after your greens are dried.

Reviewers like the size of this spinner since they can dry a big batch of greens all at once. Since this one doesn't have a pump lid, it has a lower profile than other salad spinners. Some have complaints about the durability, saying that the plastic outer bowl cracks easily.

Ready to crank out some greens? The Cuisinart large 5-quart salad spinner certainly is. Its construction is similar to the OXO brand spinner, but this one has a handle for spinning the inner bowl. If you are drawn to color, the Cuisinart's vibrant green may be more appealing. The bowl is clear so it can double as a simple serving bowl for your finished salad.

Reviewers like that the lid locks and has a spout built in to allow you to both add and drain water without removing the lid – a relatively unique feature in the realm of salad spinners. The Cuisinart is also easy to use and clean and the 5-quart capacity is large enough to handle a lot of greens at once. Like most kitchen gadgets made from plastic, reviewers' biggest complaints for this salad spinner about the durability as many have found that the bowl cracks easily. Another common issue is that this one takes up more cabinet space since the spin handle does not fold. It sure is fun to spin, though!

For those who are truly salad pros, invest in the OXO Good grips 6.22-quart glass salad spinner. This one has all the same features as the plastic one — fast spin action, a non-slip pump, and an inner basket that can function like a colander. Once you are done drying your greens, rinse and dry the bowl and then plop your greens right back into the glass bowl assemble and serve your salad. There's no denying that the glass bowl looks much classier for serving your finished salad than the standard plastic one. Another perk of the glass bowl is that it can hold a chill for longer –- a simple step to achieve the crispest, coolest salads.

If you're truly into kitchen gadgets that are multipurpose, you can use the glass bowl from this salad spinner as a mixing bowl for anything from making brownie batter to whisking eggs. One of the biggest drawbacks to this spinner is how heavy it is, per reviewers, but its overall functionality outweighs that concern (pun intended).

The GoodCook 5-quart salad spinner is the most budget-friendly salad spinner on this list and it has several features that others do not. The outer bowl of this spinner has a built-in handle which makes it easier to hold when rinsing and draining your greens. (Although the handle does add to its size for storage, so keep that in mind.) It's also got a pour spout so you don't have to open it up to drain the water that spun out of your lettuce.

A rotary knob in the lid creates the spin action for this spinner, and reviewers find that this lid design makes it easy to spin fast enough to greens nice and dry. The 5-quart capacity can also handle a good amount of lettuce all at once. If you despise hand-washing dishes, this is also the only salad spinner where every part is dishwasher safe. Reviewers had some complaints about the durability since the bowl can crack and some had issues with the spinner handle  breaking off. Others wished that there was a lock function for the lid since it can pop off when trying to use the pour spout. For the price, though, its tough to beat the ease of the GoodCook.

To determine the best salad spinners, I sourced customer reviews on multiple retail websites. When looking through reviews, I focused on things like functionality and convenience when spinning greens, overall design, and durability. Size was another important factor, both in terms of cabinet storage space as well as how much each spinner is capable of holding.