Handle-style spinners: Easier on the hand than the knob variety, a handle-style salad spinner is also difficult to store because of the awkward shape. The extended handle is attached to the gears, and as you manually spin the handle, the basket spins.

Additionally, some units had a colander that was more difficult to clean for one reason or another. We attempted to take apart, clean, and prepare to dry each unit in under five minutes. All of the contenders were cleaned within this timeframe, but some were easier than others. Five of the models impressed us throughout the cleaning process; these were the Cuisinart CTG-00-SSAS, OXO Good Grips Salad Spinner, OXO Steel, Mueller 5-Liter Vegetable Washer, and Prepworks Collapsible 3-Quart Spinner. The OXO Good Grips Salad Spinner is one of the best push-button style models in our fleet. The push button fits nicely into the palm of our hand, and the downward force made the spinning operation very simple. Cleaning is quite simple, simply requiring you to pull apart the lid — unlike other units that require you to remove a screw. The included brake button worked well and did not need excessive force to stop. In our water and dirt removal tests, this unit performed above average. The colander did not have sharp edges, making it easier to clean. At 6.2 quarts, the Brieftons BR-SS-02 had the most capacity for greens. This is extremely handy when entertaining for a larger dinner party. Our tester found you could fit 6-8 large servings of salad in this spinner. The braking button worked exceptionally well, despite having the largest capacity. This is where this model shined, but on other functions and features, it failed to impress our reviewer. Keeping the spinner secure while operating is a concern. Look for a wide base to ensure stability and features like non-slip coating or feet that make them even more balanced and steady.

Sometimes, you can find an outer bowl with a flow-through design with holes in the bottom to drain the water as you spin. The advantage is that the lettuce dries faster, but this has to be done over a sink to avoid messy spillage. Many types of salad spinners have an outer bowl that doesn't feature holes in the bottom, though. The upside is that you can do your spinning on the counter, but you must dump your bowl periodically to drain the water. There are some models, like the Westmark, that have pour spouts that allow for a more convenient draining experience. If you're looking for a salad spinner that's efficient but also modern and attractive, the Oxo Steel model is a great choice. It has the elements expected from Oxo's trusted brand, plus a sleek design that looks as good on the table serving your freshly spun salad as it does on the counter as a tool.

This was by far one of the most effective spinners, leaving very little water clinging to the greens, so we'll forgive this spinner for not coming with a bowl that can be used for serving. It's even dishwasher safe, and the handle retracts inside the colander, so it can nest in a bowl for storage. Certain units performed poorly in this category, specifically the Brieftons BR-SS-02, which only removed 67% of the dirt water, and the Mueller 5-Liter Vegetable Washer, which only removed 70% of the dirt water. Ease of Spinning The 4.95-quart basket capacity was ample to clean and dry a large head of romaine lettuce in one of our tests. After a soak in cold water for five minutes, it took only 10 easy pumps to completely remove dirt and thoroughly dry chopped romaine. In another test, we cleaned and spun a pint of blueberries but found the steel bowl caused bruising on the berries. We repeated the test with a quart of strawberries and were pleased with the thorough cleaning without any bruising. With that in mind, this model may not be a wise choice for more delicate berries.Operation is easy with the pump-action plunger and stopper. Across two tests—one featuring lettuce and the other berries—we noted the pump was easy to operate with minimal strength required. We also appreciated the non-slip base, which kept everything stable during spinning. Lettuce came out clean, just glistening with moisture, and berries were unbruised and ready to be eaten. If you host larger family meals, the Farberware Professional Pump will make salad, fruit, and vegetable prep stress-free. The lever takes some force to push it down, but once the bowl gets spinning the lever is easier and easier to push, and it can be done with one hand. The brake stops the spinning immediately, which the company says will help "fluff" the greens. We did feel like the rapid momentum that the lever motion was able to achieve, coupled with the sudden braking, helped shake every bit of water off the leaves, making this a very effective salad spinner. And the flat design of the lid makes it ideal for storing the greens right in the spinner.

As the name would suggest, salad spinners work by spinning its contents really fast to remove any excess water and/or dirt. They usually have a removable colander where you can wash your greens before spinning them dry. There are several different mechanisms that a salad spinner might use to spin the greens: The OXO Steel Salad Spinner did a few things quite well. The large, rubber bottom of the bowl, coupled with a securely-fit lid and colander, meant spinning was extremely user-friendly. The most notable attribute of the product is its above-average performance in our water removal tests. One of the most positive notes is that this spinner could remove water and dirt at an above-average level. In the Good Housekeeping Institute Kitchen Appliances Lab, we put 18 salad spinners to the test. We drenched 26 pounds of lettuce and put them through the wringer, noting the percent of water removed from each batch. Then we repeated it all two more times. These are the best salad spinners you can buy, according to testing; plus, several additions that caught our eye: If you're a big fan of leafy greens and eat salads regularly, it may make more sense to opt for a salad spinner that's dishwasher safe and requires less effort to clean. If you don't have a dishwasher or don't plan on using your salad spinner often, the perk of hand washing means your salad spinner will probably resist warping and last longer. For this metric, the first thing to note is that the mechanism to spin the colander varies across models. Five spinners use a crank arm, four use a push button, and one uses a pull handle/arm. These types of mechanisms can work effectively and ergonomically, but there were certain limitations to each type. Models with a crank arm can struggle to stay in place during the spinning action because the force is not applied in a downward fashion.Our Salad Spinner eliminates excess moisture from lettuce, spinach, herbs, vegetables and berries. The side handle gives you more power with less effort, while the easy-access brake button allows you to stop the spinner in an instant. The bowl has a non-slip base to ensure it stays securely on your kitchen surface. This great tool also doubles as colander and serving bowl.