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 lettuces/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.
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 to thoroughly dry the device afterwards (we’ve had water mildew build up in the crannies of spinners in the past). No one wants musty-tasting spinach!