The indispensable salad spinner

The salad spinner is one kitchen gadget that I cannot live without. The spinner whirls excess water from the washed salad greens inside the strainer which fits inside a bowl. The lid comes with a crank, a pump, or a pull-cord mechanism to activate the spinning motion depending on the model.

Why use such a bulky accessory in the kitchen that takes up so much room? It is because the centrifugal force produced by the salad spinner removes more excess water from the lettuce leaves than drying them with kitchen towel or spinning them in a mesh bag over your head. Salad dressing and oil stick better to dry leaves than soggy ones. Rinsing and spinning salad greens also perk up pre-packaged and so-called pre-washed greens sold in the supermarket.

So why not take your salad greens for a spin before enjoying a bowl of healthy salad?

All photos were taken by me (Bakerwoman)

Imagine the dirt and grime hiding between the leaves of this butter lettuce. It was in a pile in the vegetable section of the supermarket and had just been misted with water to keep it fresh. It is wet and ready to be purchased by me to take home and be washed and dried in my salad spinner.

Now these are ready to be put into the colander or strainer of the salad spinner to be rinsed.

The salad spinner is made of three parts: an outer plastic bowl, a strainer inside, and a lid with a spinning mechanism. Just grab the knob on the lid and crank in a circular motion to get the strainer inside to turn.

Washing lettuce and salad greens reduces the risk of E. coli. It also removes grit and dirt from the leaves.

The kitchen paper towel will soak up excess water and creates drier lettuce leaves. It will also serve as a cover for the salad when this is temporarily stored in the refrigerator before it is ready to be used. The moist paper towel keeps the lettuce dry and crisp. The paper towel also keeps small pieces of greens from getting caught in the spinning lid.

Since this is an older salad spinner and does not have the rubber grip on the bottom of the bowl, it has to be held down with my other hand to keep it from walking away from the counter when spinning. During the spinning motion, excess water is being flung to the sides of the strainer and drains into the larger bowl. The pump version of this salad spinner, which is a much improved mechanism, enables a one-hand operation. The spinning motion can be stopped by hitting the pump button on the lid.

A second or third spin may be necessary to get rid of most of the excess water. A little bit of exercise will not hurt anyone.

This is a simple salad that is easy to make. Green grapes has always been a favorite of mine to add the sweet and tart element to the salad. Sometimes, I use seedless red grapes which are sweeter than the green ones. And then throw in in some chopped walnuts.

The cool thing about making a salad is that anything goes. Just toss and serve with your favorite salad dressing.

The outer bowl of the salad spinner can be used to serve the salad itself if you wish. It can also be used to store the salad. I use a fancier salad bowl depending on the occasion.

1. The salad spinner is used to wash and dry salad greens and herbs.
2. The outer bowl can be used to serve the salad itself.
3. It can be used as a colander to wash and rinse other fruits and vegetables.
4. The outer bowl can be used to make your dough rise.
5. It can be used as an ice bucket to chill your drinks.
6. You can serve large quantities of popcorn in it for a party.
7. Store smaller kitchen items inside the bowl to save space, like measuring cups, ramekins, etc.

Do you think the salad spinner is truly an indispensable kitchen tool?

Great for folks with arthritis. This spinner is a winner.