What else we tested
We researched many salad spinners and tested six, but only four met our testing criteria. Here's what else we tested that barely made the cut:
- The Zulay Kitchen Salad Spinner: Although the drain seemed handy at first, it really just served to pour the dirty water back over the greens. Plus, its crank arm didn't lay flat, making this super cumbersome.
Our methodology and criteria
To find the best salad spinners, I referenced many review sites to see what they ranked as the best. I then cross-referenced those spinners with ones that had great customer reviews on e-commerce sites.
I called in the top six and tested each one. I used each salad spinner three times to dry two different types of lettuces: spinach and romaine. Spinach is thin and less hearty than romaine so it usually takes longer to dry, while romaine has many nooks and crannies so it's more difficult to get leaves completely dry.
I tested for the following categories
How long it took to dry. Instead of using timing minutes, I counted how many cranks or presses it took to dry. So if it were a crank spinner, I counted how many times I spun the crank. If it were a push-down, I counted how many times I pressed it.
Whether or not I needed to pat the greens dry. Were the greens dry enough to use after spinning, or did I need to blot them with a paper towel? How this spinner performed in this way added or took away from its overall standing.
The overall construction of the spinner. I tried to take into consideration how sturdy and well-made each spinner was. If it felt flimsy, or couldn't be tossed in the dishwasher, I took that into consideration.
How well it cleaned the greens. This was the most important part, especially for fresh greens from the farmer's market that still had dirt on them.