Customer Reviews

OXO Good Grips Mini Salad and Herb Spinner

5 star:		(467)
4 star:		(77)
3 star:		(31)
2 star:		(22)
1 star:		(37)

 

 

I've avoided making salads for a long time because of the preparation time. I had an older salad spinner, but it was the kind you had to turn, and cleaning it afterwards always seemed to take a long time. This spinner is a huge improvement over any I've used before.

You put the rinsed greens in the strainer, or rinse them after they're in, and then put the strainer in the bowl. One easy push and it spins on its own and it does not move around at all on the counter. I have found that it takes a couple spins to dry them the way I like, but while the greens are spinning, you can be chopping up other salad ingredients.

Even better, you can lock the handle in the "down" position and use this spinner to store the unused greens in the fridge; no separate "lettuce saver" is needed. I've had leaf lettuce in mine for several days, and it is still crisp and fresh. Since buying this remarkable spinner, I've had salad every night. And enjoyed every minute of it, preparation included!

If you love salads but hate the prep, get this. You will wonder how you ever got along without it.

If you want to get a bit fancy with your salad spinning, this is the one to buy. Not only can you spin the lettuce and remove all the water, you can use the bowl to serve a salad or store lettuce in the inner bowl.

It is so easy to use. You release the lock mechanism at the top and press down. The inner basket starts to spin, removing most of the water from the lettuce. I love the fact that you can rinse the lettuce in the removable inner basket.

You really win with this one. Wash, spin, store...so much less to wash and it is never boring. It is quite large so you do need a big space to store it in the refrigerator, unless you have a big refrigerator, then it is no problem.

If you have memories of trying to swing lettuce around in a kitchen towel, or have tried to use paper towels while they are falling apart all over the lettuce, you must try spinning in this great salad spinner. Once you have spun the lettuce you can remove the inner bowl and dump out the water.

~The Rebecca Review

I was introduced to OXO tools by my sister when she gave me one of their peelers. She swore that it would make me search for things to peel because it was such a pleasure to use. She was absolutely right! Since then I have become an avid OXO devotee and own many of their products. But the VERY BEST of them all is the Good Grips Salad Spinner. I adore leafy lettuce but always found washing it to be such a chore that on some days I would just skip the salad routine altogether. I had used several styles of lettuce spinners during the past 20 years, but none were even in the same league as the OXO Salad Spinner. Believe it or not --- I actually enjoy washing greens with this device and use it every day. Using the best tool available makes any task more satisfying, and this is the creme de la creme of salad spinners. Have no doubt, this is a purchase you will be glad you made each time you use it. And you will want to use it! I've found that washing the lettuce and draining the excess water from the bowl, then refrigerating the lettuce in the spinner before spinning yields crispy greens. A good thing to do early in the day, then just a quick spin later for a fast salad. I, as another reviewer wrote, also give this item frequently as a gift and it is always a hit.

The first time I heard about a salad spinner I thought, "oh please - is anyone really that lazy?" Then I saw it being used and tasted the crisp, clean, DRY lettuce that emerged and couldn't get to the store quickly enough. I didn't want to spend much money, so I picked one up at IKEA. Big Mistake. Its true that you get what you pay for. Thankfully, my old IKEA spinner passed on to the the great salad bar in the sky last summer and I was able to justify purchasing an OXO spinner. Oh. My. God. The experience is akin to going from a Pinto to a Porche. Not only is it a solid, dependable product (the plastic bowl is thick enough to feel substantial and sturdy enough to stay put while in use) but it is a wonderful size and the salad can be served straight from the bowl. One-click one for yourself today!

If you're like me, you've used dozens of differant salad spinners in your days in the kitchen. Well, let me tell you, this one is like no other. I used to be resigned to placing two hands firmly on my spinner to prevent that terrible shaking and trembling from the centrifugal forces exerted by the spinning water and greens. Well, no longer with this product by Oxo...the solid design keeps the spinner absolutely still, which is no small feat considering the weight of water swirling at some mad rate of rpm. This is more than a great kitchen product...it is a feat of science, and a pleasure to use.

I bought this spinner at the recommendation of my favorite "TV chef", Sara Moulton (Cooking Live). I figured if she liked it enough to mention it on-air, it had to have something special going for it. She was right, and I tossed my old one after trying this one only once. I have recommended it to several people, and bought a couple for gifts. Each person I gave it to has made a point of telling me how much they appreciated it once they had tried it! The best feature is the pump action handle. Forget those crank styles...I had one of those, and it was forever getting unbalanced and the inner lettuce bowl (the perforated one) would pop out of the track it rides in. Extremely frustrating! That can't happen with this one. I also liked that the handle pushes down and stays down for easy storage. Another handy feature is the "brake", a little black button you push to stop the spinning action. Also, it has a rubber circle on the base to keep it from slipping on the counter as you spin. The bowl itself is a great size for serving salad, and attractive enough (clear acrylic) to set on your table. I guarantee, this is the last salad spinner you'll ever buy.

I have been looking for a small spinner like this for years. My mom had a small "regular" style spinner in her home for years, and I have been trying to get them to give it to me. When I saw this item, I knew I had to have it!

Regular sized salad spinners are just too big and cumbersome for some jobs. This small size is perfect for making salad for one or two people, but I use it the most for cleaning herbs. I always got annoyed at having to use my giant spinner to clean a bunch of parsley, and the mini is perfect for this. I use fresh herbs almost exclusively when I cook, and with the mini spinner I wash all my herbs when I come home from grocery shopping and just grab them from the fridge for use later and I don't have to worry about cleaning them. I just fill the bowl with water and let them soak (in the basket) for a few minutes, pull out the seive, dump the water and spin! This also works great for berries.

In addition to the convenient size, I love the fact that you just have to push the handle down to dry the greens, no cranking or pulling ridiculous strings like you're starting a lawnmower. And there's a brake function to stop the spinning. It's also very convenient that you can lock the "pusher" into place when it's not being used.

Who knew a salad spiner had the ability to make me so pleased?

OXO has a smaller version to consider before you buy this unit. If your household is small, or the salad you make is less than a full head of lettuce, the smaller version is worth considering.

This larger version takes up more storage space, not only in the cupboard but also in the dish drainer. That's a consideration when you realize that you need to wash the bowl and colander between uses, and that the inner mechanism on the underside of the cover also needs a chance to dry! I prefer to clean up in the kitchen as I do meal prep, and to let utensils air dry. The larger version made it enough more difficult because of its space requirements that I broke down and bought the smaller one recently.

Bottom line: Look at both--and think--before you buy.

My OXO Good Grips Mini Salad Spinner performed the task decently when it worked. You put the colander in the plastic bowl, put the cover on, and press the big pump to spin. Pretty simple, well designed.

The problem is that the "patented pump mechanism" broke recently. I had been using it for perhaps a year or two. A plastic piece inside the spinner cover broke, and I can't find a way to fix it. I'm left with a colander, a bowl, and a non-functional spinner cover. Perhaps I pushed the knob too forcefully, or perhaps I got a lemon, although it looks like a few other reviewers on this product have reported similar problems.

I generally think OXO makes well-designed products, and I don't mind paying the premium price. But in this case, I'd hesitate to buy another of these.

There are spinners out there that boast of washing and drying. This kitchen gadget nut is also a clean freak. I'll wash my veggies and berries by hand, thank you very much. Then I use my trusty Oxo spinner to finish the job. It is the best DRYER on the market, and I have used a lot of them. Instead of having to pull a cord and hope the thing doesn't fly off the counter or out of the sink, you just pump this puppy a couple of times and watch the centrifugal force dry your greens. The spinner continues on its axis long after the last pump. There is a brake button to stop the action if you wish. The large clear bowl seconds as a salad bowl, and when you are through you lock the pump down out of sight for better storage. What more could you ask for?