I use mine all the time...it is a spin kind but I keep wanting to get a pump Oxo one...If mine would break or something, I'd have a reason to...:-)

Have fun! and what a nice husband!

Stacy

I have an inexpensive one that has a crank on top. I love it!

No more waiting forever for lettuce to drain on towels, no more tying it in a dishtowel and swinging it around on the porch! LOL

You'll love having a spinner!

Linda

Gotta love those husbands! I have an OXO pump model. Depending on my stress level, I find the process of cleaning greens can be quite cathartic:)

As an aside, I also use this to spin broccoli or any other vegetable that I want to make sure is close to moisture-free. I have to make sure the vegetables are level, or it could take flight. I use the colander/bowl as stand alones for other tasks. Very useful for the space.

Have fun "being green"

Cathy in SWPA

What a thoughtful guy! He's a keeper! :-) My spinner is a cheap plastic, manual rotation, one. We bought it for less than $10 years ago. It's simple but it works! I can't live without my salad spinner since I eat salads every day. I have a couple of those "Spin n Stor" type of disposable bags that I use when we go on family vacations. Can't miss my daily "spin" LOL Al

Elery bought me one, I don't know what kind because I've never used it. I just can't learn to like salad, no matter how I try.

I don't dislike it, I'm just apathetic. I'll eat it, if it's placed in front of me, but I won't bother to make it. Lettuce usually sits in my refrigerator until it's slimy and then I throw it away.

I'll slice a cucumber, a red pepper, tomatoes, whatever, and I'll eat those, but I just don't care at all about those green lettuces. I grew several kinds in the garden last year and never ate a bite of any of them. Elery did, Amanda did, Ashley's pet rabbit did, but I did not. My intentions are always good, I think I should eat them, but I never do.

I do eat greens in the spring/summer/fall from the garden, things like chard and collards and I wash those but I always pick, wash and cook far more than that little spinner thing would ever hold.

Annie

My new and beloved spinner is an Oxo pump. In addition to being just what I wanted, I can put the whole thing in the top shelf of the dishwasher!
Linda, I got such a giggle out of imagining you on the back porch, madly spinning salad in a dishtowel (thought I was the only one that did that). Perhaps we have a new Olympic sport here--Greens Spinning!

I have the Oxo pump spinner and find it very effective.

Annie, we grew up with salads with most suppers. One of our favorites was what we called "lettuceless salad" and that was only because the lettuce wasn't ready to pick (my dad grew a salad garden hydroponically). BTW, do you like cauliflower?

Mustangs, I only like cauliflower roasted. Not raw, not steamed, not in soup, not with cheese sauce. Just roasted.

Well, I do make one raw "salad" with broccoli and cauliflower pieces, raisins, sunflower seeds, bacon and a mayo dressing, but I can tell you that just because it has broccoli/cauliflower, it sure isn't healthy OR low fat, LOL.

I'll eat it, it's OK. It's definitely not worth the fat and calories to me. The girls love it, though.

Annie

Annie, try making that salad with fat free or low fat mayo, and soy bacon bits. It's a passable low (er) fat version.
My family raves about it and they have no idea it's fat free (I don't use the sunflower seeds) and mine has onions in it.

Deanna

I use mine on a regular basis as well and almost wish it would break so that I could get a new one. The first one I had came with a nice bowl with lid that could also be used for storage. At Christmas at my parents' house, I sent one of the guests into the yard with lettuce in an old (but clean) pillowcase and had him sling it around in the yard to get the lettuce dry. Luckily the weather was in the low 70s. I have to say that the pillowcase method works better than the salad spinner and also gives you (or someone else) a bit of exercise.

Lars

I have a real cheapie pump type. It was so cheap I couldn't pass it up. Surprisingly, it works as well as the Zyliss or OXO models I have gifted a few people with. Drying the greens makes such a difference in a salad!

Jim

I bought mine at a thrift store about 20-years ago. I grow a lot of greens (indoors in the winter and outdoors during the early spring and late summer), so it gets a workout. I also spin fruit/veggies I stick in an acid dip before I dehydrate them. The salad spinner works great to remove the excess water before placing the food in the dehydrator.

-Grainlady

I have not been able to find a salad spinner which works for me. They are either too small, too slow, too expensive or too breakable.

So I made my own. I will have to make a video to show.

dcarch

I have a Zyliss and like it. I'd prefer a pump, but the Zyliss is still like new and I don't think it's going to give up anytime soon.

Salad spinners actually work will for deseeding tomatoes, I discovered last year when I had to make a large amount of tabouleh.

I use an OXO but honestly I find a pillowcase better! I first used the pillowcase when I was renting a vacation condo and it works so much better and then you can just wrap the unused greens right up in it and put it in a plastic bag in the fridge for storage - its perfection.

Six days left:

http://www.shopgoodwill.com/viewItem.asp?ItemID=5770106

dcarch

I have a large OXO with a pump. Works great, but it doesn't get used much. Like Annie, I could care less about salads.

Ann

I've always wanted one but never have bought it for myself.

I actually had a dream last night that DH brought me home a salad spinner from this post yesterday! LOL

Please don't think I'm certifiable and before I experiment with disastrous results, has anyone used their spinner to remove excess water from pasta? I usually use a paper towel after pasta (macaroni, ziti) drains in a colander to remove any excess moisture so the sauce will adhere. It would be nice if it separated those conjoined twin ziti too:)

Cathy in SWPA

Use a plastc bag, swing it vigorously with pasta inside. Cut a little hole to drain off the water.

Use double bags in case one leaks.

dcarch

Cathy in SWPA,
I just tried removing excess water from pasta. I had to cook some mini-shells for the hens (don't laugh) and thought I'd try it. Bad idea. If you want to start with linguini and end up with orzo, maybe. Interesting experiment, and I sincerely hope my hens like pasta paste.

My only criteria for salad spinners is that the water be allowed to drain from the bottom. I just can't wrap my head around the OXO types that may collect enough water to re-soak the greens at the bottom of the bowl. I usually, therefore, have the cheaper SS by default. I hate making salads and usually assign it to others, grin.

Oh my goodness, marlingardener! I'm so sorry you had the disastrous result ... you saved me from some "orzo" tonight, though.

I'm keeping my fingers crossed the hens are in a forgiving mood:) Thanks for reporting your results.

Take care -- Cathy in SWPA

marlingardener, I'm sure the hens won't mind. If they are at all like my girls, they eat like voracious locusts, anything in their way!

That's OK, they give me nice fresh eggs most of the year (although not right now, I'm getting about 3 a week), so they can happily scratch, peck and munch their way through life...

Plus, they'll eat all that salad that goes bad in my fridge!

Annie

I wouldn't use a salad spinner with pasta either. For pasta, I either remove it with a strainer with a long handle or I pour it through a colander or pasta strainer, depending on the type of pasta. Long, thin pasta I will often remove with tongs. I like having the pot with hot water left over in case I need to boil more pasta.

Lars

I have and make frequent use of my large OXO spinner. For a big batch of greens too big for the OXO I use a pillowcase... in the washing machine! Set the dial on final spin, then give the bag two or three 10-12 second bursts by closing and opening the door. If you just let it run for 20-30 seconds it spins too fast and mashes the lettuce.
Claudia likes salads all year round, so I make sure she gets plenty. For the good garden stuff in season which I'm happy to eat every day, I give it a better wash. Fill a large bowl with cold water, put in loose lettuce leaves, swirl about, then lift lettuce out of bowl to put in OXO basket. Check bottom of bowl for bugs, slugs, bits of dirt and grit. If present, dump water and repeat. Dress lightly. For tender garden lettuce we like Ken's Raspberry and Walnut Lite dressing.
Lord, I have to start some lettuce seeds indoors, and fast! Robert

I have the large OXO spinner and hardly ever use it. It's huge and takes up way too much space. Personnaly, I go with coring my lettuce, rinse and drain in bowl with 'feet' in it. I only cut off as much as I'm going to use at one time so it works better here. (Only iceburg - can't stand the designer lettuce)

Even tried using the spinner with collard greens after chopping and washing, still too much trouble.

I'm beginning to think about pillowcases and washing machines in a whole new light.

Robert, I have to tell you finding slugs cause a "dance in place" in my house. I think I've rinsed good enough outside, but they get the hide 'n seek award. I too use the basket for rinsing. Then I put the clear on top of the basket and shake before spinning.

Dirtgirl07, I love the reference to designer lettuce. HA! While I love different greens, there's something about a wedge of iceberg with good old blue cheese.

Cathy in SWPA

Cathy, you're right on the money with the blue cheese. It's a must with any beef dinners.

The best odd ingredient I found to add to salad, the salad being the meal in itself, is cooked green beans. I never would have thought of it till one of SharonCB's pictures looked like she had added them. Combined with hard cooked eggs and tomatoes - They were fantastic! I forget what dressing I used on that one.

tomato bob, I was silly enough to toss a bunch of collard greens in the washer once, sans pillowcase.

Didn't work worth a darn, LOL, and it took forever to get all the leaves out of the washer!

Your method is better. (grin)

Annie

I'm glad I'm not the only one who doesn't like using a salad spinner dirtgirl. I find it's a bother to use and it takes up too much space in the dishwasher. I rinse the leaf lettuce, shake it off and blot the excess water up with a paper towel.I have read that salad mix and spinach that's supposed to be ready to use, should be rinsed. I don't-probably should tho. Maybe I'll try the salad spinner again. The brand I have isn't real easy to turn. Do you all wash it each time you use it? That would make sense-it's just the size of it takes up a good portion of my dishwasher basket.I might look into getting a smaller one...
Robin

Well, I actually think the salad spinner works well for pasta, as long as it's going to be a pasta salad! In other words, if you have to rinse the pasta with cold water to separate it because it's going in the fridge, the salad spinner works really well....I've used it quite successfully for getting rid of excess moisture before adding any kind of dressing.

Robin, I just rinse mine out after using it, hand dry and put it away. I've never noticed any dirt in it after using it.

That's good to know dirtgirl. It seemed like more work than it was worth for me to have to wash it each time. I need to organize my "salad fixins" because I end up letting too much go to waste and I hate that.
Robin

Here is the first one I ever used. I think I am the reason it is called a salad spinner. Think circa 1976 or so: