If you need something that won't break but can handle washing and drying smaller batches of lettuce, this 3-quart Progressive Collapsible Salad Spinner with a silicone construction and collapsible design is a wonderful option. The Oxo Good Grips large salad spinner has won many awards over the years for its classic good looks and functionality, yet it continues to develop the design.

We also found it required quite a lot of effort to move the turning handle to begin with, and it was tricky to keep hold of the spinner with the other hand. For each test, we noted how operating the pump or knob felt and how much strength was required to start and continue spinning.The colander failed to stay in place at higher speeds, creating a wobble in the unit, which can scuff salad bowls.

The colander securely fit within the bowl, and the non-slip pads on the bottom stabilized the bowl during high-speed spinning. Kitchen Storage A small kitchen needs to have clever kitchen storage ideas and solutions to organise the clutter and chaos that comes with managing a kitchen. After using the colander to rinse an entire box of tagliatelle, we segued it to the table in the brushed stainless steel bowl for family dinner. During our tests, we washed and spun two large heads of romaine lettuce and observed there was still space in the bowl for more. A salad spinner is at its best when drying salad leaves and herbs but can be used for other veggies – broccoli, spinach, kale – and firmer fruits, even pasta if you want to dry it once cooked for a salad.The OVOS 5-Quart Salad Spinner has two clips/buckles, while the Cuisinart CTG-00-SSAS has one clip/buckle that secures the lid to the bowl; this made for both desirable and negative outcomes.

The bowl has a decorative frosted design on the side and can be used for serving, and we liked that that the lid can be inverted for storage so the knob won't stick out. Thoughtful design and an abundance of practical features puts OXO’s Good Grips Salad Spinner at the top of our best salad spinner list.The lever takes some force to push it down, but once the bowl gets spinning the lever is easier and easier to push, and it can be done with one hand.