OXO Good Grips Salad Spinner - Large Lettuce & Fruit Washer, BPA-Free, Easy One-Hand Pump

I bought one of these maybe 20 years or more and hadn't used it in a long time. When I recently pulled it out to start using again (not buying any more ready-to-eat-Caesar salad kits in the bags that go bad in 2 days) it really smelled bad. Like a dusty sort of smell. So I bought this new one, which now can be taken apart to wash and dry. I recommend drying by hand, especially if you live in an apartment with poor water quality, which creates water spots. I use the basket to rinse off my chopped Romaine lettuce then give it a good spin, stop, empty out the water, then give it one more spin.It takes up a LOT of room in my refrigerator, so I put leftover salad in a smaller container.

In hindsight, I probably would have ordered the smaller spinner, but since there were only a few dollars difference between the larger and smaller, I went for the larger. And boy, is it large! I bought this spinner on ATK's recommendation. I previously had a crank-style spinner with a bowl that had holes in them, in addition to the inner sieve bowl, that I used for over 20 years. It worked well enough, but demanded strength to turn the crank and sometimes demanded "reloading" the lettuce, like when you reload the washer when it goes out of whack. I was amazed that with a few presses of the pump, it spins and spins and spins. I appreciate that I don't have to use a separate bowl to rinse the lettuces. The inner sieve is very rigid, unlike my old one, which had some flexibility. I appreciate that there is a removable cover under the lid so you can just wash that part, not the whole assembly. My old one would gather gunk on the plastic gears and I had to take it apart to clean it.

It's been two years and this salad spinner is still going strong. The only advice I will give is be a little careful taking apart the lid for washing--we've had the central mechanism come apart if we popped it out to roughly and putting it back in is a bit of a pain.Otherwise it works great, gets a ton of water out from lettuce, berries, herbs, mushrooms etc. Recently learned it is also great for drying legos if you need to wash them. Definitely would recommend.

OXO doesn't disappoint. I appreciate having a smaller size spinner. It states that it is for herbs but is actually a perfect size for a single large chopped salad for a day's lunch. Obviously, the smaller size means smaller storage space. I reach for this smaller spinner more than I do a larger one. Disassembly of the spinner lid was a little scary at first since I thought I was going to break it but its construction is robust, and one just needs to be assertive when doing it. I watched a video to make sure I was doing it right first and then with gusto (!), got the lid disassembled for potential cleaning.

I used to think salad spinners were a waste of money (I had a plastic OXO one years ago that I wasn't overly impressed with) but this one performs pretty well. It has quite a large capacity, which comes in handy when you're meal-prepping or making large smoothie batches.I knew it being glass would make it heavier but it is still a lot to handle, especially if you have arthritis, joint hypermobility, etc., so bear that in mind before purchasing. I recommend getting silicone grip gloves as a precaution if you do go this route.I was specifically looking for glass because it's easier to clean, doesn't absorb odours, and chemically inert (compared to plastic) and this was the only one that fit the bill on Amazon. It's got fairly solid construction -the glass is quite thick- and while I am careful with it, i'd wager it could probably tolerate rougher handling.Not really sure what purpose the 'brake' is supposed to serve but it's there if you like sort of thing.I took off one star because it's not the most user-friendly weight and a bit over-priced for what it is.

Why did you pick this product vs others?:I had a salad spinner that was another brand that just did not hold up. We ordered the OXO brand because of the reviews and it has been great. Easy to use and spins out the lettuce great. You can also wash fruit and spin it to make them last longer. Overall this is the best salad spinner for the money!

I absolutely love this salad spinner. I use it for everything from lettuce and berries to herbs and full salad mixes. It gets produce incredibly dry without bruising it, which makes meal prep so much easier and faster. The spinner mechanism is smooth and effortless, and the brake feature works perfectly. One of my favorite things is that the clear bowl can also be used as a full-sized salad bowl, so I can prep and serve from the same container. It is durable, easy to clean, and well worth the price. I highly recommend it for anyone who wants fresh, crisp produce with less mess.

Wow what an upgrade from the older generation. I had the older one for many years and it lasted a very long time and still works this day, but it was time to upgrade to this new one! Awesome spinning mechanism and clear plastic!