Salad Spinner

Anyone use a salad spinner when cleaning lettuce?

[Mezzaluna]

Yes, I do. I wash the leaves in Pfft, then drain them in the spinner. Mine's a Zyliss, I think. It's too big for salad for two, as it does a better job on larger batches.

I have used one in the past. I think they work wonders. I strongly recommend them. I am currently without one due to attitude from "the powers that be" and excessive over spending! I have heard that they exist in a home version, but have never seen one.

Sure, they make home size salad spinners. I have used them in the past and think they are great.

[mudbug]

oops

[This message has been edited by cchiu (edited 12-11-2000).]

[mudbug]

I think if you have the space for one and will get your use out if it, then it's a good investment. If not, there's always the dryer or a pillow sheet!

[Athenaeus]

I have just read in a Greek news-paper that for better results you should put in the spinner apart from the lettuce some pieces of paper towels, to asbord the liquids the spinner cannot remove...

I think that this is exaggeration

What do you think???

[Peachcreek]

We use them at the restaurant to dry our lettuce leaves. Nothing worse than drippy wet lettuce! I have had really good luck finding them at thrift stores-including a Zyliss with the string-type spinner for no more than maybe 2-3 dollars. I get oh, say a year our of them before the die, but it is still so much cheaper than buying a big commercial one. We only do 12 heads a day average, which isn't THAT much...
Which reminds me- Time to toss out the broken ones!

[Athenaeus]

Ok. But do you put in the spinner paper towels so as to have a better result???

[Suzanne]

I doubt that even putting in paper would get all the water off, since leaves are so crinkly and crenelated. Anyway, I don't put in paper towels. Just the leaves. I prefer to tear them first; my hubby puts them in whole. In either case, there is still some water on them when we're done spinning them. So we usually put them in the salad bowl, cover them with one piece of paper towel, and put the bowl back in the fridge until we're ready to dress it just before eating. By that time the extra water has evaporated and the leaves are nice and crisp.

BTW: my spinner is 20 years old, give or take. It was made by Hoan. It does NOT have a string to pull, just a knob in the top and a series of gears (all plastic) that make the basket rotate. If and when I do need to replace it (can't imagine when!), I would get the Oxo version, with the knob you push down to get the gears working. The only thing I don't like about that is the complicated spring thingy inside, that can pop out when you open it to wash. Better than a string that breaks, though.

Before I got the spinner, we would use miles of paper towels. Even letting them dry and reusing them, it was an awful lot of refuse. I would hate to part with my spinner.

[brreynolds]

Athenaeus:

We should conduct an experiment to see if paper towels dry more efficiently when put into the salad spinner with the greens or when put into the salad bowl after spinning. However, without empirical evidence, I'd expect the towels to work better after spinning for two reasons.

First, the spinner compresses the greens, it doesn't agitate them like a washer does with clothes. As a result, only one surface comes in contact with the paper towel, and once that surface is dry, the paper towel does not then go on to dry more surfaces.

Second, when first put into the spinner, the greens are very wet. If they soak the paper towels, the paper towels will stop absorbing. On the other hand, if the greens are first spun, and then put into a bowl with dry paper towels, the towels should be capable of absorbing water left from the spinning process.

If Harold McGee is a reader of this forum, perhaps he could get going on this scientific dilemma.

BR

[Kimmie]

I have a Zyliss and a second one that fits Suzanne's description. I would part with the Zyliss but not with the other one...

[Jock]

I used to have an old Zyliss but the gears wore out. Now I have one of the OXO spinners that I think is great. Usually you have to spin the leaves 3 or 4 times, redistributing them in the basket between spins to get all the water out.
I can't see a benefit to adding paper towels to the basket. If the water gets as far as the towels, it's only 2 more centimeters through the holes and into the bowl.

Jock

[Chefmom]

I have the Oxo spinner that I use at home. I personally love it and I use it often. I'm not sure about the paper towels, maybe spin the leaves first, then place a few towels inside and spin again to try to remove excess water. I have never had a problem with it not getting the leaves dry enough, but I am also not filling it to capasity at home.

Tami

...oh, it also works great for spinning french fries dry before blanching!!

[Athenaeus]

This was my next question Chefmom...

Does the spinner have other uses apart from spinning salad for you?

Drying your socks maybe

Seriously, a friend of mine told me that she uses the spinner to remove the seeds from riped tomatos.