How does a salad spinner work?
A salad spinner works on centrifugal force. The inner basket (a perforated colander insert) holds the wet greens. When the lid mechanism turns the basket rapidly, centrifugal force pushes water outward through the perforations into the outer bowl below. The inner basket slows and the water remains in the outer bowl. The three main lid mechanisms differ in operation: push-button (OXO) uses a pump-and-ratchet design where repeated pushing converts vertical force into rotational spin, allowing one-hand operation; cord-pull (Zyliss) uses a retractable cord wrapped around a spool where pulling the cord spins the basket; and crank (some Cuisinart models) uses a hand-crank that turns the basket directly. Push-button mechanisms are generally preferred for ease of use and one-hand operation. After spinning, the water is poured out and the bowl can be used as a serving bowl or storage bowl.
Does a salad spinner actually dry greens?
A salad spinner removes most surface water from washed greens but does not dry them completely. For most salads, the remaining moisture after spinning is fine; dressing adheres better to slightly damp leaves than soaking-wet ones, and the texture of the greens is not affected. For applications where drier greens are needed (greens dressed with oil-only dressings where water can prevent coating, or greens being stored in the refrigerator after washing), two or three spin cycles remove more water than one. Patting with a paper towel after spinning removes the remaining surface moisture that spinning does not. For maximum dryness (arugula for pizza topping, herbs for deep frying), spin two cycles then spread the greens on a clean towel for 5 minutes. The spinner removes approximately 80 to 90 percent of surface water in a single cycle; a towel-dry step completes the rest.
Can I use a salad spinner for herbs?
Salad spinners work well for drying fresh herbs. Leafy herbs with stems (parsley, cilantro, dill, basil) benefit most from spinner drying. Bundle the herbs loosely in the basket, wash under cold water, and spin one cycle. The spinner removes water from the leaf surfaces and from between stems, which speeds up air drying and prevents the herb bundle from dripping. For storage after washing, dried-in-a-spinner herbs wrapped in a dry paper towel inside a sealed container last 5 to 7 days in the refrigerator. For smaller herbs (thyme, rosemary, tarragon), the small-mesh inner basket from a smaller salad spinner works better than a large-basket one where the herbs fall through the perforations; alternatively, wrap the small herbs in the inner basket loosely with the stems gathered to prevent them from falling through. Mint, cilantro and parsley are the herbs that benefit most from salad spinner drying because of their high leaf surface area.
