Have you ever bitten into a gritty piece of lettuce in your salad? Yuck! I've discovered the absolute BEST way to clean your greens and keep them hydrated, crisp and fresh. Let me introduce you to the OXO Pump Action Salad Spinner.  
 
~ What is it and How Does it Work?  
 
The OXO Salad Spinner consists of a large, clear, heavy-duty plastic bowl, measuring about 10 1/2" in diameter and about 6" high, a white plastic open weave basket that fits inside the bowl, and the pump action top/lid.  
 
To use, rinse your greens under cold running water, and then place them in the basket. Put the basket containing the greens into the clear plastic bowl. Put the pump action lid on top to cover the bowl.  
 
The pump top has a simple locking tab that keeps the push-down pump compressed and flush to the lid for storage. To unlock, just slide the lock back. It's very easy to do. The pumper then pops up and extends above the lid about 3" or so. Then just push down on the pumper. The basket inside the bowl spins, and water is extracted from the greens out of the basket, away from the greens, and out into the bowl. Push the pumper down a few times to keep it spinning and allow the centrifugal force to extract the water. You don't need to push more than maybe four to six times, but trust me, you'll probably keep pushing because it's so much fun!  
 
The pumper has a really neat wide, rubber-like non-slip top that you push down. It is easy on your hands, and very easy to push. It doesn't take a lot of pressure at all. The basket spins smoothly and quietly. There is also a brake button on top of the lid. Just press the black rubber brake button to stop the spinning.  
 
The bottom of the bowl has a non-skid surface, which helps to keep the bowl steady as the basket spins. I've got it going pretty fast a couple of times, and the bowl will move a little bit, but it's not a problem. You can use this on any convenient surface.  
 
After you're done playing - er, I mean cleaning your greens, take out the basket with the greens and empty out all the water from the bowl that was extracted from your greens. You can then store the greens in the refrigerator in a ziplock bag, which is what I usually do. Or, if you'd like you can even store the greens right in the Salad Spinner bowl.  
 
The Salad Spinner is easy to clean. The plastic bowl is top-rack dishwasher safe, but since it primarily only has water in it, I just rinse and dry. The whole unit it light weight, uses no electricity or batteries.  
 
~ My Experience, Tips, and Other Notes  
 
I've found that a full head of iceberg lettuce must be broken into wedges, or in half, depending on the size of the head, before it will fit into the basket. And of course to adequately wash and rinse a head of lettuce it's best to break it up anyway. You can rinse your lettuce, then fill the Salad Spinner bowl with water and let it soak for a little bit. Then rinse again, and place the greens into the basket and spin. This will really get your greens super clean, very hydrated, and after chilling they will be crisp and delicious.  
 
Remember, don't use a metal knife to cut your lettuce up though, because the edges will turn brown. Always tear your lettuce by hand to avoid browning, or use a special "lettuce knife."  
 
The greens I've washed and then put in the OXO Pump Action Salad Spinner are the tastiest, crispiest greens I've ever had. And I swear, it is so easy and fun to use this handy tool! If you have children who want to help, this is a perfect task for them.  
 
The Salad Spinner bowl by itself is a perfectly nice bowl that can be used for many other things as well. You can of course store the greens or serve the finished salad in the bowl. Try it for serving popcorn, potato chips, or snacks as well.  
 
I found my OXO Salad Spinner at Target for $24.99.  
 
The only possible drawback I can see to this wonderful kitchen tool is storage. It's a big bowl that will hold about 4 quarts. But finding a spot for this is worth it. You'll have the cleanest, tastiest, crispest greens, and it's just so darned much fun to use! Go take it for a spin!  
 
eating since we purchased them. We have used metal spoons, whisks, spatulas and tools of all kinds. Through it all, not only have they continued to cook wonderfully, but they look good too 
