Salad Spinners are not all created equal...

For several years, I have been using a salad spinner that is of, questionable make. I got it at a low cost retailer thinking I could save a few bucks and have a great salad spinner. Boy, was I wrong. The handle that cranked the spinner was awkward to use and because it was hard to use you could not get it to spin as fast as it should. There were holes in the bottom that got water all over the counter (you couldn't have it in the sink, it decreased your leverage to crank the handle even more). So, I eventually came to the decision (reluctantly, because who hates to admit that they were wrong) that I had bought cheaply to save money, only to have to spend again, to get a quality item that was worth having in my kitchen. Now, I am in love with my new one....meet my OXO Salad Spinner...





Isn't it beautiful. Now, I have held back in sharing this for a few weeks because I wanted to be sure that I had not been hoodwinked again. You may think that this is silly to be in love with a kitchen gadget. Let me tell you why you will fall in love too. First of all, it is fun for the kids (Yes, even the kids can do it!). They just push on the top and away it spins forever. Then once it is cleaned and spun you can use this as a salad bowl. It is a little big to store in your refrigerator, especially when you have a rental size refrigerator, but mine has hardly been out of my refrigerator since I bought it on Christmas Eve. The most awesomely unexpected aspect of the bowl and why it has been in my refrigerator so much is it is wonderful for storing your lettuce after you have washed it. You leave a little water in the bottom and it gives you humidity to keep your lettuce leaves crisp. Yes, crisp. I have even had slightly limp lettuce return to crisp after storing it in this manner. Many of you may think I am crazy to extol the virtues of my salad spinner, but the first silly salad spinner drove me nuts! Every time I used it I was reminded that a few more dollars would have bought me what a really wanted. I keep learning the lesson that being thrifty saves you money, being cheap always makes you pay twice...every time. Kisses to my beautiful OXO Salad Spinner!