Lush Food & Drink

Buying Guide ·Prep

Best Salad Spinners for Feeding a Whole Family

The deciding specification is the published capacity and which part of the spinner it describes, because only one of these five publishes a basket volume alongside the bowl.

By the Lush Editorial Team·Researched & Compared

  • Researched & ComparedSpecs pulled from the manufacturer listing
  • Like-for-LikeSame measures across every model
  • No Paid PlacementsNobody pays to appear here

I compared the published capacity of each spinner and the unit it is given in, whether the figure describes the bowl or the basket, what the maker claims it feeds, the dimensions, weights, draining and washing statements, across five salad spinners using only each maker's own published text.

Our shortlist

Five products, one set of published numbers.
  1. GATBO Commercial Salad Spinner
    Best for counting heads of lettuce

    GATBO Commercial Salad Spinner

    A commercial spinner publishing 2.5 gallons and stating 10 quarts, the only listing here that quantifies produce at 3 to 4 heads of lettuce at a time, in food grade polypropylene on a sealed gearbox with a reinforced aluminum handle, at 13 by 13 by 17.3 inches and 5.8 pounds.

    • GATBO
    • 2.5 Gal
    • 5.8 lb
  2. Farberware Easy to use pro Pump Spinner with Bowl
    Best for knowing what the basket holds

    Farberware Easy to use pro Pump Spinner with Bowl

    The only spinner here that publishes both volumes, a 6.65 quart bowl and a 5.25 quart basket, with a built-in draining system, a one-handed pump and a brake button, a clear bowl on a nonslip base, at 10.31 by 10.31 by 7.44 inches and 1.36 pounds.

    • Farberware
    • 6.6 quart
    • 1.36 lb
  3. OXO Good Grips Stainless Steel Salad Spinner
    Best for putting every part in the dishwasher

    OXO Good Grips Stainless Steel Salad Spinner

    A stainless steel spinner publishing 6.22 quarts with a soft-touch pump, an instant brake button, a lid that comes apart for cleaning and every part stated top rack dishwasher safe, at 10.5 by 10.5 by 8 inches and 3.9 pounds.

    • OXO
    • 6-2/74-Quart
    • 3.9 lb
  4. Stainless Steel Salad Spinner
    Best for draining without opening the lid

    Stainless Steel Salad Spinner

    A 6 liter spinner in 304 food grade stainless steel and food grade PP, with a rotating handle, anti slip pads, a design the maker states fully disassembles, and a drain used by tilting the whole bowl with the lid on, at 7.4 by 8.3 by 10 inches.

    • Generic
    • A2
    • Weight not listed
  5. SveBake Stainless Steel Salad Spinner 5.3 Qt
    Best for a steel bowl that still fits a shelf

    SveBake Stainless Steel Salad Spinner 5.3 Qt

    A 5.3 quart stainless steel spinner with a drainage spout, a transparent lid, a hand crank and a one-touch stop, on a silicone non-slip base, at 9.65 by 9.65 by 8.27 inches and 2.4 pounds, with the outer bowl stated dishwasher safe.

    • SveBake
    • 5.3 Qt
    • 2.4 lb

Side by side

Blank means the maker does not publish it.
ModelBrandSize (capacity)WeightBest for
GATBO Commercial Salad Spinner GATBO 2.5 Gal 5.8 lb Best for counting heads of lettuce
Farberware Easy to use pro Pump Spinner with Bowl Farberware 6.6 quart 1.36 lb Best for knowing what the basket holds
OXO Good Grips Stainless Steel Salad Spinner OXO 6-2/74-Quart 3.9 lb Best for putting every part in the dishwasher
Stainless Steel Salad Spinner Generic A2 not published Best for draining without opening the lid
SveBake Stainless Steel Salad Spinner 5.3 Qt SveBake 5.3 Qt 2.4 lb Best for a steel bowl that still fits a shelf

Each pick in detail

What the listing says for it, and against it.
1 Best for counting heads of lettuce

GATBO Commercial Salad Spinner

A commercial spinner publishing 2.5 gallons and stating 10 quarts, the only listing here that quantifies produce at 3 to 4 heads of lettuce at a time, in food grade polypropylene on a sealed gearbox with a reinforced aluminum handle, at 13 by 13 by 17.3 inches and 5.8 pounds.

  • For it
  • The only listing here that quantifies produce: 3 to 4 heads of lettuce
  • Publishes 2.5 gallons and converts it to 10 quarts itself
  • A sealed gearbox stated to keep water out of the mechanism
  • A reinforced aluminum handle rather than a pump or a knob
  • Against it
  • 13 by 13 by 17.3 inches, which is not a cupboard shape
  • 5.8 pounds, the heaviest of these five
  • Publishes no washing instruction and no dishwasher statement
2 Best for knowing what the basket holds

Farberware Easy to use pro Pump Spinner with Bowl

The only spinner here that publishes both volumes, a 6.65 quart bowl and a 5.25 quart basket, with a built-in draining system, a one-handed pump and a brake button, a clear bowl on a nonslip base, at 10.31 by 10.31 by 7.44 inches and 1.36 pounds.

  • For it
  • Publishes a 6.65 quart bowl and a 5.25 quart basket, the only pair here
  • 1.36 pounds, the lightest of the four here that publish a weight
  • A built-in draining system stated to work with the lid on
  • One-handed pump with a brake, and a basket that doubles as a colander
  • Against it
  • Publishes no washing instruction of any kind
  • A clear plastic bowl rather than steel or glass
  • Claims to feed an entire family without defining one
3 Best for putting every part in the dishwasher

OXO Good Grips Stainless Steel Salad Spinner

A stainless steel spinner publishing 6.22 quarts with a soft-touch pump, an instant brake button, a lid that comes apart for cleaning and every part stated top rack dishwasher safe, at 10.5 by 10.5 by 8 inches and 3.9 pounds.

  • For it
  • States every part is top rack dishwasher safe
  • A lid that comes apart for thorough cleaning
  • Publishes 6.22 quarts, 10.5 by 10.5 by 8 inches and 3.9 pounds
  • A wide non-slip base and an instant brake button
  • Against it
  • Makes no claim at all about how many people it serves
  • Publishes no basket volume
  • Its size field is a garbled fraction rather than a usable figure
4 Best for draining without opening the lid

Stainless Steel Salad Spinner

A 6 liter spinner in 304 food grade stainless steel and food grade PP, with a rotating handle, anti slip pads, a design the maker states fully disassembles, and a drain used by tilting the whole bowl with the lid on, at 7.4 by 8.3 by 10 inches.

  • For it
  • Publishes 6 liters and 7.4 by 8.3 by 10 inches
  • 304 food grade stainless steel with a food grade PP lid
  • States all components separate for cleaning
  • States you can tilt and pour the water out without opening the lid
  • Against it
  • Publishes no weight at all
  • Publishes no brand name, and its size field reads A2
  • Gives its capacity only in liters, with no quart figure anywhere
5 Best for a steel bowl that still fits a shelf

SveBake Stainless Steel Salad Spinner 5.3 Qt

A 5.3 quart stainless steel spinner with a drainage spout, a transparent lid, a hand crank and a one-touch stop, on a silicone non-slip base, at 9.65 by 9.65 by 8.27 inches and 2.4 pounds, with the outer bowl stated dishwasher safe.

  • For it
  • Publishes 5.3 quarts, 9.65 by 9.65 by 8.27 inches and 2.4 pounds
  • A drainage spout for pouring water out between spins
  • A transparent lid so the spin can be watched without opening it
  • A hand crank the maker states is easier on hand joints
  • Against it
  • Only the outer bowl is stated dishwasher safe
  • Publishes no basket volume
  • The lowest capacity figure of these five

Our verdict

GATBO publishes 2.5 gallons, states 10 quarts, and is the only listing that counts produce: 3 to 4 heads of lettuce. Farberware publishes both volumes, a 6.65 quart bowl and a 5.25 quart basket. OXO publishes 6.22 quarts and no serving claim at all. An unbranded listing publishes 6 liters. SveBake publishes 5.3 quarts and compares itself to a 3 to 4 quart bowl.

“Three units, five numbers, and one basket volume between them.”

Lush Editorial Team

What separates these five

Three units on five labels 2.5 gallons, 6.65 quarts, 6.22 quarts, 6 liters and 5.3 quarts. Two of the five make you convert before you can compare them at all.
The only produce count GATBO states its 10 quart spinner dries 3 to 4 heads of lettuce at a time. The other four claim families, diners and gatherings and count nothing.
Bowl against basket Farberware publishes 6.65 quarts for the bowl and 5.25 for the basket. The other four publish one figure and never say which part it belongs to.
What capacity costs 13 by 13 by 17.3 inches and 5.8 pounds for the 10 quart spinner. 10.31 by 10.31 by 7.44 inches and 1.36 pounds for the 6.65 quart one.
Washing statements OXO says every part, top rack. The unbranded listing says the dishwasher. SveBake says the outer bowl only. GATBO and Farberware say nothing.

How we chose

Priorities, not a computed score. The inputs are published specifications, so we rank by what matters most and say how much.

  1. 30% The capacity figure and the unit it is inFive listings, three units. GATBO publishes 2.5 gallons and states 10 quarts. Farberware publishes 6.65 quarts, OXO 6.22 and SveBake 5.3. The fifth publishes 6 liters and never converts it, which puts it beside a 5.3 quart bowl in the same results without either figure being readable against the other.
  2. 25% Whether the figure describes the bowl or the basketOnly Farberware publishes both, at 6.65 quarts for the bowl and 5.25 for the basket. The difference is the space the water needs. On the other four the single published figure is the outer bowl, so the quantity of greens they hold is smaller by an amount no maker states anywhere in the listing.
  3. 20% What the maker says the capacity feedsGATBO counts heads of lettuce, 3 to 4 at a time, which is the only claim here a reader can check against a shopping list. Farberware says an entire family, SveBake says multiple diners and the unbranded listing says lunch, parties and large gatherings. OXO says nothing, which at least leaves the figure to speak alone.
  4. 15% What the capacity costs in counter space and weightThe 10 quart spinner publishes 13 by 13 by 17.3 inches and 5.8 pounds. The 6.65 quart one publishes 10.31 by 10.31 by 7.44 inches and 1.36 pounds. Between those two sit 10.5 by 10.5 by 8 inches at 3.9 pounds and 9.65 by 9.65 by 8.27 inches at 2.4 pounds, and one listing publishes no weight at all.
  5. 10% Emptying and washing it afterwardsA large bowl is a large volume of dirty water. Farberware states a built-in draining system, SveBake a drainage spout, and the unbranded listing a tilt and pour through the lid. OXO states every part is top rack dishwasher safe and the lid comes apart. GATBO publishes neither a drain nor a washing instruction.

How the Five Compare on the Numbers

These five publish their capacity in three different units. GATBO gives 2.5 gallons and converts it to 10 quarts itself. Farberware, OXO and SveBake give quarts. One listing gives 6 liters and never translates it. Comparing a family sized spinner therefore starts with converting the label before anything else, and two of the five make you do arithmetic to read them at all.

Only one of the five says which part of the spinner its figure describes. Farberware publishes a 6.65 quart bowl and a 5.25 quart basket, and the basket is the number that decides how much lettuce goes in. The other four publish one figure apiece and attach it to nothing, so the greens capacity of four out of five spinners on this page is unknown.

Specification GATBO Farberware OXO Generic SveBake
Capacity as published 2.5 gallon, stated as 10 qt 6.65 qt bowl, 5.25 qt basket 6.22 qt 6 liters 5.3 qt
Basket volume stated not published 5.25 qt not published not published not published
What the maker says it feeds 3 to 4 heads of lettuce an entire family not published lunch, parties, large gatherings multiple diners
Published dimensions, in 13 x 13 x 17.3 10.31 x 10.31 x 7.44 10.5 x 10.5 x 8 7.4 x 8.3 x 10 9.65 x 9.65 x 8.27
Published weight, lb 5.8 1.36 3.9 not published 2.4
Material stated food grade polypropylene clear plastic bowl stainless steel 304 stainless steel and food grade PP stainless steel, plastic lid
How it is driven aluminum handle, sealed gearbox pump with brake button pump with brake button rotating handle hand crank, one-touch stop
Draining with the lid on not published built-in draining system not published tilt and pour through the lid drainage spout
Dishwasher statement not published not published all parts, top rack can be washed in the dishwasher outer bowl only
Basket doubles as a colander not published stated stated stated as a filter basket stated as a strainer

What the table cannot tell you is how many people any of these actually feeds, because a serving of salad is not a defined quantity and none of the five defines one. GATBO comes closest by counting heads of lettuce instead of people. It is also the only listing here that publishes a height above 17 inches, which is the price of a 10 quart bowl and something no capacity figure warns you about.

Three Units, Five Numbers, One Comparable Figure

Gallons, Quarts and Liters in One Category

GATBO publishes 2.5 gallons in its size field and states 10 quarts in the same breath, which is the clearest labelling on this page even though it uses the largest unit. Farberware publishes 6.65 quarts, OXO 6.22 quarts and SveBake 5.3 quarts. The fourth listing, which publishes no brand name at all, gives 6 liters and no quart figure anywhere in its text.

That matters more than it sounds on a family prep page, because the difference between 5.3 quarts and 6 liters is not obvious at a glance and the two listings sit beside each other in the same search results. SveBake makes the comparison explicit in its own words: it states 5.3 quarts is more suitable for family use than a 3 to 4 quart bowl.

The Bowl Is Not the Basket

Farberware is the only listing on this page, and one of very few in a pool of twenty six, that publishes both numbers: a 6.65 quart bowl and a 5.25 quart basket. The gap between them is the water the spinner has to throw the greens into. Without that second figure, a quart number is the outer bowl, and the lettuce capacity is smaller by an amount nobody publishes.

OXO’s size field makes the point in a different way. It reads as a garbled fraction rather than a number, while the title states 6.22 quarts plainly. That is a fielded figure that cannot be used and a stated figure that can, which is the usual order of reliability in this category: the maker’s own sentence beats the field it filled in.

What the Makers Say the Capacity Feeds

Heads of Lettuce and Whole Families

GATBO is the only listing here that counts produce rather than people. It states the 10 quart spinner dries up to 3 to 4 heads of lettuce at a time, and names small restaurants and cafes alongside home kitchens. That is a figure you can plan a week around, because heads of lettuce are a unit you buy in and servings are not.

Farberware claims enough capacity to feed an entire family and backs it with the two volumes rather than a count. SveBake states the 5.3 quart bowl meets the needs of multiple diners. The unbranded 6 liter listing states it suits lunch, parties and large gatherings. None of the three defines a family, a diner or a gathering, so all three claims sit on the volume alone.

The One That Makes No Claim

OXO publishes 6.22 quarts and says nothing whatever about how many people that serves. Its six feature bullets cover the pump, the brake, the non-slip base, the bowl doubling as a serving bowl, a lid that comes apart and every part being top rack dishwasher safe. Not one of them mentions a family, a batch or a quantity of greens.

That restraint is worth something on a page about capacity. A quart figure with no serving claim attached is a quart figure you can compare, while a claim with no figure behind it is not. OXO gives the figure and stops, and of these five it is also the only one that states every single part may go through a dishwasher.

What Family Capacity Costs on the Counter

Height, Footprint and Weight

GATBO publishes 13 by 13 by 17.3 inches and 5.8 pounds, the heaviest of these five. A 10 quart bowl with an aluminum handle on top of it is a floor standing shape rather than a cupboard shape, and the listing’s own description of it as compact should be read against 17.3 inches rather than instead of it.

The others are counter sized. Farberware publishes 10.31 by 10.31 by 7.44 inches and 1.36 pounds, the lightest of the four here that publish a weight, which is what a clear plastic bowl buys you. OXO publishes 10.5 by 10.5 by 8 inches and 3.9 pounds in stainless steel. SveBake publishes 9.65 by 9.65 by 8.27 inches and 2.4 pounds.

Emptying and Washing a Large Bowl

A family sized spinner is a bowl of dirty water you have to empty, and three of the five publish a way to do it without lifting the lid. Farberware states a built-in draining system, SveBake a drainage spout you tilt and pour through, and the unbranded listing states you tilt the whole thing and pour through the lid before spinning again. GATBO and OXO publish nothing on that.

Washing splits the same way but differently. OXO states all parts are top rack dishwasher safe and that the lid comes apart for cleaning. The unbranded listing states it can be washed in a dishwasher. SveBake states the outer bowl only, and that the inner basket and lid are treated separately. GATBO and Farberware publish no washing instruction at all.

Which One Fits Your Kitchen

Buying lettuce by the head. GATBO publishes 2.5 gallons, states 10 quarts, and is the only listing here that counts produce: 3 to 4 heads at a time. It publishes 13 by 13 by 17.3 inches and 5.8 pounds, so give it floor or larder space rather than a cupboard shelf.

Wanting to know the greens capacity. Farberware publishes a 6.65 quart bowl and a 5.25 quart basket, the only pair of figures on this page, at 10.31 by 10.31 by 7.44 inches and 1.36 pounds. It states a built-in draining system and publishes nothing about washing.

Everything in the dishwasher. OXO publishes 6.22 quarts and states every part is top rack dishwasher safe with a lid that comes apart. At 3.9 pounds and 10.5 by 10.5 by 8 inches in stainless steel, it makes no claim at all about how many people it feeds.

Working in liters. The unbranded 6 liter spinner publishes 7.4 by 8.3 by 10 inches in 304 stainless steel and food grade PP, with a rotating handle, a drain you use through the lid and a dishwasher statement. It publishes no weight and no brand name.

A steel bowl that fits a shelf. SveBake publishes 5.3 quarts, 9.65 by 9.65 by 8.27 inches and 2.4 pounds, with a drainage spout, a transparent lid and a one-touch stop. Only its outer bowl is stated dishwasher safe, and it compares itself to a 3 to 4 quart bowl rather than to the larger spinners here.

What We Could Not Verify

These are the figures the five listings do not publish, and nothing above has been filled in for them.

  • Four of the five publish one capacity figure and never say whether it is the bowl or the basket.
  • No listing defines a serving, so an entire family, multiple diners and a large gathering are all unmeasured claims.
  • The unbranded 6 liter listing publishes no weight, and no brand name either.
  • GATBO and Farberware publish no washing instruction of any kind.
  • GATBO and OXO publish no way to drain the bowl with the lid in place.
  • No listing publishes how long a spin takes or how dry the greens are afterwards.

Frequently asked questions

How big a salad spinner does a family actually need?+

The only listing here that answers in a usable unit is GATBO, which states its 10 quart spinner dries 3 to 4 heads of lettuce at a time. Everything else is expressed as volume or as an adjective. SveBake is the next most concrete: it states 5.3 quarts is more suitable for family use than a 3 to 4 quart bowl, which puts the family threshold somewhere above 4 quarts by its own account.

Why does the capacity figure not tell me how much lettuce fits?+

Because on four of these five it is the outer bowl. Farberware is the exception and publishes both: a 6.65 quart bowl with a 5.25 quart basket inside it. The basket is where the greens go and the gap is the room the water needs to be flung into. Without that second figure, a quart number overstates the greens by an amount none of the other four makers publishes.

Is the commercial 10 quart spinner sensible in a home kitchen?+

Its own listing names home kitchens alongside small restaurants and cafes, and calls the capacity compact. Read that against the figures it also publishes: 13 by 13 by 17.3 inches and 5.8 pounds, driven by a reinforced aluminum handle on a sealed gearbox. It is a serious piece of equipment rather than a cupboard item, and it publishes no washing instruction at all.

Which of these five can I put in the dishwasher?+

OXO is the clearest: every part is stated top rack dishwasher safe, and the lid comes apart for cleaning. The unbranded 6 liter listing states it can be washed in the dishwasher. SveBake limits the claim to the outer bowl and treats the inner basket and lid separately. GATBO and Farberware publish nothing about washing, which on a 10 quart polypropylene bowl is the omission that matters most.

What is the point of a drainage spout?+

It lets you pour the dirty water out without breaking the seal, which on a bowl above 5 quarts is the difference between one movement and three. SveBake publishes a drainage spout, Farberware a built-in draining system, and the unbranded listing describes tilting the whole bowl and pouring through the lid before spinning again. GATBO and OXO publish no drain of any kind.

Why is one of these listings unbranded?+

Its brand field is empty and its size field reads A2, which is a variant code rather than a size. What it does publish is specific: 6 liters of capacity, 304 food grade stainless steel with a food grade PP lid, 7.4 by 8.3 by 10 inches, anti slip pads, a rotating handle and components that separate for cleaning. It publishes no weight, and no quart conversion for the 6 liter figure.

Specifications come from the manufacturers' own published listings. Lush Food & Drink may earn a commission if you buy through a link on this page, at no extra cost to you. How we research.