I already own quite a number of OXO kitchen gadgets that have done rather well for me throughout the years. When I decided to purchase a salad spinner I didn’t need to spend much time comparing and analyzing spinners since I figured anything OXO would do. I just needed to check the reviews for any possible issues and select one. Frankly, I don’t care about all the bells and whistles, I just wanted something simple that gets the job done and is easy to clean. This is it! It has one job and does it extremely well... spin-dry. You pump, it spins, letting centrifugal force take over to separate water from your leaves into the outer bowl! The speed is controlled by your pumping action and frequency (use one or both hands for turbo mode). Your regular more sturdy leafy greens (romaine, iceberg, kale, spinach etc) get my turbo mode for a fast spin and dry. Fragile items that you want undamaged (berries & herbs), you want a lighter touch, slower pump action to complete the job without tearing or shredding your cargo. It really is amazing how the complete removal of water from cracks and crevices can extend the life of your produce keeping them fresh and crisp. Doing it by hand was time consuming and a pain in the you-know-what, but the spinner really makes a difference doing the same job in just a few seconds. The biggest upside: Salad spinner + produce = longer lasting produce + less trips to the store! I’ve even gotten bold in my old age and have started buying Sam’s Club restaurant size ‘mega packs’ of romaine heads! After spinning, the heads are wrapped in paper towel, stored in zip lock bags, and stay fresh all month long! Yep, no more running to the store for that one head of lettuce! Strawberries and blueberries (ditto) and elderberries & raspberries (about 3 weeks) without mold, discoloration or starting to shrivel! Herbs are a different matter. I grow my own herbs so I cut fresh as needed (daily or for dried) which is always used up within days. The spinner is easy to use and the basket has a nice capacity that serves my needs (one sm-med head romaine at a time). - Just pump and watch it go! When you need to put on the brakes, simply push the button on the side and watch it come to a full stop. The spinner is dishwasher safe and easy to clean. If there is anything you’ll learn from using a spinner is ‘wet’ sticks better to ‘dry’ for better coverage that includes salad dressing to your dried greens! It’s an awesome kitchen tool and can be considered a multi-purpose item which helped me justify the space it uses (approximately 8” in height, 10.5” in diameter). -Other things I have had success using the OXO spinner for: - Noodles! The basket & bowl is durable enough to act as a strainer and to spin hot & wet macaroni, spirals, bows, shells etc. for salads. - Tomatoes! To remove seeds and/or extra juices when making homemade pasta sauce. - Bok Choy & Broccolini! For deep cleaning of dirt & to remove excess water. - Eggplant! To remove excess moisture after salting. - French fries! To remove excess moisture on homemade fries before deep frying. - Serving Bowl! No need to look for a large serving bowl when you have guests. Remove the basket and the outer bowl is great for tossing and serving your salad. - Dome! Flip the bowl upside down and it covers a devil eggs serving plate as well as cakes & pies. Overall, it’s a quick and efficient way to spin dry fruits, vegetables and herbs to remove excess water and prolong the life of your produce. You will not be disappointed by its performance and end result!