The 10 Best Salad Makers
Special Honors
Cuisinart Custom 14-Cup Food Processor The Cuisinart Custom 14-Cup Food Processor isn't necessarily a salad maker per se, but if you are looking for a tool with many uses that can also aid in salad prep, it could be one to consider. It's definitely more expensive than simpler solutions, though. cuisinart.com
Chowbotics Sally For business owners, the Chowbotics Sally fresh food robot offers the ability to provide tasty custom salads virtually anywhere. This makes it a fine alternative to typical vending machines, although it is quite an investment (think five figures). chowbotics.com
Dynacube Professional Dicer Designed and made in France, the Dynacube Professional Dicer is both efficient and safe thanks to cutting grids and a large blade that are nowhere near your hands while in operation. It stores well, too, with its folding legs and suction cup feet, but you can also mount it for a permanent installation. dynamicmixers.com
Editor's Notes
December 14, 2020:
After some consideration, we've opted to add the Presto Electric to the top spot, in place of the Presto Professional Electric. The latter is currently tough to find, and is also more expensive; for most casual at-home cooks, the regular model should be more than sufficient. But if you prefer an electric choice, you can't go wrong with either, especially since there are additional cone types available for separate purchase that will add to the machine's versatility.
As for non-electric models, we selected The Bold Bee Mezzaluna over the KitchenAid Classic Mezzaluna on the strength of its larger size and big handles designed for comfort. We also appreciate that it arrives with a stainless steel "soap" bar that may help rid your hands of that unpleasant onion and garlic smell. But you should pay careful attention to the directions for safely handling the blade cover, because this sharp implement can definitely cut you if mishandled.
And speaking of cuts, we decided to keep the Mueller Austria V-Pro. This mandoline makes veggie prep fast and efficient, but you'll want to handle the slicing guard carefully to avoid cutting your fingers. Wearing a cut proof glove while you work is a good idea.
Finally, we opted to remove the EZ Life Original Cutting Bowl and add instead the Kuhn Rikon Prep, Serve and Store. Although both are relatively small, the Kuhn Rikon model lets you do more, since it allows for food storage as well as prep. It's a bit pricey for such a simple device, but it's made of sturdy plastic and is so simple to use that it might encourage you to eat more vegetables.
November 28, 2019:
To suit those looking for simple items and those who prefer more complicated kitchen gadgets, we've kept a wide range of salad makers at this time. But when it comes to speed and versatility, the Presto Professional Electric still comes out on top. It arrives with four cones for a variety of cutting styles, and if these aren't sufficient for your needs, there are others available for separate purchase. For something with fewer moving pieces, we added the KitchenAid Classic Mezzaluna, a rocking knife that can take care of all kinds of veggies in a hurry. The blade is sharp, as with our other choices, so remember to watch your fingers.
For those who want a model with a salad spinner included, we selected the Gourmia Chef Salad Set, ultimately removing the similar Useful UH-SM183. The latter's lid suffers from ongoing problems, making the Gourmia option the better choice. We also decided to replace the Godmorn Slicer Dicer over concerns about its long-term durability. For a similar mandoline, consider the more robust Mueller Austria V-Pro. It doesn't have a bowl, but it is easy enough to use and made for the long haul.
The Surprisingly Versatile Salad Maker
As for the function of a salad maker, there are two basic options: the electric salad maker, and the hand-turned rotary option.
To be clear from the outset, you yourself will always remain the actual salad maker; no device can choose, clean, cut, slice, dice, and mix all of the ingredients you need to assemble a great salad. But with a great salad maker, you can accomplish many of those tasks with great ease and in relatively little time.
Most salad makers offer you the option to prepare a range of firm vegetables in a variety of ways. These usually include slicing, chopping, grating, and sometimes even spiralizing. In order to create all of these types of cuts without a salad maker, you would need, at the bare minimum, a good set of knives, a grater, and some specialty equipment as well. The purchase of all that hardware would likely surpass the cost of most midrange salad makers anyway, so for the household that frequently enjoys salads, a dedicated salad maker is a wise choice. And any kitchen gadget that encourages you to eat more healthily and enjoy more flavorful foods at the same time is always a good investment.
Any salad maker worth your consideration should be able to produce thickly chopped vegetables, thinly sliced veggies, and grated foods as well. As for the degree of finest of grating, the thinness of slices, and any other specialty cuts (spiral cuts, e.g.) you will have to consider for yourself what is most important.
As for the function of a salad maker, there are two basic options: the electric salad maker, and the hand-turned rotary option. Both types of unit create their cuts in much the same way, with the obvious difference that an electric motor provides the power in one case, while your own muscle power operates the second. Electric salad makers are a great idea for those with strength and/or joint issues such as can be caused by arthritis, injury, or illness, and can in fact empower someone to prepare foods they thought they could no longer handle. On the other hand, a hand-turned salad maker offers its user a higher degree of precision, so if appearance of prepared foods matters to you, a human-powered salad maker might be the best choice.
Salad Preservation Tips
Even when you have a great salad maker readily at your disposal, spending time chopping onions, slicing cucumbers, and grating carrots is not necessarily everyone's idea of a fun time. The more salad you prepare at one time, and the better your store it for later use, the more time you will ultimately save and the less energy you will expend. This is so because you will have to get out (and later clean and put away) your salad maker much less often if you prepare in bulk.
However, many vegetables are rather fragile and tender, spoiling quickly if they are not properly cared for and stored. And proper vegetable storage rarely if ever means storing blended vegetables; keep your veggies separated, and be ready to mix them together just before you enjoy a salad.
However, many vegetables are rather fragile and tender, spoiling quickly if they are not properly cared for and stored.
Let us begin with lettuce, the bedrock of many salads, and a vegetable that does require some careful handling if longevity is desired. In order for lettuce to be stored for more than a day or two, it must be as dry as possible before it is placed in the fridge, and it should be given ample opportunity to shed leftover moisture. Use a salad spinner after you wash lettuce, and/or let it sit out on paper towels in a clean, well-ventilated room. When putting lettuce in the fridge, either use a bag or container with plenty of air holes, or else lightly seal the lettuce in a glass or plastic container that you have lined with paper towels. And unless it is expressly for use in soups or smoothies, don't bother freezing lettuce, it will come out soggy and unappealing.
Diced onions will survive well even in sealed containers, but when possible open the container daily for a few minutes at a time to let accumulated gas out and fresh air in. Look for at least a week of viable use. Chopped onions that will be used in cooking, such as in soups or atop pizza, can be frozen for months at a time and thawed as needed.
Fresh broccoli and cauliflower will survive well for a number of days even after being chopped, provided they are dry prior to storage and are placed in a roomy container. Do not pack either of these veggies firmly, and allow for plenty of airflow to preserve crispness and flavor.
Cut asparagus will lose its firmness quickly; this and a few other vegetables should actually not be prepared in advance. Slice the ends off of the bottoms of the spears, wrap them in a damp paper towel, and then refrigerate the bunch in an open bag, only chopping them right before cooking or serving raw.
Carrots are perhaps the most forgiving vegetable, and can be placed in a crisping drawer loose, left in a plastic bag provided there is at least minimal ventilation, and will last well even if chopped, coined, julienned, or grated.
The Story Behind A Storied Salad
Every famous, easily-identified salad has a story. Sadly, many of them have been forgotten or muddled by the years, but a few of our favorite salads can be traced right back to their roots, as it were.
The Cardini family settled in San Diego, but opened a restaurant across the border in Mexico to circumvent the restrictions of prohibition.
The Caesar Salad is perhaps the best example of a famed salad dish that can be traced to the source and even to the very day and almost the very hour of its inception. It was created by an Italian chef named Caesar Cardini who emigrated from his homeland to America shortly after WWI. The Cardini family settled in San Diego, but opened a restaurant across the border in Mexico to circumvent the restrictions of prohibition.
The establishment became increasingly popular, so much so that on the fateful day of July 4th, 1924, when many Americans crossed the border to celebrate America's Independence Day by drinking in another country, Cardini's restaurant ran short of foodstuffs. The clever chef grabbed what few ingredients he had on hand and created a spectacle of the simple but flavorful new salad, preparing it right in front of his thrilled (and likely inebriated) diners.
The Caesar Salad was an instant hit, and remained a phenomenon local to Southern California and Northwestern Mexico for some years. In the year 1946, a food critic marked the arrival of this west coast sensation to a major New York steakhouse; the national sweep was not long behind.