Progressive International CSS-1 Collapsible 5-Quart Salad Spinner

Description

Progressive International is your source for the widest range of functional, inventive and fun kitchen tools and great ideas put into practice. Our in-house designers spend hours in the kitchen coming up with ways to improve on a variety of traditional tasks and tools. Established in 1973, our commitment to quality and service allows us to offer a broad selection of quality kitchenware and other household products. The collapsible salad spinner from Progressive International is an innovative and new design in the preparation of lettuce, fruits and vegetables. The spinner collapses for compact storage and cleaning and allows you to save approximately twice as much space when storing. A self retracting pull cord makes washing and drying of fruit and vegetables quick and easy, while an integrated brake in the lid easily stops spinning basket with the push of a button. To use, remove the lid with the pull cord handle and first expand the inner basket. Next, expand the outer bowl prior to spinning fruits and vegetables. 5-quart capacity when expanded; measures 10.5-inch in diameter and 3 inches high when collapsed. The bowl and basket are dishwasher safe, but the lid must be washed by hand.

Features

• 5-quart salad spinner quickly and effortlessly removes water from produce
• Self-retracting cord spins internal drainage basket with a simple tug
• Unique collapsible design reduces to half its height for easy storage
• Integrated brake stops spinning motion; dishwasher-safe bowl and basket
• Measures 10-1/2 by 10-1/2 by 3 inches when collapsed

Customer Reviews

1. Wow!

   Date: 2010-08-30

   Customer Rating:
   

   Not sure how I ever lived without this! It's wonderful. My salads will never be the same again.

2. It's guaranteed to break sooner or later.

   Date: 2010-08-28

   Customer Rating:
   

   I give Progressive points for attempting to make a salad spinner that can collapse. This is a fantastic idea, and I was very excited to get one as a gift one day.
   
   The first thing I noticed, however, is that the pull-string is fabric. I immediately thought "one day, this is going to break." Within a few weeks, it had indeed frayed, and within a few months of usage (maybe twice a week), it completely broke off. I tried to see if there might be a way for me to fix it, but there's really not, since the string coils around internally through the top. You could conceivably reach it, but it would require more trouble and time than it is worth.
   
   Further, you can't get this one to spin as fast as the Oxo, and because you are pulling at an angle instead of pressing down vertically, it disrupts the balance of the spinner. So you'll end up having to steady it with one hand just to get it to stay still. The grates on the filter are also larger, which are more liable to catch food in them (carrot slices seem to be its favorite). It's just overall poorly designed.
   
   It absolutely will break after a while, and you'll have wasted money. So why the two stars instead of one? After it breaks, you can still use it as a container, which can still collapse, which gives it some utility. You can even keep the grate and use it a colander if you want. But this is a minor victory when you consider that the entire point of the salad spinner is - surprise! - to spin salads dry. So you retain about 10% of its functionality, which you might be willing to do in the face of having it break after a few months of usage. Progressive could market it as a collapsible bowl with a top, and I might not feel so annoyed with the entire thing.
   
   In short, avoid it. Do not waste your time or money. Get an Oxo - it's superior in every way, minus that it can't collapse, which is more than outweighed by the fact that it works much better and won't break in a few months.

3. Collapsable yes, but does not dry well

   Date: 2010-08-22

   Customer Rating:
   

   Sturdy yes, collapsible yes, but unfortunately because of its collapsible feature it does not dry well at all. Spins good, but blocks the water from being removed.

4. Progressive International CSS-1 Collapsible 5 Quart Salad Spinner

   Date: 2010-08-10

   Customer Rating:
   

   I love the concept of the collapsible containers for storage, but I used mine only a few times before the bendable part separated from the hard plastic. Very disappointed.

5. Not so spinning anymore

   Date: 2010-08-09

   Customer Rating:
   

   Like the other complaints here, the cord broke within seven months. I've had other brands of salad spinners that cost half the price of this one and they lasted a couple of years. The collapsible feature was the hook for me since I needed space saver items. With no way to replace the cord, except for taking it apart at the expense of possibly breaking the top, I'm going for it. What's there to lose at this point?