We Asked Chefs What to Buy at Amazon for Better Salads

Warmer weather sparks our cravings for light and refreshing foods. In other words, salad season is upon us. It’s all too easy to toss greens together with bottled, store-bought dressings, but if you want to take your salads to the next level this year, we suggest investing in a few simple essentials. We asked professional chefs to share their secrets to making restaurant-quality salads. Their suggestions include an OXO salad spinner, a Henckels knife set, and a Fullstar vegetable chopper. Read on to shop chef-loved salad tools, starting at $5 at Amazon.

Best Chef-Loved Salad Tools at Amazon

• OXO Good Grips Large Salad Spinner, $25, originally $30
• Fullstar Vegetable Chopper, $24
• Henckels 15-Piece Knife Set, $120
• Ball Glass Mason Jar, $19, originally $24
• Benriner Vegetable Slicer, $30
• Microplane Zester, $15
• OXO Good Grips Stainless Steel Whisk, $12
• OXO Good Grips 9-Inch Locking Tongs With Nylon Heads, $12, originally $14
• Kuhn Rikon Vegetable Peeler, $5, originally $6
• Care Plus Disposable Vinyl Gloves, $9
• Tribest Personal Blender, $83, originally $100

OXO Good Grips Large Salad Spinner

‘’A salad spinner might sound basic, but it’s non-negotiable in a pro or home kitchen. Wet greens are the fastest way to ruin a salad. The dressing slides right off, and everything feels soggy. I like the OXO Good Grips spinner because it’s sturdy and the brake feature is actually useful.” – Dennis Littley, Chef, Ask Chef Dennis

“I love the OXO Good Grips salad spinner for drying lettuce, but what I use it for just as much is drying fresh herbs. After washing basil or parsley, this spinner does a fantastic job of quickly drying them without bruising. It’s simple, effective, and a must-have for lettuce and herbs.” – Shawna Clark, Founder, Healthy Foodie Girl

Fullstar Vegetable Chopper

“The Fullstar vegetable chopper is a major time-saver! I use it to chop onions for salads, dice potatoes, and more. The interchangeable blades make it super versatile, perfect for creating uniform pieces with minimal effort.” – Shawna Clark

Henckels 15-Piece Knife Set

“A chef’s knife and a paring knife can always handle the load of chopping various items. Making sure they are sharp is the key to safely chopping your ingredients.” – Michelle Wallace, Top Chef Contestant, Chef, Owner & Pitmaster, B’tween Sandwich Co., Houston

Ball Glass Mason Jar

“What’s salad without dressing? I love to build my salad dressing in a glass jar. Glass jars are nonporous and airtight, so they allow for fresh keeping in the fridge, should you have leftover dressing. And it’s also fun to shake up the dressing in a jar.” – Michelle Wallace

Benriner Vegetable Slicer

“A sharp mandoline slicer is my go-to for getting thin, even cuts on everything from fennel to apples. Those paper-thin slices add a nice contrast to leafy greens and make the whole thing feel more composed. I use the Benriner Japanese mandoline. It’s affordable, compact, and the blades stay sharp.’’ – Dennis Littley

Microplane Zester

“A tool that always comes in handy when making a salad is a good zester or Microplane. A little lemon or orange zest can completely change a salad, especially if you’re not using vinegar-heavy dressings. It brightens things up and adds another layer of flavor without extra ingredients.’’– Dennis Littley

OXO Good Grips Stainless Steel Whisk

“This space-efficient tool (no larger than a standard fork) is a godsend for whisking up vinaigrettes, creamy dressings like tahini, and marinades. The flat whisk design is ideal for small amounts of sauces.” – Alexandra Shytsman, Recipe Developer, The New Baguette

OXO Good Grips 9-Inch Locking Tongs With Nylon Heads

“OXO tongs with nylon heads are ideal for tossing salads. The slightly rounded edges are gentle on salad greens like arugula and won't bruise the leaves like classic metal-head tongs can.” – Alexandra Shytsman

Kuhn Rikon Vegetable Peeler

“These are cheap and simply the best peeler on the market. Anything else is a bit of a gimmick to me.” – Magnus Young, Executive Chef, Clif Family Winery and Farm

Care Plus Disposable Vinyl Gloves

“Salads are best dressed by hand to avoid bruising leaves and ensure your dressing has even coverage. These are a sanitary and hypoallergenic way to do that.” – Magnus Young

Tribest Personal Blender

“A small, individual, or personal blender does quick work for small batches of creamy dressings and emulsified vinaigrettes. The one I've used for years is a Tribest. And of course, you can do more with them than just dressings.” – Sally Cameron, Chef and Certified Health Coach, A Foodcentric Life