I'll be honest, I have a weakness for restaurant salads — the over-the-top ones that are twice the size of everyone else's meal. The salads I order tend to have the most ingredients on the menu, from hot, juicy charred chicken to decadent toppings like sugared pecans. Sometimes they're so filling and beautiful to look at that I question whether they should even be called a salad.
Sure, there's nothing wrong with me loving salads—that is, until I try to recreate them at home. HaaMy method of chopping vegetables is never spectacularly smooth, my lack of kitchen organisational skills results in a mess that's a pain to clean up afterwards, and the final look is never up to par.
Of course, there are plenty of tools, clever gadgets, and handy storage solutions to help me improve my skills. I've tried most of the products on this list and can say with confidence that they're great, especially when compared to other models on the market. I can honestly say that I've never operated a salad spinner as smoothly as Sur La Table's design, made a dressing in a portable blender as lightweight and powerful as the Ninja Blast, or removed an avocado seed as seamlessly as OXO's $10 Good Grips slicer.
Ahead, check out our ultimate salad shopping guide that will help you create restaurant-quality bowls and impress all your guests when the time comes.
