5 Things You Didn't Know You Could Do With A Salad Spinner

If you've ever made homemade bread you know you need to leave the dough, covered, in a warm place to rise. If you're out of plastic wrap, put the bread dough into the bowl of your salad spinner (be sure to remove the basket and oil the bowl first) and then put the top on the salad spinner. Leave the dough to rise.

(Credit: Flickr/Stacy Spensley)

Your salad spinner is great for drying delicate herbs, too; just put the fresh herbs into the basket after you rinse them and give the basket a few gentle spins to eliminate excess water.

(Credit: Flickr/Alice Henneman)

Need a second colander? Remove the basket from the salad spinner and use it to drain everything from pasta to canned beans.

(Credit: Flickr/Olga Nohra)

The bowl of your salad spinner also makes a great cover for a cake or other baked goods. Simply invert the bowl and place it on top of whatever needs to be covered.

(Credit: Flickr/Kristen)

The salad spinner can be a quick and easy way to mix ingredients, too. Put cooked (short) pasta and sauce into your salad spinner and give it a few turns for perfectly coated pasta.

(Credit: Flickr/Alpha)

Kristie Collado is The Daily Meal's Cook Editor. Follow her on Twitter @KColladoCook.