All leafy greens are good for us, but some are better than others. Research shows these are the healthiest of all—the best-of-the-best:

Arugula: Also known as rocket. It has a pungent peppery flavor and generally requires a lot of rinsing to get rid of sand. Arugula has more vitamin C than other lettuces and also brims with calcium. Like cabbage, arugula is a crucifer (meaning it has cross-shaped flowers). Cruciferous vegetables contain indoles, which are heavy-duty cancer-fighting compounds.

Beet greens and other dark leafy vegetables, including turnip, dandelion, and mustard greens, can be used in salads when they are young and tender. These vegetables are full of beta-carotene (a precursor of vitamin A) and vitamin C, both of which fight some forms of cancer. Turnip greens are also a fair source of calcium.

Kale has a chewy, ruffled leaf with a light cabbagey flavor. Like other members of the cabbage family, it is a crucifer and cancer fighter. It’s a source of vitamin C as well as beta-carotene, which may help to guard against heart disease and some cancers.

Parsley—we see it as a garnish and seldom actually eat it. That’s too bad, because it is loaded with vitamin C and beta-carotene. Its spicy bite adds interest to salads, dressings, and green smoothies.

Spinach, like arugula, often needs lots of rinsing before using, but its worth the effort. Spinach is a superb source of beta-carotene, vitamin A, folacin (a B vitamin), and potassium. Those taking high blood pressure medications know to eat plenty of bananas, but now we should add spinach to the list.

Watercress is pungent, peppery, and deserves to be used often as a salad green. Like arugula, it’s a crucifer and believed to combat certain forms of cancer. It also provides lots of vitamin C and calcium.

I know I’m not really telling you anything you don’t already know—we KNOW we should be eating more leafy greens. We know there’s more to salad than dead iceberg lettuce.

But even though we know this, not many of us actually eat this stuff. And do you know why? The anecdotal research reveals the common excuse: “It’s such a pain in the rump to clean those greens. I hate washing the stuff. Even with a salad spinner I just don’t like it!” Honest, that’s what I kept hearing over and over.

With this information in mind, I went looking for the best of the best salad spinners—easy to use and efficient in getting the job done with as little muss and fuss as possible.

There are two main types of salad spinners: corded and pump-driven. Both are manual models. Although salad spinners with pull cords tend to dry greens a little better than pump-driven models (that's because they spin faster), pull cords can break, become tangled or fail to retract. Hand pumps -- which are either plunger-style or lever-style -- are also a bit easier to use than ripcords, most reviewers say.

The Oxo Good Grips Salad Spinner (about $30) is easy to operate and comes with a brake that allows you to quickly stop the basket from rotating, so greens remain in place when you remove the lid. The hand pump can be locked down for easier storage. The inner bowl can be repurposed as a general colander and the outer bowl used as a serving bowl.

The Zyliss Easy Spin Salad Spinner (about $25), comes in two sizes (the larger size costs about $30), is a good choice, too. Reviews of this spinner at Amazon.com and Cooking.com are mostly favorable (it has an average rating of 4 stars out of 5 on Amazon.com and 4.6 out of 5 on Cooking.com), with most agreeing that the Zyliss does an excellent job of drying greens. There are a few complaints about the plastic tabs -- which attach the spinning mechanism to the lid - breaking, and some say the lid doesn't stay on well during spinning.

Whatever spinner you choose (or don’t choose), there’s one habit you want to establish when it comes to fresh greens: soak them in cold water, drain, and soak them one more time. This usually does a good job of getting the grit and bugs out.

Next, lay them out on an extra-large bath towel (I have an old one that I’ve saved for this purpose). Then gently roll up the towel and greens (jelly roll style) and let them sit this way for a couple hours. The towel absorbs excess water.

Lastly, lay the greens on paper towels, stack the layers, and shove this stack into one of those plastic green produce bags. Close it tightly and store it in the fridge. Your greens will stay fresh and crisp—with no slime!—for well over a week.

I’m in this bag several times a day to get greens for my smoothies, our salads, and for steaming. It sounds like a bit of work, and it is. But it’s worth the effort it takes because it sure saves the greens!