What’s the difference between a strainer and a colander?
I know you’re expecting a hilarious punchline, given the comedic potential of that setup, but actually this is something I’ve always wondered. The fine-mesh bowl with a long handle that’s hanging on my wall is definitely a strainer, and the big perforated stainless-steel bowl gathering dust on top of the Ivar is clearly a colander.
But what do you call these?
The answer is, of course: who cares? I call them the best strainer/colanders in the business, and I paid three whole dollars for mine, whereas you can easily spend $30 for a metal colander which is not superior in any way. These are available at any large Asian grocery or at Sur La Table. You can also order them from Amazon.
Their only drawback is that they’re a bit hard to clean. If you’ve used them to strain anything messier than pasta water, you’ll have to blow a bunch of dishwasher space, or get out your jumbo sized can of elbow grease (or, if you’re all out of elbow grease, whoop-ass will do in a pinch). This is no less true of metal colanders, though.
I have it on good authority that the folks at Cook’s Illustrated and Consumer Reports throw an orgy when they’re able to award top honors to the cheapest product in a review lineup. So get happy! And do not drain pasta while naked.
These things are great for washing your rice too. That way you don’t have to worry about scratching your non-stick rice cooker.
I call them strainers. For no logical reason other than I think a colander has to be metal with holes.
The only time I use my colander is for more delicate items (like strawberries) that I think will get bruised by the mesh.
And I run mine through the dishwasher but I set them on top of bowls. I figure enough water will get to them that way. I have a very precise way of loading my diswasher, which I’d be glad to show anyone who cares ;)
Lauren, I’ve been meaning to do a post about loading the dishwasher. I also have a specific method, and every other way of doing it is unequivocally wrong.
if you do the dishwasher post, I will be watching. :D
dishwasher! do!
Lapis, already done: https://www.rootsandgrubs.com/2006/03/16/getting-loaded/