Sieves, colanders and strainers

Strainer styles explained

When it comes to selecting a strainer, your mind might conjure up thoughts of colanders and sieves but in the world of food preparation, there are many different styles to choose from, each with their own uses and benefits. Here we'll get a closer look at the different types of strainers available as well as some other key kitchen utensils and cookware gadgets.

Types of strainers available

The function of all strainers in relation to kitchenware is to separate wanted elements from unwanted elements. However, some types are designed with specialty uses in mind.

• Colanders. Often made of enamel or stainless steel, a colander is a perforated bowl with handles used to strain liquid after cooking or washing.

• Mesh sieves. This type of kitchen utensil is typically made of mesh wire and is used for sifting finer ingredients like flour and sugar as well as for straining liquids such as gravy and broth.

• Spider strainer. A spider is a type of skimmer that has a shallow wire mesh basket with a long handle used for removing food from hot liquids like boiling water or from hot oil in deep fryers.

• Chinois strainer. Chinois strainers are fine mesh cone-shaped sieves that are used for straining liquids that are meant to have a very smooth, velvety texture.

• Cocktail strainer. This home bar accessory makes a handy addition to bar carts and trolleys. Often part of a cocktail set, this type of strainer is used to keep ice from falling into your glass.

• Tea strainer. This is a fine mesh sieve that is used to stop tea leaves from finding their way into your cup of tea. Sometimes part of a teapot or tea infuser set.

• Coffee filter. Coffee machines will have in-built strainers to filter coffee grinds. You can also buy coffee presses which have a filter attached to the lid.

• Citrus strainer. Juicers will include a built-in strainer so you’re able to customise how much pulp, if any, gets into your drink. Some manual citrus juicers will also come with a removable strainer attachment.

• Salad dressing shakers. This gadget makes creating salad dressings easy; all you have to do is add the ingredients, shake well and pour over your salad and the built-in strainer will keep unwanted ingredients at bay. Salad spinners also tend to come with a removable silicone colander to give it more of a dual purpose.

Making baking easy

A strainer really shines when it comes to baking. With so many ingredients and methods to follow, you’ll find that a good stainless steel strainer is as important to your bakeware toolkit as your favourite electric mixers, mixing bowls, aprons and measuring jugs.

Uses for a stainless steel strainer in baking:

• Sifting flour and sugar

• Creating smooth purees and coulis

• Citrus juicing and separating

• Homemade ricotta and curds

• Icing sugar and finishing touches

Therefore, baking with a stainless steel strainer or mesh sieve is the way to go for smooth sauces, purees, curds and glace icing as well as for sifting flour for light and airy results.

Other kitchen tools to consider

• Ice cream makers. If you love honing new skills, try making homemade ice cream - you’ll be impressed at how easy and achievable it can be.

• Pasta machines. Make ravioli or tagliatelle in an instant with a pasta machine or grab a specialty noodle maker for perfect spaghetti.

• Tableware. Having a broad array of tableware like cutlery, crockery and servingware means you’ll always be ready to host impromptu gatherings and dinner parties.

• Organisers. Maximise limited space with our range of organisers. Whether it’s a divider for chopping boards and baking trays, canisters for spices or your pantry, all the way through to utensils trays for loose knives, sharpeners, scissors, bottle openers, napkins and more, we have it all.

• Graters, zesters and peelers. Explore citrus zesters, potato peelers, dicers and cheese graters to make food prep easier.

FAQs:

What are the different types of strainers?
Different types of strainers predominantly include sieves and colanders. However, there are many different subsets of strainers and sieves, each with their own use, such as tea strainers for filtering tea leaves or ‘spider’ strainers which are used to fish food out of smoking hot liquids.

What is a strainer most commonly used for?
The main goal of any strainer is to separate the wanted from the unwanted to either achieve a smooth sauce or to drain liquid from food like pasta or potatoes. If you’re making gravy you can also look into buying a fat separator.

What is the difference between a strainer and a colander?
Strainer is the name used as a catch-all to include colanders, sieves, drainers and skimmers. Therefore, a colander is a type of strainer but is mostly used to drain liquids rather than for sifting, which is done with a mesh sieve or fine metal strainer.

Want more? Also see:

What is the difference between a strainer and a colander?

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