Kitchen pasta strainers are typically made from plastic (including BPA-free and recycled polypropylene), stainless steel, and silicone or hybrid silicone/stainless constructions.

Sizes vary by type: small hand strainer heads are around 7–8 inches in diameter, while colanders and over-the-sink pieces come in larger diameters and overall widths. Some colanders are sold in widths such as 8.5, 9.75, 10, and 14 inches.

There are two main types: wide-holed colanders (square or round holes) for quick draining, and fine-mesh strainers for rinsing small grains, sauces, berries and small pasta.

Capacities range from very small sink strainers of about 2 ounces, through hand-strainer sizes roughly 24–41.45 ounces, up to multi-quart colanders of about 3.7 and 5 quarts.

You’ll find both single-piece strainers and multi-piece sets; several products are offered as 3-piece sets while others are sold as standalone strainers.