nut strainer

Strainers and colanders are commonly made from plastic, stainless steel, and silicone. Some listings combine materials, for example plastic frames with stainless-steel mesh.

Some mesh strainers have a wire frame with two hooks or built-in resting hooks that catch the rim of a bowl or pot so the strainer can sit securely for hands-free draining.

Collapsible silicone colanders are described as heat resistant up to 230°F.

They’re used for draining liquids from canned goods, washing fresh produce, rinsing and draining pasta, catching seeds, and sifting or dusting dry ingredients.

Head diameters and overall widths commonly range about 5.51–6.25 inches, with some listings near 6.4 inches. Overall lengths shown in examples fall around 12.3–13.2 inches, and handle lengths are typically about 5.8–7.2 inches.

Folded dimensions in listings are around 24 cm × 18.4 cm × 3 cm (9.44 × 7.24 × 1.2 inches) for smaller models and about 29 cm × 22 cm × 3 cm (11.4 × 8.66 × 1.2 inches) for larger ones.

Many strainers include handles for a secure grip. Some mesh strainers add hooks to rest on bowl rims for hands-free draining, and collapsible colanders have side handles that can be used to hold or hang them.