What is the difference between a colander and a sieve

Finally I used a small strainer to apply a dusting of powdered sugar on the plum cake from a new recipe that I made for dessert.

I typically use a strainer, but it is so cumbersome. I was wondering if a sieve is easier and more efficient. What should I look for for the above task? You are commenting using your WordPress. You are commenting using your Google account. You are commenting using your Twitter account. What you would need for this task, is a colander. A colander is a deep bowl with holes on its sides.

The holes on a colander make sure that the water will keep on draining out as your vegetables become cleaner. You can easily identify a colander because it is deep, usually made using steel. Apart from the holes on the side, you will notice that it has handles to hold so that you can make work easier.

The current market has colanders made using all sorts of materials including ceramic , aluminum , as well as plastic. When you are washing meat or some fresh chicken underwater for the removal of blood, this utensil will prove invaluable. This is a general term that is used to generalize tools that help in draining liquids from solids.

Think about it this way, you have cooked pasta and you need to separate the pasta from the water. Using your hands would be very risky and it is somehow unhygienic. So, you would have more success if you used a strainer. You will remove all the excess water and you will not touch your pasta at any point.

If you are trying to make some lemon juice, you would require a strainer to help you remove the seeds from the juice. Strainers are available with different sizes of mesh. You can choose a coarse or fine mesh, although it will depend on what you need. Stainless steel strainers are the most common in the world. A sieve, also known as a sifter, is made using wire mesh and features a single long handle. A sieve can be fine or coarse meshed. Sieves, on the other hand, are made of wire mesh and are designed with one long handle.

The better ones have a hook or a loop that rests on the rim of a pot or bowl, making it more convenient to collect strained liquid. The bowl of a sieve can be rounded or cone shaped. Sieves are usually referred to as coarse- or fine-meshed. A classic conical shaped French sieve, called a chinois pronounced sheen-WAH , has a double layer of fine mesh which can withstand the pressure of a wooden spoon or pestle forcing solids through it and is generally considered the Rolls-Royce of sieves.

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Fine Cooking. Sign Up Login. Article Sorting Out Strainers: Colanders vs. Strainers have different screening densities. The finer meshes sieve even the tiniest particles from being released while the coarse strainers retrieve larger foods, e.

Strainers may be made from nylon, metal or cloth. They also feature a long handle that you can easily hold when using it. The strainers construction may be either lightweight or heavyweight, with strong frames to hold the solids. Most strainers also have a hooked feature that enables one to sieve with the strainer resting on a bowl. Now that we have looked at the general features of a colander and a strainer let us understand their differences.

These are:. You might be wondering what to check out for in a colander or strainer when buying. Worry less, for I have compiled some important factors that you should check out for. It is necessary to purchase a colander or strainer that will align with your kitchen needs. Here is what you should check out for There can be no greater mistake than buying a huge colander or strainer while you have limited countertop space.