As a home improvement professional with over 10 years of experience, I often get questions from homeowners about kitchen strainers. What are they used for? What types are best? How do you use them properly? I‘m going to answer all those questions and more in this definitive guide to kitchen strainers. My goal is to equip you with expert-level knowledge so you can confidently use strainers for flawless results in all your recipes.
An Overview of Kitchen Strainers
Simply put, a strainer is a tool used to separate liquids from solids. There are two main types used in the kitchen – colanders and fine mesh strainers. Let‘s look at each in more detail:
Colanders
A colander is a bowl-shaped strainer with holes throughout its surface. Colanders usually have a footed base and two handles for grasping. The holes allow water and liquids to drain quickly while retaining food inside. Common materials are stainless steel, plastic, and enameled metal.
Fine Mesh Strainers
As the name implies, a fine mesh strainer has very tiny openings that catch particles. A fine mesh strainer looks like a wide, shallow bowl made of mesh fabric. It has one long handle for holding over a pot or bowl. Fine mesh strainers are used when you need to separate very small solids from liquid.
Now that we‘ve covered the basics, let‘s delve into when and how to use kitchen strainers for fantastic results.
Common Uses for Kitchen Strainers
Versatile kitchen strainers can make food prep much easier. Here are some of their most popular uses:
Draining pasta, rice, and veggies
A colander is perfect for quickly draining water from boiled foods like pasta, rice, and vegetables. Simply transfer them from the cooking pot into the waiting colander. The water rapidly drains away, leaving perfectly cooked food behind.
Rinsing grains, beans, and lentils
Rinsing grains and legumes in a colander removes any dust, dirt, or debris and prevents unpleasant textures in the final dish. Place the ingredients in the colander and rinse under running water.
Straining stocks and broths
A fine mesh strainer helps produce crystal clear stocks and broths. Slowly pour the hot liquid through the strainer to catch any food particles, herbs, and impurities for silky smooth results.
Puréeing Smooth Soups
For velvety soups with no traces of chunks, blend the soup and then pass it through a fine mesh strainer. This extra step also helps remove any stray bits after blending.
Juicing Fruits and Vegetables
To easily separate fresh juice from pulp when making juices or lemonade, a strainer is invaluable. Cheesecloth works great to filter out all the solids.
Making Jam and Jelly
When preparing jams, jellies, and marmalades, a strainer helps separate the skins and seeds from the cooked fruit. The resulting spread is perfectly smooth.
Processing Tomatoes
Tomato skins and seeds can be easily removed when canning tomato sauce, paste, salsa, etc. Use a food mill or strainer to separate skins and seeds from the pulp.
Yogurt and Cheesemaking
To produce thick, Greek-style yogurt or soft cheeses like ricotta, the yogurt or curds are drained through a cheesecloth-lined strainer to remove excess whey.
As you can see, a strainer is useful for achieving the perfect textures across a wide variety of foods and recipes. Keep reading for more in-depth guidance.
Factors for Choosing the Right Strainer
With so many strainers available, how do you select the right one? Here are the key factors to consider:
Hole Size
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Colanders – Ideal for draining chunkier foods like pasta or veggies. Holes range from 1/4 inch to 1/2 inch.
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Medium Mesh Strainers – Holes around 1/8 inch work well for straining ground meats or separating canned tomatoes.
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Fine Mesh Strainers – Extra-fine openings measuring 1/16 inch or less are best for smooth purees and stocks.
Material
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Stainless Steel – Most durable option that resists corrosion; easy to clean.
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Plastic – Inexpensive while still durable; some heat resistance.
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Nylon Mesh – Extremely fine openings available; prone to staining.
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Enameled Metal – Gorgeous aesthetics; can chip over time with rough handling.
Shape
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Colanders – Always have a bowl shape, sometimes with a footed base. Handles make grasping easy.
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Mesh Strainers – Range from round shapes to conical. Must nest neatly over a pot or bowl.
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Accessories – Some strainers come with handy extras like a press or pestle for pushing food through.
Now let‘s look at how to properly use strainers for the best results.
Expert Tips for Using a Strainer Correctly
Effective straining takes a few simple steps:
1. Choose the right strainer for the job
As we learned earlier, the strainer must match the food texture you want. A colander suits chunkier foods; finer mesh handles smooth purees.
2. Position over a bowl or pot
Ensure your strainer fits securely over a vessel to catch the strained liquid before you begin.
3. Work in small batches
Don‘t overwhelm strainer capacity by pouring in too much food at once. Strain a little at a time for best results.
4. Allow time for thorough drainage
Let liquid fully drain through before removing strainer. Don‘t rush the process. For thick liquids, gently stir contents with a spoon or spatula to help it along.
5. Avoid forcing food through
Excessive pressure can damage strainers. Let gravity do the work.
6. Immediately rinse strainer
Rinsing food particles off promptly prevents staining and clogging mesh openings.
Follow these simple steps, and you‘ll be a strainer expert in no time!
Caring for Your Strainers
Strainers endure a lot of use, so proper care is essential. Here are my top cleaning tips:
– Handwash only
Most strainers are not dishwasher safe. Gentle handwashing preserves the mesh.
– Use a soft sponge or brush
Avoid abrasive scrubbing that could loosen mesh or create holes.
– Rinse and dry thoroughly
Trapped moisture breeds bacteria and corrosion. Ensure strainers are completely dry before stowing.
– Inspect condition regularly
Check for holes, rust, and damage. Replace strainers that are deteriorating.
– Store carefully
Nesting strainers can deform their shape. Instead, store singly in a drawer or hang from hooks.
– Freshen smelly strainers
Eliminate odors by soaking in white vinegar solution before a thorough handwashing.
With proper care, a high-quality stainless steel strainer should provide many years of service. Let‘s wrap up with some handy strainer tips and tricks.
Expert Strainer Tips and Tricks
After years of home renovation experience, I‘ve picked up some useful strainer knowledge:
– Prevent sticking
Coat strainer with nonstick spray before straining gooey ingredients like cheese or yogurt. Rinses off easily after use.
– Strain seeds out
Lay a twisted paper towel over strainer before pouring tomato liquid or fruit purees. Traps more seeds than strainer alone.
– Reinforce delicate cheesecloth
Double or triple layer cheesecloth for a sturdier straining material, especially for large batches.
– Strain in two stages
For the silkiest sauces, strain once to remove large bits, then again through a fresh strainer to catch smaller sediment.
– Prevent splatters
Place a lid or plastic wrap over the strainer when straining very thin liquids prone to splashing out.
I hope these tips help you strain like a pro! Let me know if you have any other strainer questions.
Final Thoughts
Whether you need to quickly drain pasta water or achieve velvety smooth soup, the right strainer makes all the difference. With so many options available, choose based on the food textures you want in the finished dish. And be sure to care for your strainers properly so they can keep performing at their best. Follow this advice, and you‘ll have flawlessly strained meals every time.
