So much better than my old colander!
This strainer is awesome! I had a collapsible colander before and hated cleaning it; it collected water and mold. I love how easy this is to use, how small it is, and how quickly it cleans. I have stuck it in the dishwasher a couple times with no issues. It is harder to get on and off of my non-stick pans because their edges are thicker, but it works perfect with my normal noodle pot.I tried this for straining grease; it worked fine, and I was surprised to find the extra pouring lip to help direct the flow. That said, it was harder to drain all of the grease like I usually do with a flat lid cover since I couldn't tip it as far for fear of the burger falling out.The basting brush is tiny, so I haven't found a use for it yet. The garlic peeler is interesting, and does work, but makes a bigger mess than my normal method. These two are unnecessary add-ons.
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Works great.
Works great. I used it immediately when making couscous.
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Great piece
Works great but wish it was taller. Drained 1 lb of hamburger meat and it just fit the into the top of the drainer.
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S
starrgirl
October 21, 2017
Dream of a Strainer!
I have wanted one of these for the longest time - now I can't believe I didn't get it sooner. I have a collapsible silicone strainer, bought to save space, but it is still another step to use and clean. So I would often do the "cheat" thing and try to drain pasta or potatoes by pouring the water out while holding a "spider" against the side of the pan... which doesn't work so well. Especially when little elbow macaronis would escape and I would sneak them back in the pan while no one was looking. But I would still do it while resisting to get the bigger strainer out. Lazy, I know. And of course there's always the scooping of hamburger grease out of the skillet with a spoon and trying to get the rest sopped up with a paper towel on the edge of the hot pan. Let's just say I'm not Ina Garten, ok?This handy strainer has come to the rescue. It clipped right on the pan with a snug fit and the cooking water drained off easily and completely. Isn't it amazing how much better mashed potatoes taste when you don't leave extra water in the bottom of the pan? (Not that I ever admitted doing that.) And then, you just rinse this baby off and it stows in a drawer. Gotta love that. And the color choices are nice as well. I'm into cobalt blue in the kitchen these days, so this one made me happy on that front. Hmmm... I may be more like the Barefoot Contessa than I thought!It also occurred to me that this will be especially good for pasta. If you're a cooking show junkie like me, you know you need to reserve some pasta cooking water in case you need to add it to the sauce. Well, now you can just pour some in a cup without getting out a ladle. How about that? (And if you're NOT thinning your sauce with pasta water as needed, shame on you!)The bonus items are a nice touch from the seller. If you don't already have a silicone brush, you will love it. As for the garlic peeler, I'm not a fan. My friend has one and it just looks so fussy to me to use a contraption to peel garlic. And then have to clean the contraption. C'mon, home chefs... lay the garlic on the cutting board, give it one good whack with the side of a chef's knife and the peel slides right off. Who wants to be a weenie and roll the garlic around in a plastic tube when you can be a knife-wielding ninja? (Unless you have severe arthritis, and then you are excused.) But the seller does show this garlic thingy used as a cover for a hot pan handle and I can get down with that. I'm flexible that way.I did appreciate the message from the seller checking on my purchase and letting me know they are a small company who appreciates good feedback. It's high on my list to support small businesses who actually provide customer service. Bravo for that, Salbree.So that's a lot to say about a little silicone strainer, but isn't it nice to have fun with things like this that can save you any iota of drudgery? Definitely a "first world" problem/solution, but hey... that's where I live. And I'm grateful. Meanwhile, I'm getting mad kitchen skills with products like this and that can only mean one thing... move over, Ina. There could be a new Contessa in town!
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J
Jessica Richbourg
March 09, 2018
Great purchase, durable and well made
I actually just bought this for the strainer. It has been awesome and so easy to use. It's super easy to clean and so much better than transfering everything to a bowl strainer, then back into the pot. Bonus, I can take the clips apart and clean them also instead of funky junk getting in the grooves and being impossible to remove. I don't think it was intended to be cleaned that way as it does take a minute to put the clips back into place. Over all I'm super happy with my purchase. It came with a basting brush and garlic peeler that I never use.Edit to add: Its been a couple years since I bought this and it still ranks pretty high on my list of favorite kitchen tools. I use it at least once a week and it still looks brand new. Super quick and easy to clean by hand washing or using a dishwasher.
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A
Avid Shopper
February 12, 2021
Works well but photos are misleading and there is a limit to the amount of food that can be drained
As many reviewers have noted, the photos of this are misleading in that they show it being used with pos that seem to be ‘over flowing’ with pasta or fruit. Clearly it won’t work with large amounts of food because, as many reviewers have noted, when the pot is turned just past vertical, so that all the liquid will run out, food may fall over the top of the strainer: who needs a strainer that doesn’t strain all the liquid. I have been using this device a least 1-2 times a week for those ‘drain off tasks’ where you don’t really want to pour everything into a real colander: excess liquids, particularly fat. It works great for all those tasks where we used to try and drain by holding the pot’s lid ajar while liquids oozed out a thin crescent opening between lid and pan rim. This is what I purchased it for and it works great. I have also used it for pasta and vegetables and found that it works well for 2-3 servings (e.g., 8-10 oz of pasta) but as with just about any material you need to pour slow and use a scraper to pull the food down behind the device so it won’t come out over the top. That said, if your primary action is to take a whole pot of food and remove all the liquid, as with pasta or boiled vegetables, then you should stick with a regular ‘basket type colander.
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Essential!
Love this gadget. Seriously saves me draining pasta!! And super easy to clean. Definitely a time saver for sure. If I had the money I’d buy it for everyone i know. Highly recommend!
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