9 Best Colanders For Pasta [2023]
Everybody has one in their kitchen, or at the very least, has owned one before in their lives. Colanders are extremely handy tools to have around, especially because they have a multitude of functions. Straining pasta is arguably one of the most common ones to date.
But as you may have experienced before, a badly designed colander just ends up spilling all of the pasta into the sink or splashing boiling water all over your hands.
So, what makes a good colander for pasta? First, it’s best to choose traditional designs. That includes options with loads of holes, a foot for the strainer to stand on, and large handles that make them easy to use.
You should also preferably choose collapsible strainers made from silicone or rubber. These don’t retain heat very well and spaces you a ton of cupboard space.
In today’s guide, we will look at the ultimate buyer’s guide for colanders, specifically for draining hot pasta. Then. We’ve assembled a list of the best colanders that are highly functional, affordable, and can all be found online.
What Is A Colander?
A colander is a simple yet revolutionary kitchen tool. It has many functions such as rinsing and straining fresh fruits or vegetables, cleaning leafy greens and herbs, and straining cooked ingredients like chickpeas, potatoes, boiled meats, and of course, pasta.
The design is pretty simple. It’s a large bowl with a ton of holes throughout which allows the water to drain from the ingredients.
It’s usually equipped with two handles which will prevent you from having water spilled all over your hands.
Furthermore, most colanders have a little inverted bowl (also perforated) that acts as a foot. This allows the colander to stand upright so the contents can drain without falling out.
Now, the problem with a badly designed colander is that it doesn’t do what it’s supposed to.
Some don’t have enough holes for the water to drain or handles that will help prevent the hot water from spilling on you. Others don’t stand upright, and some are just flimsy in general.
So, buying a good, FUNCTIONAL, colander is essential for making pasta. If it doesn’t work, you’ve just wasted a lot of time, effort, and money.
Buyer’s Guide For Colanders (Specifically For Straining Pasta)
There are a surprising amount of factors that you can consider before buying any colander. Because trust us, the tiniest little design flaw can make this tool a living nightmare!
Material
Personally, we like to go for materials like silicone, rubber, or plastic. Metal is a more durable and eco-friendly option, but we have a couple of issues with it in this specific instance.
First, it eventually starts to rust. Unless you buy a 100% stainless steel colander, you shouldn’t waste your time or money.
The other issue with a metal colander is that it heats up shockingly quickly, which isn’t ideal for straining boiling liquids.
Other materials will also heat up, but not nearly as quickly (or even as much) as metal does.
The only benefit, in our opinion, that metal strainers have is their aesthetic. If you buy a stainless steel colander, some are coated with an enamel coating. This makes it easy to match with your kitchen’s look or color scheme.
Size
Have you ever had ingredients spill over the top because your colander simply isn’t big enough? Well, that problem won’t be going away any time soon.
Always buy a colander that’s bigger than you think you need. This will save you a ton of time and even effort in the future. And it prevents you from having to buy another tool later on!
If you have a tiny kitchen, definitely go for a collapsible colander. They have some cons, but in this case, definitely more pros.
Functionality
Here we look specifically at design, which will directly affect the functionality of the tool.
First, a colander should always have holes at the bottom. If they don’t, draining all of the water will be next to impossible.
Then, they also need to have many holes so the water drains quickly. If it doesn’t, it could cause the pasta to overcook while it’s sitting inside the liquid.
Next up is handles. We cannot stress this enough – colander without handles are difficult to work with and almost ensures a burn in the future. The handles should be sturdy and large enough to completely place your hands outside of the splash zone.
Price
Finally, and especially important, a colander shouldn’t set you back a ton of money. It’s such a simple tool, and there is no real reason you should buy one that cost a fortune.
We can all but guarantee you’ll find a more affordable and often more functional, option with a little bit of searching.
This doesn’t mean you shouldn’t buy what you want. It just means that you don’t HAVE TO buy the most expensive option out there. It’s not like appliances. An expensive colander doesn’t make the design functional.
9 Best Colanders For Pasta [2023]
Without further ado, let’s take a look at the 9 best pasta colanders for 2023.
As always, we included a ton of different options at different price points and with different designs. This way, you’ll be able to easily pick an option that suits your needs best!
| Rank | Product | Key Feature |
| 1. | Qimh Over-The-Sink Collapsible Colander – 6 Quart | Expandable rubber colander that helps liquid drain extremely easily! It also collapses which saves you a ton of cupboard space. |
| 2. | ExcelSteel Heavy Duty Stainless Steel 5 Quart Colander | More traditional and highly functional design with stainless-steel rust-proof metal. It’s super sturdy and can last you a lifetime or two. |
| 3. | Makerstep Over-The-Sink Stainless Steel Colander | Over-the-sink stainless steel hands-free colander with a fine-meshed strainer, making draining liquids a breeze! |
| 4. | Chef Craft Plastic Colander | Budget-friendly traditional plastic colander that is highly efficient. |
| 5. | Comfify Store Set Of 2 Silicone Collapsible Colanders | With this collapsible set, you can strain various quantities with ease. |
| 6. | Bellemain Stainless Steel Metal Colander | Micro-perforated colander that will allow you to strain more than pasta or chunky vegetables. |
| 7. | Blue Ginkgo Over-The Sink Colander | Multi-functional over-the-sink and extendable BPA-free, plastic colander. |
| 8. | HiramWare Stainless Steel Colander | Easy and simple colander that has the traditional design, but it is slightly more space-saving. |
| 9. | Auoon Clip On Silicone Strainer | An incredible space-saving strainer that is cheap and works great! |
1. Qimh Over-The-Sink Collapsible Colander – 6 Quart
Maybe we are just suckers for cool kitchen gadgets. However, from personal experience, this one works! And it works incredibly well!
This is an over-the-sink colander. It has been designed with two “arms” that can pull out to sit over your sink.
This makes straining a hands-free process, which is especially great if you are working with hot liquids!
You only have to control the pot you are straining from and don’t have to hold the colander at all!
Another benefit of this colander sitting on top of the sink is that the water runs out quickly. The ingredients inside won’t sit in the water that gets trapped underneath the foot.
This rubber colander is also completely collapsible. This saves you space in your kitchen cupboards and makes transport super easy.
It’s surprisingly sturdy and can hold quite a large capacity, up to 6 quarts!
The biggest downside we foresee is that the rubber tears if the colander isn’t handled properly. But, besides that, this colander is the ideal option for straining pasta!
2. ExcelSteel Heavy Duty Stainless Steel 5 Quart Colander
Going back to something a little more traditional, this is arguably the first design for colanders. And we can’t understand why manufacturers would want to stray far from this design – it’s nearly perfect!
This is a completely stainless steel colander, so it won’t rust, doesn’t stain, cannot scratch, and is perfect for straining pasta.
Now, as we’ve mentioned, metal gets hot, which is a potential burn risk. However, the large sturdy handles on the side allow you to keep them far from any boiling liquid.
Another benefit of this design is the base. It has an inverted dome which allows the colander to stand in the sink, making the process hands-free.
And finally, the positioning of holes in this large strainer will allow the pasta water to strain quickly, preventing overcooking.
3. Makerstep Over-The-Sink Stainless Steel Colander
The only reason this strainer isn’t higher on the list is that it’s a little more costly. Other than that, another type of kitchen gadget that we cannot get enough of!
The entire colander is made from stainless steel and fitted with a fine-meshed basket. This not only enables you to strain pasta in seconds, but other finer foods like couscous or quinoa.
The extendable handles that fit over the sink are fitted with a rubber grip so the colander doesn’t move at all.
It’s a hand-off design that is highly functional. It’s also much larger than the previously mentioned over-the-sink colander.
The biggest downside is that it doesn’t collapse. But this tool is worth the extra cupboard space.
4. Chef Craft Plastic Colander
Now, if you are truly looking for a functional budget option, this is it! The design is simple but highly functional.
There are tons of drainage holes so the pasta won’t overcook in the water.
The handles are sturdy and offer enough space away from running hot liquid. The colander is fitted with an inverted stand so it can simply be placed in the sink and used hands-free.
Now, there are downsides to cutting costs. First, it takes up a lot of space, as most colanders do. Secondly, it will not last a lifetime. Hard plastics like this definitely can, but usually, it cracks over the decades.
Nevertheless, a great option for the cost!
5. Comfify Store Set Of 2 Silicone Collapsible Colanders
This set of silicone collapsible colanders will ensure that you have a tool for every possible need, whether that’s straining single portions or a batch for many!
This space-saving strainer is very easy to use and can easily fit into each other and the cupboard.
The silicone is also dishwasher safe and very easy to clean with some hot soapy water.
Furthermore, the design allows you to comfortably use the strainer without burning your hands or ingredients spilling over the top.
There are also a ton of drainage holes at the base which makes the straining process quick and efficient.
And if you thought this set would come at a price, it’s surprisingly affordable!
6. Bellemain Stainless Steel Metal Colander
The biggest benefit of having this colander is that it has a micro-perforated metal grid. This means that you can strain a lot more than bulky vegetables and pasta.
The tiny holes all over will help you easily strain grains and pulses like lentils, quinoa, small berries, and seeds.
Furthermore, it’s made from 18/8 stainless steel and has a sturdy build.
It can last you a lifetime if you take care of it well. While it won’t rust or stain, definitely make sure you always dry your metal colanders well.
This colander is also fitted with a foot which enables you to strain your pasta hands-free. And the handles are quite large which will help avoid any hot water burns.
7. Blue Ginkgo Over-The Sink Colander
This is another over-the-sink straining basket but with a completely different design.
It’s still extendable, which ensures that you can fit it tightly into your specific sink.
On its smallest, it measures 14 inches, but when extended to full, it’s 19 inches long.
This colander is also multi-functional. You can use it to drip-dry your dishes over the sink or create another storage layer in a drawer.
While not many people may find this handy, people with small or micro kitchens will know the benefit of having a multi-functional tool like this!
The colander is made with BPA-free plastic that is super easy to clean, and dishwasher safe, and it can last quite a while if you take care of it well.
8. HiramWare Stainless Steel Colander
While this is a somewhat traditional design for a colander, it’s still slightly different, and some people may prefer this aesthetic.
This colander is made from micro-perforated stainless steel. The top edge is covered with a green plastic rim that has two handles attached to it.
These handles are quite sturdy and provide that safety barrier to prevent water from spilling all over your hands.
This colander also doesn’t have a large foot at the bottom. Instead, it has three tiny “pin legs” that give it some space underneath the bottom of the straining basket.
While this reduces the functionality of the colander, it also will help you save some space.
9. Auoon Clip On Silicone Strainer
While this is technically not a strainer on its own, it does form a colander once you attach it to the pot. And while many people simply see this as a kitchen gadget, again, sometimes they work great!
The benefit of having this tool instead of a big strainer is that it saves space. It even takes up WAY less space as compared to a collapsible colander.
It’s also made from silicone, meaning it won’t retain as much heat as a metal colander. You can place this colander inside a dishwasher or clean it by hand.
To use it, simply clip on both edges to your pot. It’s silicone, so won’t leave any scratches on the surface. Then, simply flip over the pot and allow the pasta water to drain. It’s that easy!
