You might find yourself overlooking the importance of a good colander—until you can't find one and end up trying to drain a steaming-hot pot of pasta using a cutting board. That's when you'll wish that you had the OXO Good Grips 5-Quart Stainless-Steel Colander (available at Amazon) in your corner.
I've underestimated the importance of this tool more than once, and I admit that I own a cheap plastic colander that constantly frustrates me as it allows pasta to pass through its large holes. But with such a massive variety of colanders on the market, upgrading can be confusing! Is there a difference between stainless steel, mesh or enamel? Should you opt for a simple plastic piece or an easy-to-store collapsible one? And what about these over-the-sink models? To put a rest to these questions, I chose seven top-rated colanders from each category and looked into each colander to examine how each one strains pasta, rinses rice, and holds up under boiling water. After tallying the results, I came away with a few recommendations.
Credit: Reviewed / Jackson Ruckar
Best Overall
The OXO Good Grips 5-Quart Stainless-Steel Colander passed every test we threw at it with flying colors. Covered from rim to base with perfectly sized holes, this stainless steel colander features an easy-to-grip rim and non-skid feet that stayed put as we tossed food into it. It was well-shaped to funnel water out of the perforated sides, and never clogged with pasta or rice. It was also relatively easy to clean. It was the most expensive colander we tested at just under $30 but it also aced all of our tests, earning it our pick for best overall.
Easy-grip rim
Non-skid feet
Even holes and drains well
None that we could find
I really enjoyed using the Bellemain Micro-perforated 5-quart Stainless Steel Colander. Its holes were small enough to rinse rice and drain pasta without clogging. And, because the colander is perforated all over and the base keeps it up off of the ground, it drained the water with surprising ease. Like all the stainless steel models, it did heat up when we covered it with boiling water but the sturdy, well-spaced handles remained cool even when the bowl was warm to the touch. Overall, there was a lot to like about this model.
Drains well without clogging
Hole size suitable for very small foods, like rice
Handles stay cool
None that we could find
If you’re looking for the convenience of an over-the-sink colander, the Comfify 6-quart Over the Sink Collapsible Colander is a great choice. Its adjustable arms were helpful for fitting it to my oversized farmhouse sink. The colander itself was the largest capacity that we tested, making it overkill for a pound of pasta—although it's collapsible design means it can be stored flat. The handles were a little awkward (especially if you pull out the arms) but they’re well-spaced to avoid contact with any lingering steam. My only complaint? The silicone coating made it a bit troublesome to clean.
Collapsible design for easy storage
Fits even very wide sinks
Difficult to clean
I love that the OXO Good Grips 3.5 Quart Silicone Collapsible Colander collapses to store flat, so I wish that it had tested better. The very small holes were perfect for rinsing rice but they became waterlogged when draining the pasta. I had to shake the colander to drain all the water and then shake it even harder to remove the pasta. Not only did the silicone coating cling to food, it was difficult to clean. While this smaller OXO wasn’t my least favorite, it certainly wasn’t on the top of my list.
Small, collapsible design
Difficult to clean
Not ideal for variety of foods
The Joseph Joseph Medium Square Colander is an inexpensive minimalist choice, but it just didn’t perform as well as some of the other colanders. The holes were slightly too large to rinse rice and some of the pasta slipped through them while straining. The square, plastic frame was sturdy enough, but its shape made it awkward to store and a bad fit when placed inside another bowl for reserving strained liquids. I did really like the location of the handle, although it did allow me to shake out hot water without placing my hands over the steam.
Minimalist design
Nice handle
Drains poorly
Holes slightly too large for some foods
While this colander has what they describe as micro-perforated holes, some reviews do say that they are a bit large for draining smaller foods like quinoa or rice. That being said, we like that this colander is dishwasher safe and rust-resistant. If you're looking for a high quality colander for washing produce, this would be a good choice. At 5-quarts this is a pretty standard size colander but some reviews mention that it does take up quite a bit of space so if you're operating in a small kitchen this wouldn't be the best choice.
Well-constructed
Great for fruits and veggies
Cleaning may be tough
Takes up a lot of space
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