Cooking glossary

Colander

Colander

A plastic or metal bowl-shaped piece of equipment with evenly spaced small holes for water to pass through. A colander can be used to drain hot cooked food, eg pasta or vegetables or to hold food that needs to be rinsed in cold water, eg salad leaves or fresh fruit.

A colander should have 'feet' on the base so that it can be placed in the sink and the water will drain away immediately and not be trapped in the base of the colander. One or two handles on the sides of a colander are useful. A small metal colander can also be used as a steamer.