# Strainers, Sifters & Salad Spinners

Pick by job first: a colander drains, a fine-mesh strainer strains, sifts and steeps tea, a spinner dries greens. Within each family testers reward the same few things: small holes all over a colander, stiff fine mesh and a wide pot hook on a strainer, a stable one-handed spinner.

## How it works

Every tool here separates solids from water or lumps from powder, in one of three ways. A perforated sheet is steel, plastic or silicone with holes punched through it: colanders and the China cap. It drains fast, and holds rice or orzo only if the holes are small and cover the whole bowl. A woven mesh is wire cloth whose openings run from a few tenths of a millimetre up to about 1.5 mm: fine-mesh strainers, sieves, sifters and tea strainers. The finer the weave, the more it holds back (seeds, bran, tea dust) and the smoother the sauce, but the slower it passes liquid and the harder it is to clean. A centrifugal basket is a slotted basket spun inside a bowl so water flies off the leaves: the salad spinner. The size of the opening is the spec everything else trades against, and few brands state it. [23] [24] [25] [17] [13] [14] [3]

| Family | What it is | Suits |
|---|---|---|
| Perforated sheet | Holes punched in a solid bowl or cone; drains quickly, holds whatever is bigger than the holes. | Draining pasta, washing produce, colanders and China caps. |
| Woven mesh | Wire cloth whose openings are about a millimetre or less; holds back seeds, bran and tea leaves. | Straining sauces and stock, rinsing rice, sifting flour, dusting sugar, tea. |
| Centrifugal basket | A slotted plastic basket spun inside a bowl; throws water off leaves without crushing them. | Washing and drying salad greens and herbs. |

## How an expert narrows the choice

```mermaid
timeline
  section 1 · Job
    draining : ask Colander format, Hole coverage, Capacity : skip Strainer size, Spinner drive
    fine straining or sifting : ask Strainer size, Mesh fineness, Pot hook, Sifter style : skip Colander format, Spinner drive
    drying greens : ask Spinner drive, Capacity, Runoff space : skip Colander format, Strainer size, Mesh fineness
  section 2 · Colander format
    sits in the sink : ask Colander base, Material
    spans the sink : ask Sink fit
    folds flat : ask Hole coverage
  section 3 · Strainer size
    Cup-size, bowl-size, or a big cone (chinois) for stock?
  section 4 · Spinner drive
    One-handed, or fine using both hands?
```

1. **Job.** Draining pasta, straining sauces, flour or tea, or drying greens?
   The leaf is three tool families that share no spec. One answer removes two of them and decides which later questions mean anything.
   If draining: ask Colander format, Hole coverage, Capacity; skip Strainer size, Spinner drive.
   If fine straining or sifting: ask Strainer size, Mesh fineness, Pot hook, Sifter style; skip Colander format, Spinner drive.
   If drying greens: ask Spinner drive, Capacity, Runoff space; skip Colander format, Strainer size, Mesh fineness.
   Skip if already known: a query naming the tool (colander, sieve, sifter, salad spinner, tea strainer, chinois), a query naming the job, such as rinsing quinoa or drying lettuce.

2. **Colander format.** Sits in the sink, spans the sink, or folds flat?
   Format is how the colander shelf is sold and searched, and it decides the next check: base height for one that stands in the sink, sink width for one that hangs across it.
   If sits in the sink: ask Colander base, Material.
   If spans the sink: ask Sink fit.
   If folds flat: ask Hole coverage.
   Skip if already known: a query naming the format (over the sink, collapsible, footed).

3. **Strainer size.** Cup-size, bowl-size, or a big cone (chinois) for stock?
   Testers review cup-size and bowl-size strainers as separate tools for separate jobs, and the cone is a restaurant tool most home cooks can skip. Brands print basket diameter, so the answer filters cleanly.
   Skip if already known: a stated diameter, a query for a tea strainer or a chinois.

4. **Spinner drive.** One-handed, or fine using both hands?
   The drive is the main design difference between spinners. A pump works with one hand; cranks and cords need the other hand on the bowl. Testers disagree on which spins driest.
   Skip if already known: a named spinner model.

## What to surface

### Job

What the tool is for: draining (pasta, washing produce), fine straining or sifting (sauces, stock, rinsing rice, flour, sugar, tea), or drying greens. A colander, a fine-mesh strainer and a salad spinner have no spec in common, so nothing can be compared until the job is known. The boundary that surprises buyers: testers rinse rice and sift flour in the same fine-mesh strainer, not a colander or a dedicated sifter. [1] [3] [8] [12]

Values: draining, fine straining or sifting, drying greens.
Question to ask: Draining pasta, straining sauces, flour or tea, or drying greens?

Used as: top-level split, filter. Data: derived from listing fields, backfill cost low. Look for it as: The tool name in the title: colander, strainer, sieve, sifter, spinner, tea strainer, chinois, rice washing bowl. 'Tea infuser' titles belong to the sibling manual-coffee-tea-prep, not this leaf.
Keyword map from the title. 'Tea infuser' or 'infuser' titles go to the sibling manual-coffee-tea-prep; 'tea strainer' is a general small strainer and maps to fine straining. Rice washing bowls map to fine straining too, matching how testers actually rinse rice.

### Colander format

How the colander is held while it drains: standing in the sink on its own base, hanging across the sink on arms, or with silicone walls that fold flat for storage. ATK steers buyers to a plain freestanding stainless colander and warns against novel formats. Reviewed reports its collapsible silicone colander waterlogged and hard to clean, but liked an over-sink model whose arms fit a wide farmhouse sink. So folding buys storage at the cost of drainage, and spanning the sink only works if the arms fit. [1] [9]

Values: sits in the sink, spans the sink, folds flat.
Question to ask: Sits in the sink, spans the sink, or folds flat?

Used as: top-level split, filter. Data: derived from listing fields, backfill cost low. Look for it as: Title words: 'over the sink', 'collapsible', 'footed'. 'Expandable' alone is ambiguous — RSVP's collapsible colander 'expands up to 4.5 inches' when unfolding, not when spanning a sink — so pair it with 'over the sink' before treating it as that format. A plain 'colander' is freestanding.
Keyword map from the title. Some products are both over-sink and collapsible (e.g. Comfify's 'Over the Sink Collapsible'); when both signals appear, classify as spans the sink, since the over-sink arms are its primary selling format, and note collapsible as a secondary feature.

### Strainer size

The basket size of a mesh strainer: cup-size (about 3 in across), bowl-size (about 8 in across), or a large cone (chinois) for stock. Cup-size strainers sit on a mug or glass for tea, citrus juice, cocktails and dusting cocoa; bowl-size strainers pass soups and purées and rinse rice. ATK reviews them as separate tools. A chinois holds more for big batches, but ATK says most home cooks can use a fine-mesh strainer instead. [3] [4] [7] [18] [13] [15]

Values: cup-size, bowl-size, big cone (chinois).
Question to ask: Cup-size, bowl-size, or a big cone (chinois) for stock?

Used as: top-level split, filter. Data: derived from listing fields, backfill cost low. Look for it as: Basket diameter in the title or spec block on brand pages (RSVP '8-inches in diameter', Rösle 'Ø 20 cm'). Sets list each piece's diameter.
Diameter decides size: up to 5 in is cup-size, 6 to 9 in is bowl-size; above that, or named 'chinois', is the cone. Shape alone does not decide — RSVP's 3-to-8-in conical strainers are still cup- or bowl-size by diameter, not the cone. Thresholds are our proposal, unsourced. Brand pages carry diameter when the listing does not. Retail listings themselves were not checked this run.
Chart: position on a horizontal diameter scale, one mark per piece in a set.

### Spinner drive

How a salad spinner's basket is set spinning: a push-down pump or lever in the lid, a crank on top, or a pull cord. A pump or lever works with one hand, while ATK found cranks and pull cords need the other hand bracing the bowl, and Reviewed says the same of cords. They part on drying: ATK and Reviewed picked pump models, while Bon Appétit's test kitchen prefers Zyliss's pull cord for 'the quickest, driest spin'. Drive alone does not make a spinner dry well; stability and runoff space matter as much. [5] [10] [11] [21] [22]

Values: push-down pump, crank, pull cord.
Question to ask: One-handed, or fine using both hands?

Used as: top-level split, filter. Data: derived from listing fields, backfill cost low. Look for it as: Named in the product description ('one-handed pump action', 'retractable cord', 'crank'); Zyliss sells one line of each.
Keyword map from the description; a lever that is pushed down counts as a pump. Retail listings themselves were not checked this run.

### Material

What the bowl or basket is made of: stainless steel, plastic, silicone, enamelled steel, or for spinners a steel or glass outer bowl. ATK and Reviewed both steer colander buyers to stainless steel: plastic and silicone stain, wobble and wear sooner, and silicone clings to food. For spinners the reverse holds: ATK found steel- and glass-bowl versions dried slightly worse than its all-plastic winner, because their baskets and lids are still plastic and the spindle sits less firmly. [1] [9] [5] [18] [13]

Values: stainless steel, plastic, silicone, enamelled steel, steel or glass spinner bowl.
Question to ask: Stainless steel, or plastic and silicone?

Used as: filter, shown on the card. Data: derived from listing fields, backfill cost low. Look for it as: Material line on brand pages ('18-8 stainless steel', 'Edelstahl 18/10', 'food safe silicone'); retail spec tables usually repeat it.
Brand pages carry it. For spinners record bowl and basket separately. Retail listings themselves were not checked this run.

### Hole coverage

How a colander's drainage is made: many small holes (fastest, safest for small foods), large or sparse holes (slower, lets small food through), or a fine woven mesh instead of punched holes. ATK found hole size and count decide drainage speed, not the pattern: "the exact arrangement of the holes didn't matter as much as the size and number." Small, numerous holes drain fastest and keep orzo in; large or sparse holes drain slowly and let small pasta or rice through. User reviews Reviewed quotes say "micro-perforated" on a label is no guarantee of small holes. [1] [2] [9]

Values: small, numerous holes, large or sparse holes, fine mesh (not perforated).

Used as: shown on the card, filter. Data: needs research, backfill cost medium. Look for it as: Visible in the product photo; titles sometimes say 'micro-perforated' or 'precision pierced', which hints but does not confirm.
Best answered by the image pipeline from the main photo: estimate hole size and count, not just the layout pattern. Text claims alone are not enough. Mesh colanders, which have no punched holes, get the fine-mesh value instead.

### Capacity

How much a colander or salad spinner holds, in quarts. Too small and pasta slops over the rim or greens need several batches; too large and it will not fit the sink or the cupboard. About 5 qt drains a pound of pasta (ATK). Full-size spinners run about 4 to 5.5 qt; Bon Appétit's 5 qt pick is "about 20 percent smaller than the others." Compact herb spinners hold much less. Brands state capacity in different units, so it needs normalising before it compares. [1] [9] [5] [11] [22]

Range: Colanders and full-size spinners cluster around 5 qt; compact herb spinners hold much less.
Question to ask: A pound of pasta or a big salad, or less?

Used as: filter, shown on the card. Data: derived from listing fields, backfill cost low. Look for it as: Quarts in the title on many brands (RSVP '5 Qt', OXO '5-Quart'); Zyliss gives portions and bowl diameter instead.
Convert cups and litres to quarts; leave portions-only listings null rather than guess. Retail listings themselves were not checked this run.
Chart: bar length on a shared quart axis.

### Sifter style

How a dedicated flour sifter pushes flour through its screen: a crank, a squeeze handle, a one-hand shaker, or a flat drum sieve (tamis). ATK and King Arthur both say most modern recipes need no sifting and that a fine-mesh strainer does the job when they do. So a dedicated sifter is for bakers who sift often, as for angel food cake, and want measured cups and one-handed use. A drum sieve sifts finest of all. [6] [12] [19] [26]

Values: crank, squeeze handle, one-hand shaker, drum sieve (tamis).
Question to ask: Crank, squeeze handle, or a one-hand shaker?

Used as: shown on the card, filter. Data: derived from listing fields, backfill cost low. Look for it as: Description words: 'crank', 'squeeze', 'trigger', 'one hand', 'drum sieve', 'tamis' (RSVP's titles state only the model name and capacity; 'squeeze style' and 'easy one hand operation' are in the description). Capacity in cups is usually in the title.
Keyword map from the description.

### Sink fit

The range of sink widths an over-the-sink colander's arms can span, in inches. An over-sink colander only works if its arms reach both rims; Reviewed's pick had adjustable arms that fitted an oversized farmhouse sink. Buyers can measure their sink, so this is a literal fit filter for this one format. [9]

Question to ask: How wide is your sink, rim to rim?

Used as: filter. Data: needs research, backfill cost medium. Look for it as: Extended and retracted length in the description or dimensions of over-sink models.
Read the extended length from the dimensions as an approximate stand-in for arm span; only over-sink colanders need it.
Chart: range bar of the span against the buyer's sink width.

### Mesh fineness

How small the openings in a woven mesh are, graded by what it holds back: coarse lets wheat bran through, fine holds bran back and makes smooth purées, ultra-fine also catches the finest sediment. It decides how smooth a sauce comes out and whether flour, cocoa or tea passes clean. The word 'fine' on the label does not tell you: ATK found strainers 'advertised as having fine mesh' where 'some were finer than others', and Rösle's own range calls a 0.5 mm mesh fine and a 1.1 mm gauze extra-fine. Stiffness matters too, since floppy mesh deforms under a ladle. [4] [3] [13] [15] [14] [16] [18]

Values: coarse, fine, ultra-fine.

Used as: shown on the card, filter. Data: needs research, backfill cost high. Look for it as: Usually only a label ('fine', 'extra fine', 'very fine'). Rösle prints the opening as 'Maschenweite' in cm; RSVP and Küchenprofi give no number.
Fill from a stated opening where one exists and from reviewer bran or tea tests for the top N; otherwise record the label as unverified rather than trusting it.
Chart: Opening-size scale.

### Colander base

What a freestanding colander stands on: a tall ring, short feet, or a flat bottom. A tall ring keeps drained food above pooling water and stops a full pot tipping. ATK marked down short feet as less stable and too low, but Reviewed's own top overall pick (the OXO) has "non-skid feet that stayed put", against ATK's finding. Spinner baskets used as colanders have no base at all. [1] [9] [10]

Values: tall ring base, short feet, flat or none.

Used as: shown on the card. Data: needs research, backfill cost medium. Look for it as: Visible in photos; base height is almost never stated.
Image pipeline for ring versus feet. Height only from reviews, top N.

### Pot hook

The catch on the rim of a mesh strainer opposite the handle that rests it on a bowl or pot: a wide curved hook, a small or flat hook, a flat helper handle, or none. A wide hook lets the strainer sit hands-free while you push purée through or pour stock; small, flat or helper-handle designs rock and slide. ATK raised this in both its large and small strainer tests, and its winners in both had wide hooks. [3] [4]

Values: wide curved hook, small or flat hook, helper handle, none.

Used as: shown on the card. Data: needs research, backfill cost medium. Look for it as: Mentioned in some descriptions ('resting hook'); 'Gegengriff' (German for counter-grip) names the helper-handle value, not a hook. Mostly visible only in photos.
Image pipeline plus description keywords. Not worth a filter; show as a note on the card.

### Spinner brake

Whether a salad spinner has a button that stops the basket on demand. Testers disagree. ATK lists a quick brake as nice to have, so you are not opening a lid on a spinning basket; Bon Appétit likes the fluffed leaves a sharp stop leaves; Reviewed saw no benefit and found that stopping early throws off less water. Most spinners have one, so it rarely narrows the set. [5] [10] [11] [21]


Used as: shown on the card. Data: derived from listing fields, backfill cost low. Look for it as: Described as 'stop button' or 'brake' in the product description.
Keyword match on the description. Retail listings themselves were not checked this run.

### Runoff space

How far a salad spinner's basket sits above the bottom of the bowl, which sets how much spun-off water the bowl holds before the greens sit in it again. ATK names it alongside stability and the drive as what makes a spinner dry well: spinners with little room under the basket rewet the greens as soon as they stop, which defeats the spin. No brand states it, so it is a reviewer-only fact. [5]

Values: basket well above runoff, basket near the bottom.

Used as: shown on the card. Data: needs research, backfill cost high.
Only from hands-on reviews. Backfill for the top N spinners only.

### Handle join

How a strainer's handle is fixed to its rim: welded, riveted, or soldered. Strainers get whacked on the bin to knock out pulp. In ATK's test welded handles survived and a soldered one snapped off after a few knocks; in its large-strainer test several handles or hooks flew off. It is the quality difference that a spec sheet rarely shows. [4] [3]

Values: welded, riveted, soldered.

Used as: shown on the card. Data: needs research, backfill cost high. Look for it as: Rarely stated; occasionally 'welded handle' or 'riveted' in the description.
Only from reviews or close-up photos. Backfill for the top N strainers only and lazy-load the rest.

## What you give up

- Finer mesh gives silkier purées and cleaner tea but drains slower and traps pulp and leaf bits. ATK found its ultra-fine picks the hardest to clean and one had to be washed by hand. [3] [4] Board branch: "See more easy-clean strainers".
- A collapsible silicone colander folds flat into a drawer, but testers found it drains pasta slowly, clings to food and is harder to clean than stainless steel. [9] [1] [18] Board branch: "See more space-saving colanders".
- A steel or glass bowl doubles as a serving bowl and cuts some plastic, but ATK found these versions spun slightly less dry than the all-plastic original, and the basket and lid are still plastic. [5] Board branch: "See more serve-from spinners".
- One bowl-size fine-mesh strainer rinses rice, sifts flour and strains sauces, which is why testers rank it above a sifter or chinois for most kitchens. The dedicated tools win only on volume or one-handed use. [6] [12] [7] [3] Board branch: "See more do-everything strainers".

## How to draw it

**Opening-size scale** (scale, shows Mesh fineness, Hole coverage). One log axis of opening size, from colander holes down to tea mesh, with each product's label printed beside its measured opening. It shows at a glance that 'fine' and 'extra-fine' do not sort the way the words suggest. Used today by Laboratory sieves already use this scale: the US sieve series numbers openings (a No. 100 sieve opens at about 0.15 mm). Kitchen use is our proposal, anchored on Rösle's stated openings.. [27] [28] [13] [15] [14] [16]

## Words you will meet

- **Colander**. A bowl with holes punched through it, used to drain pasta and rinse produce.
- **Fine-mesh strainer**. A bowl or cup of woven wire cloth on a handle, used to strain sauces, rinse rice and sift flour.
- **Chinois**. A large cone of very fine mesh that restaurants use for stock, custards and silky soups.
- **China cap**. A cone of perforated metal with bigger holes than a chinois, used to remove seeds and coarse bits.
- **Drum sieve (tamis)**. A flat disc of fine mesh in a round frame that you scrape food or flour across.
- **Mesh opening**. The gap between the wires of a mesh, the one number that says how fine it is.
- **Mesh number**. The count of openings per inch on a laboratory sieve; a higher number means smaller openings.
- **Micro-perforated**. A seller's term for a colander with very small punched holes; it carries no set size.
- **Pot hook**. The catch on a strainer's rim, opposite the handle, that lets it rest on a bowl.
- **Runoff space**. The room under a spinner's basket where flung-off water collects.

## Where we made a call

- The word 'fine' on a strainer does not compare across brands or even within one; only a stated mesh opening does. (confidence high). ATK found advertised fine mesh varied; Rösle's own range labels a 1.1 mm gauze extra-fine and a 0.5 mm mesh fine. Two other brands give no number at all. [4] [13] [16] [18] [20]
- Bigger colander holes do not drain faster; many small holes over the whole bowl do, and they keep small pasta in. (confidence high). ATK says so in its review and a separate article; Reviewed's top picks were the all-over perforated models; Reviewed's guide also draws on user reviews, not only hands-on tests. [2] [1] [9]
- ATK prefers a tall ring base for colander stability; Reviewed's top pick instead has feet. (confidence low). Sources disagree. ATK's own test marks feet less stable; Reviewed's top overall pick (the OXO) has "non-skid feet that stayed put." We keep the ring recommendation, the direct stability test, but flag the disagreement rather than hide it. [1] [9]
- Buy a collapsible silicone colander for storage only; it drains and cleans worse than a stainless one. (confidence medium). ATK warns off novel formats and silicone generally; Reviewed tested one collapsible and found it waterlogged and hard to clean. One tested model is thin evidence, so medium. [1] [9]
- Most home bakers do not need a flour sifter; a bowl-size fine-mesh strainer sifts when a recipe asks. (confidence high). ATK and King Arthur agree; King Arthur keeps sifting for very light cakes such as angel food. [6] [12]
- A pump spinner is the easiest to use one-handed; whether it spins drier than a pull cord is disputed. (confidence medium). Sources disagree. ATK and Reviewed picked pump models and say cords need two hands. Bon Appétit's kitchen prefers Zyliss's pull cord for the driest spin. We side with the measured tests on ease, not on dryness. [5] [10] [11]
- A spinner's brake is a convenience, not a drying feature. (confidence low). Sources disagree. ATK calls it nice to have, Bon Appétit likes the fluffed leaves, Reviewed says stopping early leaves more water. No one measured a benefit, so we treat it as annotation only. [5] [11] [10]
- Most home cooks can skip a chinois; a fine-mesh strainer covers stock and custard. (confidence medium). One source (ATK), which allows a chinois for big batches and very smooth soups. [7]
- US food-contact rules govern materials, not a strainer standard; nylon, silicone and polypropylene parts fall under 21 CFR 177, EU under Regulation 1935/2004. (confidence medium). 21 CFR 177.2600 covers silicone, 177.1520 polypropylene and 177.1500 nylon mesh; 174.5 requires suitable purity. Stainless steel, the main material, sits outside Part 177. The EU's framework is Regulation 1935/2004. We found no product standard; search was unavailable this run. [30] [31] [29] [32] [33]

## References

1. [America's Test Kitchen, The Best Colanders](https://www.americastestkitchen.com/equipment_reviews/2200-colanders) (specialist review). Supports: Small, well-distributed holes drain fastest; clusters drain slowly; 4.5 to 5 qt most useful; Tall ring base beats short feet; Silicone and plastic less stable and durable than stainless; Avoid novel formats such as collapsible and over-the-sink.
2. [America's Test Kitchen, Cooking Pasta? The Colander You Use to Drain It Matters (2022)](https://www.americastestkitchen.com/articles/5641-cooking-pasta-the-colander-you-use-to-drain-it-matters) (specialist review). Supports: Bigger holes do not mean faster drainage; Pasta keeps cooking until the water drains.
3. [America's Test Kitchen, The Best Fine-Mesh Strainers](https://www.americastestkitchen.com/equipment_reviews/1744-fine-mesh-strainers) (specialist review). Supports: About 8 in basket is most useful at home; Fine, stiff mesh holds back bran and makes smooth purées; Wide curved pot hooks stabilise; flat or small ones rock; Handles and hooks flew off weaker models; Ultra-fine mesh is harder to clean.
4. [America's Test Kitchen, The Best Small Strainers](https://www.americastestkitchen.com/equipment_reviews/2410-small-strainers) (specialist review). Supports: Small strainers, also called tea strainers, are about 3 in wide; Advertised fine mesh varied in fineness; Bran from wheat flour as the fineness test; Welded handles survived; a soldered one broke.
5. [America's Test Kitchen, The Best Salad Spinners](https://www.americastestkitchen.com/equipment_reviews/1916-salad-spinners) (specialist review). Supports: Drives are crank, plunger, lever or pull cord; Full size about 4 to 5.5 qt; compact about half; Plunger is one-handed; cranks and cords need two hands; Runoff space under the basket stops rewetting; Steel and glass bowls dried slightly worse.
6. [America's Test Kitchen, Do I Really Have to Sift My Ingredients? (2023)](https://www.americastestkitchen.com/articles/7781-do-i-have-to-sift-my-ingredients) (specialist review). Supports: Sifting is rarely needed; Use a fine-mesh strainer when a recipe asks.
7. [America's Test Kitchen, Do You Need a Chinois?](https://www.americastestkitchen.com/how_tos/6533-do-you-need-a-chinois) (specialist review). Supports: Most home cooks can use a fine-mesh strainer instead; Chinois worth it for big batches.
8. [America's Test Kitchen, The Best Way to Rinse Rice](https://www.americastestkitchen.com/how_tos/9250-the-best-way-to-rinse-rice) (specialist review). Supports: Rinse rice in a fine-mesh strainer under running water.
9. [Reviewed (USA Today), The Best Colanders](https://www.reviewed.com/ovens/best-right-now/the-best-colanders) (specialist review). Supports: All-over perforation and a raised base drained best; Collapsible silicone waterlogged with pasta and hard to clean; Adjustable over-sink arms fit a farmhouse sink; 5 qt standard; 6 qt overkill for a pound of pasta; Micro-perforated label no guarantee of small holes.
10. [Reviewed (USA Today), The Best Salad Spinners, Sharon Franke, March 2024](https://www.reviewed.com/cooking/best-right-now/best-salad-spinners) (specialist review). Supports: Lever pump works one-handed; pull cord needs a bracing hand; No benefit seen from brakes; Steel-bowl OXO came close to the top pick; Spinner baskets have no feet for use as colanders.
11. [Bon Appétit, The Best Salad Spinners According to Bon Appétit Editors](https://www.bonappetit.com/story/best-salad-spinner) (specialist review). Supports: Pull cord gives the driest spin, in the editors' view; Brake leaves fluffed-up leaves; Mueller 5 qt is about 20 percent smaller than others.
12. [King Arthur Baking, Do I really need to sift flour? (2024)](https://www.kingarthurbaking.com/blog/2024/06/24/why-sift-flour) (primer). Supports: Modern flour mostly needs no sifting; A fine-mesh strainer does what a sifter does; Sift for very light cakes such as angel food.
13. [Rösle, Rundgriff Küchensieb feinmaschig Ø 20 cm (spec page)](https://www.roesle.com/rundgriff-kuechensieb-feinmaschig-oe-20-cm/) (spec sheet). Supports: Fine-mesh 20 cm strainer states a 0.05 cm opening; 18/10 stainless; for sifting flour and dusting sugar.
14. [Rösle, Rundgriff Küchensieb grobmaschig Ø 20 cm (spec page)](https://www.roesle.com/rundgriff-kuechensieb-grobmaschig-oe-20-cm/) (spec sheet). Supports: Coarse-mesh strainer states a 0.16 cm opening.
15. [Rösle, Rundgriff Teesieb feinmaschig Ø 8 cm (spec page)](https://www.roesle.com/rundgriff-teesieb-feinmaschig-oe-8-cm/) (spec sheet). Supports: 8 cm tea strainer states a 0.033 cm opening.
16. [Rösle, Gastro Gaze Sieb Ø 25 cm (spec page)](https://www.roesle.com/gastro-gaze-sieb-oe-25-cm/) (spec sheet). Supports: Sold as extra-fine yet states a 0.11 cm opening.
17. [Rösle, Spitzsieb Ø 18 cm (spec page)](https://www.roesle.com/spitzsieb-oe-18-cm/) (spec sheet). Supports: Conical strainer with 0.1 cm punched holes, a perforated cone.
18. [RSVP International, Shopify catalogue JSON (colander and strainer listings read from it)](https://rsvp-intl.com/collections/colanders-strainers/products.json) (spec sheet). Supports: Conical mesh strainers 3 to 8 in, 'very fine mesh', no mesh number; 18-8 stainless steel stated; Collapsible colander has silicone walls on a steel rim.
19. [RSVP International, flour sifters product data](https://rsvp-intl.com/collections/flour-sifters/products.json) (spec sheet). Supports: Crank, squeeze and one-hand sifters, sold by cup capacity.
20. [Küchenprofi, Küchensieb DELUXE (product page)](https://www.kuechenprofi.de/Kuechensieb-DELUXE/2506102818-VARIANTE) (spec sheet). Supports: Says 'feine Lochung' with no opening; Has a rim catch for resting on a bowl.
21. [Zyliss, Swift Dry Salad Spinner (product page)](https://us.zyliss.com/products/swift-dry-salad-spinner) (spec sheet). Supports: One-handed pump action with a stop button.
22. [Zyliss, Easy Spin Salad Spinner (product page)](https://us.zyliss.com/products/easy-spin-salad-spinner) (spec sheet). Supports: Pull cord with stop button; Capacity given as portions and bowl diameter, not quarts.
23. [Wikipedia, Colander](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colander) (primer). Supports: A colander is perforated; a sieve has much finer mesh; Colander materials.
24. [Wikipedia, Chinois](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinois) (primer). Supports: Chinois is very fine mesh; China cap is perforated with larger holes.
25. [Wikipedia, Salad spinner](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salad_spinner) (primer). Supports: Centrifugal force drives water through basket slits; Crank, push-button and pull-cord drives.
26. [Wikipedia, Tamis](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tamis) (primer). Supports: A drum sieve sifts finer than any other utensil.
27. [Wikipedia, Mesh (scale)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mesh_(scale)) (primer). Supports: Mesh numbers count holes per inch; US No. 100 opens at 150 µm; ISO 3310-1 and ASTM E11 govern test sieves.
28. [AZoM, Particle Size: US Sieve Series and Tyler Mesh Size Equivalents](https://www.azom.com/article.aspx?ArticleID=1417) (primer). Supports: US No. 100 sieve opens at 0.149 mm.
29. [21 CFR 174.5, General provisions applicable to indirect food additives](https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-21/chapter-I/subchapter-B/part-174/section-174.5) (regulator). Supports: Food-contact components must be of a purity suitable for intended use.
30. [21 CFR 177.2600, Rubber articles intended for repeated use](https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-21/chapter-I/subchapter-B/part-177/subpart-C/section-177.2600) (regulator). Supports: Covers repeat-use rubber, including silicone elastomers, used in preparing food.
31. [21 CFR 177.1520, Olefin polymers](https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-21/chapter-I/subchapter-B/part-177/subpart-B/section-177.1520) (regulator). Supports: Polypropylene articles permitted in food contact under stated specifications.
32. [21 CFR 177.1500, Nylon resins](https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-21/chapter-I/subchapter-B/part-177/subpart-B/section-177.1500) (regulator). Supports: Nylon resins may be used in articles for processing and packaging food.
33. [European Commission, Food contact materials (summarising Regulation (EC) No 1935/2004)](https://food.ec.europa.eu/food-safety/chemical-safety/food-contact-materials_en) (regulator). Supports: EU framework regulation covers materials and articles intended to contact food, including kitchenware.