How to Use a Colander in Cooking

Colanders help you easily drain food.

A colander is useful in the kitchen for separating food from water or other liquids. Its bowl shape and tiny holes allow food to remain in the colander while the liquid drains below. Colanders are easy to use with both hot and cold items. Draining hot liquids, however, will require a few extra safety precautions.



Do not attempt to drain soft or mushy food as it may seep through the colander holes. Two common foods used in colanders are pasta noodles and vegetables.

Things You'll Need

• Colander
• Sink

Instructions

1. Prepare the draining area. Clear any items out of your sink and place the colander in the sink with the opening of the bowl facing up. If you have a swinging facet that hangs well over your sink, push it to the side. Put a hot pad on a clear counter space if your food is hot.

2. Remove your food from the cooking area. When your food is ready, take the container you used to cook it in over to the sink. If the container or liquid inside it is hot, be sure to wear oven mitts during this process. Also, if you used a burner to heat up your food, turn it off before you grab hold of the container.

3. Pour the contents of the container into the colander. Do this slowly to avoid splashing liquid or bouncing food up out of the colander---especially if it's hot. As you perform this step, keep your face and head away from the colander to avoid any rising steam.

4. Place the empty cooking container on the counter or hot pad after you've drained the food.

5. Return to the sink and wait until all of the liquid has drained through the colander and any steam has cleared. Grab the colander with both hands (most colanders will have handles on opposite sides of the bowl) and subtly toss the contents up and down to drain any liquid still clinging to the food. Your tossing should only lift the food 1 or 2 inches off the colander.

6. Pour your dry food back into its original container or another serving dish.

Tips & Warnings

• Use colanders with smaller holes if the pieces of food are small.

• Do not leave pasta sitting in the colander for too long as it may stick together or even continue cooking from its own steam or heat!

• If cooking with any hot items, use appropriate safety tools like oven mitts and hot pads.

References

• Colanders: All About Colanders