Food Strainers For Every Occasion

Making a fresh pot of pasta or blanching your favorite vegetables is easier when you have a quality food strainer in your kitchen. Williams Sonoma offers a wide array of sizes and styles to choose from, making it easy to find the precise tool you need to make your favorite family recipes.

Skimmers Vs. Strainers

There are two primary types of strainers available, both of which have their own place in your kitchen collection. Skimmers are a strainer that is designed into a hand-held spoon shape. The large bottom makes it easy to scoop pasta or vegetables from a pot or a bowl. Strainers are much larger in design. They often feature a long handle on one end and a smaller one on the opposite, making it easy to rest the strainer along the top of a pot or bowl.

Choosing Your Skimmers and Strainers

With so many different strainers available, it can be difficult to decide which one makes the best addition to your kitchen collection. As you look through the options, take note of the key features and the ways you'll use the strainer in your weekly cooking routine.

• Material: Stainless steel is a popular choice for food strainers because it is extremely durable and dishwasher-safe. The sturdy design holds up to boiling water and is easy to rinse clean after use. Some designs mix-and-match a few materials, pairing a stainless-steel strainer or skimmer with a wooden or plastic handle.
• Size: Both skimmers and strainers come in a variety of shapes and sizes from which to choose. If you're purchasing your first strainer, select a larger option. If you are adding on to items you already have in your kitchen, choose one that's different in size from your existing options.
• Handle Design: Before you choose the strainer for your kitchen, think about where you will store it. Holes on the end or an open handle design make it easy to hang from a hook or a pot rack. Solid handles with a contour are ideal when you're going to store the strainer in a cabinet and are often more comfortable in the hand.

Food strainers are only one of the many tools you can add to your kitchen to make restaurant-quality meals from the comfort of your own kitchen. Purchase them as an add-on to your pot and pan collection. Tongs and a colander serve similar functions, as well.