Transferring massive pots of boiling water and their cooked contents from stove to sink is one maneuver most cooks never look forward to. It’s dangerous, heavy, and an overall pain in the ass. For those with access to full-sized kitchens and a dual-sink setup, using integrated pot strainers is one way to avoid the situation all together. However, for apartment dwellers who don’t have access to a full-sized kitchen and big sink, adding another massive pot to the dish washing mix just creates more headaches.
Thankfully, the good folks over at Oxo have added another cooking solution kitchen implement to their laundry list of ingeniously simple products. Not only does it drain the liquid from foods, but its also safe to immerse in boiling water so you can cook with it right inside the pot. Then once your blanching or parboiling is done, simply lift the basket out for easy straining. With cooking out of the way, then simply collapse the basket down for flat, easy storage, great for squeezing into packed cabinetry. At 6.75” in diameter, it is ideal for use in standard 3 and 4 quart saucepans and dishwasher safe for easy clean up.
Though it may not be the most exciting of products that we’ve feature on site, living with a pasta addict I can personally attest that the Oxo Silicone Cooking Colander performs as promised, and overall has greatly reduced cooking effort on my part. If you find yourself clanging around the old strainer time and time again, I highly suggest you give this modern boiling miracle a test drive. Outside of neutral gray, it’s also available in red or blue for kitchen style fanatics.
Cost: $20