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Colander

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An enamelled colander

A colander (or cullender) is a kitchen utensil perforated with holes used to strain foods such as pasta or to rinse vegetables.[1] The perforations of the colander allow liquid to drain through while retaining the solids inside. It is sometimes called a pasta strainer. A sieve, with much finer mesh, is also used for straining.

Description and history

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Traditionally, colanders are made of a light metal, such as aluminium or thinly rolled stainless steel. Colanders are also made of plastic, silicone, ceramic, and enamelware.[2]

The word colander comes from the Latin colum, meaning sieve.[1]

Types

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Mated colander pot
A mated colander pot showing the colander fully inserted into the bottom pot, and slightly lifted out of it
  • Bowl- or cone-shaped – the usual colander
  • Mated colander pot – a colander inside a cooking pot, allowing the food to drain as it is lifted out[3]

Other uses

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Pastafarian protester wears a colander while showing an icon of the Flying Spaghetti Monster.

The colander in the form of a pasta strainer was adopted as the religious headgear of the satirical religion Pastafarianism, which worships the Flying Spaghetti Monster.[4]

Colanders may be used during solar eclipses to project multiple small low-resolution images of a partial eclipse onto a flat surface for safe viewing.[5][6]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b "colander". merriam-webster.com. Merriam-Webster. 2011. Retrieved 23 May 2022.
  2. ^ "Colander". CooksInfo.com. 15 October 2010. Retrieved 30 November 2012.
  3. ^ "Mated Colander Pot". justcooking.in. Retrieved 23 May 2022.
  4. ^ "Pastafarian protester carries an icon of the Flying Spaghetti Monster at Piazza XXIV Maggio square in Milan, Italy, on June 2, 2012". Wikimedia Commons.
  5. ^ "Annular Solar Eclipse Safety". NASA. 2023.
  6. ^ Pearson, Ezzy (7 April 2024). "The best, safest ways to view a solar eclipse, from low-cost, simple options to expert astronomer techniques". BBC Sky at Night Magazine.
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