RSVP International International Endurance Stainless Steel Precision Pierced Colander, 5-Quart (Punch-5), Silver

Love this colander. It has a lot of small holes through the whole colander and nothing falls through them. The bottom sits high enough so it can drain without backing up into the colander. It is big enough to hold a lot of food or gravy, etc. It is very durable.

This is a great colander. This colander has lots and lots of holes, without any unperforated areas like most metal colanders have, so food drains quickly and completely. The holes are small enough so that small items such as orzo or rice don't fall out into the sink, but not small enough that they get clogged easily or are hard to clean. The strainer is much stiffer and sturdier than a mesh strainer with similarly sized and spaced holes, and it tends to be easier to clean than the mesh.The pedestal base on this colander holds the food high enough that any standing water in the sink won’t touch my food, although I would've liked to see some slits in the base to let water escape out the sides. I do have to remember to position the colander over the drain in the sink when I will be passing a lot of liquid (like a big pot of pasta) through it, but it hasn’t been a big deal. My colander has gotten pretty heavy use over the past few months, and despite that it isn't showing any signs of rust or discoloration, and the surface is as shiny as ever.I purchased this colander along with the matching 5 Qt colander, and it is the perfect size to nest inside the larger colander when stored in the cabinet.

I’m 67 years old and this is only the second colander l’ve ever owned, but l do have to say that I love it. The base is nice and large and secure so it remains stable while you pour the liquid into the bowl. It drains very quickly and completely. Easy to clean. Gets the job done. I’m so glad the old one broke!

It can be used right or left-handed. Very sturdy.

I don't know if other people are like this, but I tend to keep using kitchen items that I've had since the 70's just because the thought never occurred to me to replace them (e.g., "Harvest Gold" and "Avocado Green" plastic items). And, while there are some things that I would NOT replace with something from today's market because the quality would not be nearly as good, there are other things that I'm kind of embarrassed to pull out of the cabinets when friends and family are around (e.g., bent, scratched, Teflon-coated cake pans and cookie sheets).Such was the case with my old, white, plastic colander that I probably got as a bridal shower gift back in 1973. It was on the small side, had holes that were too large, often tipped over while pouring spaghetti and boiling water into it, and didn't always come clean - even when washed in the dishwasher. But I didn't really give it much thought until I happened to see Cook's Illustrated's review on colanders. This RSVP Stainless Steel 5-Quart colander was "Highly Recommended". Something about this colander just caught my eye. It looks expensive. It's sleek design and the shiny stainless steel definitely put my old colander to shame.I've had it for 6 months now, and realize every time I use it, that it really was a good purchase. It's larger size is more practical - yet it's not so large that I had trouble fitting it into the spot where I stored my old colander. Even though the holes are much smaller than my old colander, because of the design and the number of holes, water drains out several times faster than my old one - and less time holding a heavy pot means less strain on my wrists. It has a solid well-designed base that keeps it from tipping over (although I found that I need to place something (like a table knife) just under one edge of the base so that the water draining out of the colander doesn't rush into the sink drain faster than the drain can handle -- as a previous reviewer (Shelley Ryan) mentioned in her review).I would like to give it 4.5 stars, taking off 1/2 star because it has to be hand washed, but since half stars are not an option, I will have to go with 4 stars. If it were dishwasher-safe, it would merit 5 stars. I probably would have disregarded the hand wash only suggestion, had Cook's Illustrated not said that washing this colander in a dishwasher will eventually result in the handles becoming loose or falling off. Having had it for a while now, I find that it really isn't as hard to wash as I thought it might be. Even the starchy gunk from pasta washes off pretty easily with a few swishes of a dish cloth or sponge.

I was spoiled in my youth with my mother's then-vintage (now antique) pierced pot strainer. I saw one at a dollar deals store once and bought it thinking it was a close match but no, I think it was made for Lefties, with a weird handle that made you choose between holding the pot or, holding the strainer and, the lip to catch the pot is only on one side... the left. Also, noodles slipped through the holes and under the strainer because, I'm right-handed and the lip is only on the left. NOT the case with this RSVP Pierced Pot Strainer. To begin with, this is an ambidextrous strainer with a flat handle so you can easily hold the strainer WITH the pot; the holes let out the water, not the noodles but of course, that will depend upon the size of the noodle. Spaghetti, like the Angel hair, will always find a way to swim through! This strainer fits ALL of my pots and pans without slipping off because the lip is on BOTH SIDES, there's no advantage for one over the other. It's a basic kitchen tool and I'm kicking myself for waiting so long to purchase this! GET ONE - you will thank yourself for doing so!