We analysed the Amazon.co.uk subcategory Colanders & Food Strainers and kept only listings with at least 200 reviews and 4.3 stars. Ordered by estimated monthly revenue, the top ten is a genuinely mixed bag: three perforated colanders, two mesh sieves, three cheesecloth packs, a rice washing bowl and a gravy fat separator.
The benchmark of the category: a 20.3 cm fine mesh sieve at £21.99, and the highest earning single item in this node.
Check the price on AmazonThe benchmark of the category: a 20.3 cm fine mesh sieve at £21.99, and the highest earning single item in this node.
The volume seller of the node at nearly 1,900 units a month — three unbleached grade 100 muslin squares for £3.99, and not a colander at all.
A single-purpose bowl for rinsing rice, with a silicone base and a side handle — it drains, so Amazon files it in with the colanders.
The most expensive item in this top ten at £26.96, and the classic footed colander shape — 2.8 litres swallows a 500 g bag of pasta.
With 7,744 reviews the most reviewed product on the page, and strictly a gravy jug rather than a strainer — it separates fat instead of catching solids.
Three graduated mesh sieves for £8.09, which undercuts the single OXO by more than a third — the pragmatic buy if baking is the main job.
The premium cloth: two GOTS-certified hemmed squares for £12.99, against £3.99 for three unhemmed ones at rank 2.
A plain 24 cm steel colander at £7.99, under a third of the OXO price — and at 4.3 stars the weakest rating on this page.
The third cheesecloth pack in this ranking and the best value on paper: four grade 100 squares for the same £3.99 that buys three at rank 2.
The largest colander here at five quarts, with perforations fine enough to hold rice and riveted heat-resistant handles.
| Product | Score | Stars | Reviews | Feature | Material | Price | Offer |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01. OXO Good Grips Fine Mesh Strainer, 20 cm Best seller OXO · OXO |
9.0 | 4.5 ★ | 2,806 | fine mesh · 20.3 cm | Stainless steel | £21.99 | Amazon › |
| 02. PAEFIU Muslin Cheesecloth 50 x 50 cm, 3-pack Lowest price PAEFIU · PAEFIU |
9.1 | 4.6 ★ | 2,240 | grade 100 · 3-pack | Cotton muslin | £3.99 | Amazon › |
| 03. Yum Asia Rice Washing Bowl, 22 cm Yum Asia · Yum Asia |
8.5 | 4.4 ★ | 875 | 22 cm · silicone base | Stainless steel | £21.90 | Amazon › |
| 04. OXO Good Grips Stainless Colander, 2.8 L OXO · OXO |
8.6 | 4.5 ★ | 719 | 2.8 L · steel | Stainless steel | £26.96 | Amazon › |
| 05. OXO Good Grips Fat Separator, 1 L Top rated OXO · OXO |
9.4 | 4.6 ★ | 7,744 | 1 L · fat separator | Plastic | £24.21 | Amazon › |
| 06. Jojeys Fine Mesh Sieve Set, 3-pack Jojeys · Jojeys |
9.1 | 4.5 ★ | 5,410 | 3-pack · fine mesh | Stainless steel | £8.09 | Amazon › |
| 07. Country Trading Organic Cheesecloth, 2-pack Country Trading Co. · Country Trading Co. |
9.1 | 4.8 ★ | 900 | GOTS · 58 x 58 cm | Organic cotton | £12.99 | Amazon › |
| 08. Acense Stainless Steel Colander, 24 cm Acense · Acense |
8.2 | 4.3 ★ | 524 | 24 cm · steel | Stainless steel | £7.99 | Amazon › |
| 09. New England Stories Cheesecloth, 4-pack New England Stories · New England Stories |
9.1 | 4.5 ★ | 4,223 | grade 100 · 4-pack | Cotton | £3.99 | Amazon › |
| 10. Tiawudi 18/8 Steel Colander, 5 Quart Top rated Tiawudi · Tiawudi |
9.4 | 4.6 ★ | 7,154 | 5 quart · 18/8 steel | Stainless steel | £17.99 | Amazon › |
Punched holes drain pasta and potatoes in seconds and clog with nothing. Fine mesh catches quinoa, rice and stock solids but drains slowly and traps starch. Both are in this top ten and they are not substitutes for one another.
A footed colander stands in the sink and leaves both hands free for a heavy pan. A handled sieve has to be held or balanced over a bowl, which becomes a problem the moment you are pouring boiling water with the other hand.
Sizes on this page come in litres, quarts and centimetres, which makes comparison awkward. Roughly 2.8 litres or 24 cm handles a 500 g bag of pasta; anything smaller and you drain in two goes with the pan still on the hob.
Three of these ten are cheesecloth, because straining stock, yoghurt or nut milk needs something finer than any sieve. Grade 100 is the tight weave to look for, and hemmed edges stop the cloth shedding threads into the pot.
A colander that sits flat on the bottom of a shallow sink blocks its own holes. Feet, a raised base ring or long handles that span the sink keep the underside clear so the water actually leaves.
18/8 and 304 describe the same stainless family and shrug off the salt and acid that pit cheaper steel. Riveted handles survive the dishwasher better than spot welds, which is where budget colanders usually fail first.
A colander with punched holes is for draining pasta, potatoes and tinned pulses. A fine mesh sieve is for rinsing rice and quinoa, sifting flour and straining sauces. Most kitchens end up owning both, which is why both fill this table.
Amazon files it under food strainers, and on revenue it belongs there: the £3.99 muslin pack at rank 2 sells an estimated 1,900 units a month, more than any metal item here. It strains what a sieve is too coarse to catch.
The OXO Good Gravy at rank 5 is a jug that separates fat from meat juices. It is not a strainer in any normal sense, but it sits in this node on Amazon and earns steady revenue, so we name it rather than quietly drop it.
The order comes from estimated monthly revenue per ASIN, not from star rating and not from bestseller rank. Only listings with at least 200 reviews and an average of 4.3 stars were included. Because the node mixes colanders, sieves, cloths and bowls, this is a picture of what the category sells rather than a like-for-like contest.
The score is not our own hands-on test. It is calculated transparently from public Amazon data: 75% from the average star rating and 25% from the number of reviews, weighted logarithmically. The ranking order itself comes from estimated monthly revenue per ASIN. Prices, ratings and review counts were retrieved from Amazon.co.uk on 22 July 2026 and can change at any time.
Affiliate disclosure: As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases — at no extra cost to you. All links are affiliate links. Prices are snapshots taken on 22 July 2026; the current price is shown live on Amazon. Product images and details come from Amazon or the manufacturers.