The size and quantity of the holes in the strainer or colander is probably the most imporant decision that you make when you buy one. If you only use your colander for draining spaghetti then the holes can be quite large. But if you like to drain rice or small pasta then with a large-holed colander you're going to lose some. So you want a colander with tiny tiny holes.

Some folks like to have their colander do double duty as a potato ricer. They stick the boiled potatoes in it and then use a mallet to push the potatoes through the holes. For this cooking chore, you really want medium to large holes - and lots of them. The colander should also be large to hold the potatoes.

If you cook small amounts of pasta or want to rinse some berries. Then a handheld strainer might do the trick as well. Look for a comfortable and strong handle, with a stabilizing handle across from it. So you can rest the handle on a bowl or pot.

You can choose to get this Oxo Good Grips Stainless Steel Colander in either a 3- or 5-quart capacity. The perforated design is perfect for fast and efficient straining. This colander strainer has 5 five so that is stable in either the sink or on a countertop. There are two large, soft and easy to grip handles. When you're done using it, toss it in the dishwasher. Storage is a cinch. The Oxo Good Grips Stainless Steel Colander is designed to nest in mixing bowls for easy straining and storage.

The Norpro Stainless Steel Colander is 9.5 inches wide. So it's big enough to handle large vegetables, potatoes or meat. In fact, if you need to rice potatoes, the medium-sized holes will let you do this with ease. If you just need to rinse off pasta, you can make enough spaghetti and meatballs for a crowd. This collander strainer is built to last  from rust-resistant 18/10 heavy guage stainless steel. It's beautiful to look at and display in your kitchen with a satiny, brushed steel exterior and polished interior. Three feet form a tripod for stability. Easy-to-grip handles stay cool. When you're through you can throw it in the dishwasher for easy cleaning.

You can use this strainer to shake powdered sugar or cocoa over a cake, rinse berries, or strain gravy. It is built with professional quality 18/10 stainless steel with double mesh construction. The long curved handle has a channel for comfortable use. There is also a support handle on the opposite hand that can hook over the edge of a bowl or pan for stability.

Gordon Ramsey has designed an 11-inch stainless steel colander for Royal Doulton. Built for durability and maximum heat flow this colander has a heavy-gauge aluminum core. Instead of two handles, this stainless steel colander has a wide brim. You can easily grab hold of the rim to carry it to the sink or serving dish. The wide rim also is great for use with a stock pot. There's a large hanging hole on the brim for convenient storage. Oven safe up to 500 degrees. It can be popped in the dishwasher for fast and easy clean-up.

The first thing that you'll notice about this Precision Pierced stainless steel colander is that the holes are really really small. So if you cook a lot of small rice and pasta such as orzo, quinoa, or couscous, you'll won't be leaving a lot of it in the sink. But there's a lot of small holes so the water will still drain quickly. The footed base is secure and keeps all the food and heat 1-inch off the surface of your counter.

A rectangular colander designed to be used at the sink. Expands to a 21-inch length so it will work it most sinks. The rubber feet ensure that it won't scratch your sink or your counter tops. Fine mesh ensures that the pasta stays in the colander.

If you're always cleaning berries, the Norpro Berry colander is designed just for you. If you are tired of larger colanders taking up diswasher space then take a look at the Norpro berry colander. it's also beautiful with a decorative berry design. It holds just over 1 quart, so it's about 1/3 to 1/2 the size of a traditional colander.