[QUOTE=tsfisch, post:17, topic:350903]
Dumb question alert:
When would you use a sieve vs a colander?
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Colanders are brilliant for draining/rinsing big things. Sieves become important if you want to do things like rinse canned tuna, drain/rinse bulgur or quinoa, or sift the dust out of the dregs of a box of cereal.
Use a sieve for fine or small things like sifting flour or rinsing rice. colander for rinsing things that won’t fall through the holes but lets debris fall through. Somebody else may have a better explanation.
I love these. I’ve had a set for a while now and they have held up fine. Plus when you have little one’s in the kitchen with you they make a nice game to keep them busy. As for sieve Vs. Colander, The Colander is for draining things like veggies and pasta. a sieve is for fine particles, like flour, also if you make a sauce and you get lumps, the sieve can work them out. If you make a puree out of berries, a sieve is good for getting rid of the seeds.
They say “nest perfectly when clean” and then “perfect for college dorm rooms”.
Don’t remember ever seeing a clean dish in a college dorm room.
I have been using these for a little over a year with no problems. The largest mixing bowl has some good weight to it, and has a non-slip surface on the bottom. The colander has been through the dishwasher a dozen times or more with no warping. The sieve’s metal is a little flimsy and dents easily, but you can put it back into shape with no problem. They don’t take up much space and still nest perfectly. Overall I am happy with it and would buy it again.
Not BPA free. They may be colorful, but they are cheap. Give me glass over plastic any day.
We have these, got them as a wedding gift 3 years ago. We’ve put them in the top rack of our dishwasher and they’ve been fine, definitely never put them on the bottom rack or in the microwave, they are plastic and I assume will melt quite quickly.
The only serious problem we’ve has was a stupid use of them. My husband cooked pasta without checking if the colander was dirty or not. When the pasta was done he ended up grabbing the sieve to drain it. Big mistake, the mesh shrunk and the set hasn’t stacked since.
Even with the Woot price I think you could find something higher quality. They look and feel Walmart cheap and I wouldn’t pay more than 10 bucks for em. I’d much rather have another set of the Pyrex bowls we already have. They stack and they all have lids and my dollar store measure cups and spoons fit nicely inside the smallest bowl.
Sieves are great for sifting flour when baking. They’re also nice for evenly distributing powdered sugar on foods. Not a dumb question at all. Happy to help!
We use a colander to strain pasta and rinse vegetables. We use a sieve to drain fat/liquids out of meat. The sieve can handle higher heat because it’s a metal mesh.
edit: I haven’t had the problems with our sieve shrinking so I would assume this is poorly made after reading everyone else’s comments.
Turns over bowl… Made in China… Makes sense now.*
If you have a kid… buy this then head over to kids.woot and buy the kitchen set!
I guess I’m the only one who loves this set. I’ve had it for a few years, I use it all the time and I’ve not had any problems. I usually hand wash it but I have put several of the pieces in the dishwasher with no problems.
I bought mine at the last woot off. They are definitely Plastic and they remind me of Kids toys, where you stick the right shape in the right holes. Yeah, those. The measuring cups seem big and bulky. I don’t like how you can’t precisely measure on the 1/3, 1/2, 1 cups by scraping off the extra, There is the rim in the way. I see them being nice, especially if you have kids. They’d be good for college dorms, ect as well. I have not microwaved or dishwashed mine yet, I plan to hand wash them as best as I can. On the plus side, they are pretty and they don’t take up to much space. How ever i wouldn’t recommend to anyone.
[QUOTE=tsfisch, post:17, topic:350903]
Dumb question alert:
When would you use a sieve vs a colander?
[/quote]
rice, other small grains
[QUOTE=tsfisch, post:17, topic:350903]
Dumb question alert:
When would you use a sieve vs a colander?
[/quote]
Not a dumb question at all. The sieve is used for things that are smaller and would slip through the holes of a colander. I use a sieve to drain ground meat, for instance, but it doesn’t sound like these would hold up to that. I also use a sieve to strain my yogurt, which produces a thicker, Greek-style yogurt. My colander is for draining veggies and pasta.
This appears to be a PERFECT set for someone who doesn’t really cook or bake, but likes to appear as if they do.
I’m thinking: engagement gift for the busy professional.
I ordered one during the last woot-off. This is a pretty slick set that has held up well. The colors are also quite sharp and the set nests nicely.
[QUOTE=balisane, post:20, topic:350903]
Pass on this one. Looks like a cool idea, but I’m a heavy baker and have knocked a hole right in the bottom of bowls made of this type of plastic. They don’t stand up to kneading stiff doughs, that’s for sure.
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I’m a heavy baker, too!!
Oh, wait. You weren’t referring to weight??? Scratch that.
(Pun intended.)
I’ve seen these at Bell’s Outlets, Marshall’s & Home Goods Store for around $10 each. This does not seem to be a good bargain.
Ugh! Looks like a form-over-function disaster. No thanks.
[QUOTE=herriga, post:10, topic:350903]
I frequently see these at my local discount home store and there are always several broken pieces in sets.
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Ditto. Seen this same set for ~$10 at places like TJ Maxx or Homegoods, and they’ve had some major breakage. Frequently found in the clearance section all broken up.