Colanders & Mixing Bowls

Most of us don’t need a rack of strainers. We need the one that fits what we cook. Our colanders and mixing bowls all start from the same stainless steel, so deciding comes down to what you’ll drain and where you’ll put it away.

If all you do is tip a pot of pasta into a sink, the 5‑quart colander is the simplest choice. It’s tall, steady, and rinses clean in the dishwasher. The 3‑quart does the same job for a can of chickpeas, a pint of berries, or a quick-wash of herbs. You can get both in a set that nests together in the drawer. That’s the quiet logic we build into every piece: it should earn its drawer space.

The mixing bowls earn theirs with the lids. Each set nests for storage, but the airtight seals let a bowl go from mixing dough to chilling it overnight without a stretch of plastic wrap. If you bake once a week, the smaller set is plenty. If you prep several things at once, or you hate stopping to wash a bowl, the larger set gives you that extra bowl right when you need it. Worth it? Yes, if you find yourself rinsing a bowl halfway through a recipe.

What this department won’t do: fine straining. The punched holes are sized for water and large solids, so quinoa, couscous, or loose rice will slip through. These colanders don’t have feet or folding arms. They’re meant to sit in a sink or be held with one hand, not to stand independently. And if your kitchen has almost no drawer space, even the nesting sets will need a shelf.

But if you want a strainer or bowls that won’t warp or hold onto yesterday’s garlic, this is where we begin. All the steel is 18/8, dishwasher‑safe, uncoated. Bellemain means beautiful hands. We take that literally: a tool should feel right before it looks right. We test a colander with real pasta water and a mixing bowl with wet dough. The result is not flashy. It’s the gear that stays, year after year.