Strainer

When I call for one of these in a recipe, chances are I’m not talking about a pasta colander, with its large, spread-out holes. To sieve out raspberry seeds, drain tofu “cheese,” or take care of any other liquid/solid separation jobs, a decent fine mesh sieve will never fail to tackle the job with ease. Seek out strainers with solid construction, so that the mesh won’t pull out after repeated pressings with a spatula. One of about 7–9 inches in diameter should accommodate most projects, but bigger is just fine too.