Welcome to
ESL Printables, the website where English Language teachers exchange resources: worksheets, lesson plans,  activities, etc.
Our collection is growing every day with the help of many teachers. If you want to download you have to send your own contributions.

 


 

 

 

ESL Forum:

Techniques and methods in Language Teaching

Games, activities and teaching ideas

Grammar and Linguistics

Teaching material

Concerning worksheets

Concerning powerpoints

Concerning online exercises

Make suggestions, report errors

Ask for help

Message board

 

ESL forum > Ask for help > Sieve and strainer    

Sieve and strainer



crissorrir
Brazil

Sieve and strainer
 
Hi everybody!
Could anyone help me?
What�s the defference between sieve and strainer?
I have looked for but it sounds the same to me.
Thank you in advance!
 
Cristina.

31 Jul 2013      





anitarobi
Croatia

As far as I can tell, not much (you can very well do with only one if you have to in a poorly supplied kitchen:)), but I think a sieve has smaller holes and is used more for dry things, such as flour, sugar, etc., whereas a strainer has slightly bigger holes and is used for draining water from substances such as pasta, vegetables, etc. My ten-cents � worth;)

31 Jul 2013     



ueslteacher
Ukraine

You �re right, the definitions do sound similar, but I �d go with Anita �s explanation.
sieve

BTW I �m used to calling the second one "drainer"

Sophia

31 Jul 2013     



dutchboydvh
Singapore

Sophia... don �t feel bad, I still call the spatula a "flippy floppy thing" . lol

I agree with Anita as well.

31 Jul 2013     



almaz
United Kingdom

I think the strainer you have in mind is a type of sieve which is sometimes referred to as a colander. The utensil used for flour is also known as a �sifter �.

1 Aug 2013     



Jayho
Australia

A flippy floppy thing?  LoL, that �s given me my chuckle for the day.
 
A sieve usually has a long handle and it is made of wire mesh. You can put anything through it but wet foods get stuck in the mesh.  You mainly use it for sifting dry foods like when you do baking. Sometimes it is called a strainer.
 
A strainer though is more for draining wet foods such as pasta and cooked vegetables.  Often it is a bowl shape (a colander)  but it can also have a long handle.  It is metal with lots of little holes.
 
A tea strainer however can be metal with lots of holes or actually made of fine mesh.
 
Cheers
 
Jayho

1 Aug 2013     



eurodancer
Bosnia and Herzegovina

strainer is a form of sieve used to separate solids from liquid. :)

1 Aug 2013     



crissorrir
Brazil

Thank you very much for your answers.
Hugs from Brazil!

2 Aug 2013     



yanogator
United States

As you can see, they don �t have exact definitions. A sieve is definitely a wire mesh, usually with a handle. A colander is a bowl with holes in it (often used for draining pasta). A strainer could be either of those things. The name is referring to its purpose more than its identity, so, since both sieves and colanders are used for straining, both can be called strainers.
 
Bruce - English instructor, Math instructor and cook.

3 Aug 2013     



edrodmedina
United States

another kind of strainer

3 Aug 2013