Colanders are made using a solid metal sheet with a series of holes punched out to allow fluids and particles to drain out. They are commonly used to drain salads and larger food items from their fluids.

China cap strainers are made using a woven mesh of thin metal wires that are precisely spaced to filter out particles above a certain size. They are shaped like a funnel to accurately direct the filtered mixture once it has passed through the strainer. They are used to create smooth sauces and mixtures and filter out fluids from ingredients.

Wire mesh strainers are made using a woven mesh of thin metal wires that are precisely spaced to filter out particles above a certain size. They are commonly used to filter clumps from a mixture or sift ingredients to evenly distribute them across a surface.