HIC Kitchen Half Moon Pot Strainer, Stainless Steel, Drains Liquids from Boiled or Steamed Foods

I have been meaning to get one of these for quite a while...I fry a lot, and when it happens to be something with a lot of fat like bacon or hamburger, I end up with a lot of excess grease that needs to be drained. Although many people talking about draining water with this, I bought it for draining grease for the most part. For that it works very well. The size, shape of it pretty much can handle any pot or pan I have here and its of a nice quality stainless steel that is easy to clean...My only problem with it is a familiar one mentioned here with many of the reviews...The lip on it, which is a fine idea, helps keep it firmly in place on the edge of your pot or pan while draining...The only problem is its only on one side and requires that you use this with your left hand. It's not the worst to hold your pot with your right hand, but in the past any time I drained grease using whatever I had handy, I always held the strainer in my right hand and the pot with the left. This forces you to do the opposite...And though it may seem minor it feels not only awkward to me but many others...It would be so simple to add the rim or lip on it to both sides so you could use it whichever way you prefer. But the one side only is what you are stuck with as to this one. I'll get used to it, but I don't like it. There is a strainer just like this available here on Amazon that has the lip on both sides for ambidextrous use. The RSVP Crescent pot strainer is very similar to this in its length and design but has the two lips on it for about double the price of this one...This is a fine piece for the price which is more than reasonable in my opinion. Just be aware of the one liability that for myself and many can be called a real aggravating one. Frankly I am surprised that this company has seen this problem mentioned so many times and not redesigned it as well. But perhaps they consider it not worth for being able to keep the cost down. This really is near half the price of the double sided one and very reasonable...I don't plan on ditching it for the RSVP model, but perhaps when and if the time comes that has gotten old and needing replacing, I will be considering it. In short, a very fair priced, and quality drainer that works very well. Just keep in mind the one drawback is all...

This beats a mesh strainer for ease of cleaning. Wish there was a right & left hand option, but I'm getting used to it. Have used for years with zero rust. It's a little awkward to use with a large heavy full 2-handle pot if you're trying to hold both handles plus the strainer with a few fingers, would pair well with a one-handled large pot and of course works fine with medium-sized pots.

Easy to clean and rather sturdy

My last one broke. I had it for years. Use this all the time.

Works great

It works for draining my 10" skillet after I've browned some ground beef/sausage, whatever. The metal seems a little softer than the previous one I used and it flexes a bit, so I'm not sure how long lasting it'll be, but it does the job for now.

While renting a furnished home this winter, we used and very much liked a plastic pan drainer provided there. In checking Amazon, we found and ordered this similar drainer made from stainless steel. That turned out to be an excellent decision! This drainer is large enough to be used in even a 5 quart pot, much stronger and much more heat tolerant than the plastic one our hosts provided.My reason for giving it 4 stars instead of 5 is that it's still not quite as sturdy as I'd hoped, and the handle is a bit smaller in diameter than I would prefer.That said, I'm very glad to have it, and have not yet found another here that I'd order instead.

Pros: The is a high quality well balanced steel drainer/strainer. I have used it several times now and it works well at performing its proclaimed duties.Cons: The metal flap is designed so the product is best used with the left hand.Conclusion: I would prefer if company gave you the option of an ambidextrous flap. The metal flap is at the rim of the drainer/strainer and helps to keep the drainer/strainer close and in position to the pot when draining/straining. I would like the company to let you know that the flap was single sided in the description. I would like even better if the company gave you the option when purchasing to give you the option of different models with flaps in either direction if ambidextrous is not possible.