Let me begin by giving you a little insight into the state of my kitchen cabinets. It’s not pretty. We have a great kitchen — much bigger than what I grew up with in a New York City apartment — and yet, there’s never enough room. Especially when it comes to the bigger items: pots, pans and yes, colanders.

For some reason, I have two large colanders taking up space in my kitchen. I love pasta; I would say I cook it at least twice a week. And, of course, colanders are useful for draining vegetables, washing lettuce and who knows what else. Sometimes having two colanders comes in handy — like when one is in the dishwasher and I don’t feel like washing it by hand so I can use it again. But they are just so bulky.

Enter the Flat Fold Colander.

The Basics

The Flat Fold Colander ($10) is billed as a “Space Saving Full Size Strainer” — and at first glance, that’s exactly what it is. This colander expands to a full-size strainer that can strain a big pot of pasta or — according to the website – 5 pounds of potatoes. The colander stands tall enough in the sink that the water doesn’t back up inside, and a handy pour spout allows you to transfer food to a plate or serving dish without losing one noodle.

Pros

The best part is, of course, the fact that when you’re done using the Flat Fold Colander, you can fold it up, clean it by hand or in the dishwasher (on the top rack) and store it in a drawer or any other tight space in the kitchen.

In general, I found the Flat Fold Colander easy to use and pretty sturdy. According to the website, it’s made of “strong food grade polymer material that can take a beating in any kitchen.” I’ll have to beat it up a little more to make sure, but so far it pasts the test.

Cons

After using the Colander a few times, I don’t really see any big negatives. It certainly is not the most high-end colander out there — and I’m not sure if you’ll find it in the kitchen of a gourmet chef — but I had no problems with it.

The Bottom Line

I think the Flat Fold Colander is a great tool to have around the kitchen – and for $10, it certainly won’t break the bank. It might even make you (and me) say goodbye to the bulkier competition.

The Flat Fold Colander is available here for $10 plus $4.98 shipping and handling.