There are many types of sieves, also known as strainers, from colanders to the imaginatively called chinois (the conically-shaped China cap).
What is it? Sieves have holes that strain out liquid and smaller particles while retaining ingredients too large to fit through. They come in different shapes and have different sizes of mesh or holes. Large-holed, bowl shaped colanders are usually made of plastic or metal. The finer mesh on other types of sieves is almost always made of metal.
What are they used for? It depends on the size and shape. Colanders are used for draining cooked pasta and vegetables or to drain washed vegetables and fruit. Medium-meshed flat sieves (sometimes called drums or tamis) are good for sifting flour, cocoa or icing sugar to break up any lumps. Small sieves can be used to dust icing sugar or cocoa over cakes and tarts. Fine-meshed China caps and flat sieves are used to smooth out semi-liquid purees and strain soups and sauces.
What else? Although sieves of all types tend to be made only with their usefulness in mind, some of the more upscale kitchen and houseware brands, such as Alessi (below; $1,640), produce designer sieves. They may look sleek and cool but they don't work any better than their cheaper counterparts.
Where to buy? If you want an upmarket sieve, go to the Alessi store; 7/F, Sogo, Causeway Bay, tel: 2869 6377. For more prosaic sieves, visit PanHandler, Prince's Building, Central, tel: 2523 1672; the cookware shops on Shanghai Street (take exit C of the Yau Ma Tei MTR station) or the basement of Wing On, Sheung Wan, tel: 2852 1888.