The deciding specification is the third published figure, because on a sieve it is either the depth of the cone or the handle standing up, and here it is both.
By the Lush Editorial Team·Researched & Compared
I compared the third published dimension against each maker's own stated size, plus weight, mesh, material, handle, hanging feature and washing instruction across five fine mesh strainers using only the listings' own text.
A small hand sieve published at 3.3 x 7.8 x 0.78 in with its size field repeating 7.8 and 3.3, in food grade 304 stainless steel with an ergonomic non slip handle, a title that calls it 3.35 inch, a stated hand or dishwasher wash, and a weight field too near zero to be quoted.
A conical strainer published at 3.35 x 9 x 1.57 in and 0.09 lb in 304 stainless steel with a mirror finish rim, whose own bullet states measuring 3.35 x 9 inches, a 5.1 inch rod handle and a front rest loop, and which states it can be hung or stored in a drawer and rinsed or put in the dishwasher.
Three polished stainless steel sieves at stated diameters of 3.15 in, 5.5 in and 7.87 in, published together at 7.87 x 13.78 x 1.97 in and 0.48 lb, with extra long double riveted handles, a stated claim that the set is compact enough to store or hang, and a dishwasher instruction.
A 9 inch sieve published at 9 x 17.5 x 3 in and 0.6 lb in stainless steel 18/8 304, stated at 30 mesh in two woven layers, with a solid riveted handle, a wider hook fixed by two rivets, and the only bullet in these five that says the bowl is deep enough to work as a colander.
A mini strainer published at 2.65 x 1.45 x 8.15 in and 0.13 lb in double rod stainless steel, with a secure loop stated to keep it stable on mugs or bowls, a handle stated not to slip when wet, a dishwasher instruction, and a title that calls it 3 inch while no published figure is 3 in.
| Model | Brand | Size (Capacity) | Weight | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fine Mesh Strainers for Kitchen | COKUMA | 7.8*3.3 | 0.04 lb | Best for the least gap on the shelf |
| Zulay Kitchen 304 Stainless Steel Fine Mesh Strainer... | Zulay Kitchen | Fine Mesh Strainer (Single) | 0.09 lb | Best for cocktails and loose tea |
| Anaeat Fine Mesh Strainers - Premium Stainless Steel... | Anaeat | not published | 0.48 lb | Best for ending the question in one purchase |
| 9" Large Fine Mesh Strainer | Tiawudi | 1 Pc. - 9" | 0.6 lb | Best for draining pasta as well as sifting |
| OXO Good Grips 3-Inch Mini Fine Mesh Strainer | OXO | 3 Inch | 0.13 lb | Best for straining over a mug |
A small hand sieve published at 3.3 x 7.8 x 0.78 in with its size field repeating 7.8 and 3.3, in food grade 304 stainless steel with an ergonomic non slip handle, a title that calls it 3.35 inch, a stated hand or dishwasher wash, and a weight field too near zero to be quoted.
A conical strainer published at 3.35 x 9 x 1.57 in and 0.09 lb in 304 stainless steel with a mirror finish rim, whose own bullet states measuring 3.35 x 9 inches, a 5.1 inch rod handle and a front rest loop, and which states it can be hung or stored in a drawer and rinsed or put in the dishwasher.
Three polished stainless steel sieves at stated diameters of 3.15 in, 5.5 in and 7.87 in, published together at 7.87 x 13.78 x 1.97 in and 0.48 lb, with extra long double riveted handles, a stated claim that the set is compact enough to store or hang, and a dishwasher instruction.
A 9 inch sieve published at 9 x 17.5 x 3 in and 0.6 lb in stainless steel 18/8 304, stated at 30 mesh in two woven layers, with a solid riveted handle, a wider hook fixed by two rivets, and the only bullet in these five that says the bowl is deep enough to work as a colander.
A mini strainer published at 2.65 x 1.45 x 8.15 in and 0.13 lb in double rod stainless steel, with a secure loop stated to keep it stable on mugs or bowls, a handle stated not to slip when wet, a dishwasher instruction, and a title that calls it 3 inch while no published figure is 3 in.
COKUMA publishes 3.3 x 7.8 x 0.78 in and repeats 7.8 and 3.3 in its size field. Zulay Kitchen publishes 3.35 x 9 x 1.57 in at 0.09 lb and states the same 3.35 x 9 inches in a bullet. Anaeat publishes 1.97 in for a set of three sieves at 3.15 in, 5.5 in and 7.87 in. Tiawudi publishes 3 in and is the only listing that says its bowl is deep. OXO publishes 8.15 in, which is its handle.
“One third figure is not a depth. It is a handle.”
Lush Food & Drink
COKUMA publishes 0.78 in for its third figure, then Zulay Kitchen at 1.57 in, Anaeat at 1.97 in and Tiawudi at 3 in. On four of the five that number reads as the depth of the cone, which is the figure a shelf closes on when the sieve lies flat. OXO publishes 8.15 in for the same field, and on a strainer its own title calls 3 inch that is the handle rather than a depth.
Because the OXO fields describe the tool with the handle counted, not the bowl. The listing is titled as a 3 inch mini strainer and publishes 2.65 x 1.45 x 8.15 in, and no 3 inch sieve has an eight inch cone. Nothing in the listing says which way up it was measured, so the honest reading is that 8.15 in is the length of the strainer including its double rod handle.
It publishes 7.87 x 13.78 x 1.97 in and 0.48 lb for all three, with stated diameters of 3.15 in, 5.5 in and 7.87 in. If those figures describe the set as it arrives then three sieves nest inside 1.97 in, which is less than the 3 in Tiawudi asks for alone. The listing never says the figures are for the set nested, so this page reports both readings and claims neither.
Zulay Kitchen publishes 0.09 lb, the lightest of these five, then OXO at 0.13 lb, Anaeat at 0.48 lb for three sieves and Tiawudi at 0.6 lb, the heaviest here. Weight matters less for storage than for use: a light sieve tips when a jug is poured into it, which is why Zulay Kitchen states a front rest loop and OXO states a secure loop for a mug rim.
Only one of the five puts a figure on it. Tiawudi states 30 mesh and two tightly woven layers, and names quinoa, flour, rice and sugar as what it is for. The other four describe their mesh as fine, extra fine or ultra fine and publish no number. That makes mesh a poor basis for choosing between these five, which is part of why this page ranks them on their published dimensions instead.
Four can, and each says so slightly differently. Anaeat says to shake the mesh gently in water or simply put it in a dishwasher. Zulay Kitchen says rinsed with water or popped in the dishwasher. COKUMA says by hand or in the dishwasher. OXO states dishwasher safe outright. Tiawudi publishes no washing instruction anywhere in its five bullets, which is the only real gap in an otherwise detailed listing.
Specifications come from the manufacturers' own published listings. Lush Food & Drink may earn a commission if you buy through a link on this page, at no extra cost to you. How we research.
A sieve is an awkward object in a cabinet with few things in it. It is mostly air, it has a handle that sticks out sideways, and the one figure that tells you how it stows is the smallest of the three published numbers. Twenty nine listings sit in this pool and they compete on mesh density and diameter, neither of which says anything about where the thing goes afterwards.
These five publish third figures of 0.78 in, 1.57 in, 1.97 in, 3 in and 8.15 in. That last one is not a bowl depth. It is a handle measured standing up, on a strainer whose own title calls it a 3 inch model, and working out which of the five numbers means which is the whole job of this page.
| Specification | Tiawudi | Anaeat | Zulay Kitchen | COKUMA | OXO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dimension fields published | 9 x 17.5 x 3 in | 7.87 x 13.78 x 1.97 in | 3.35 x 9 x 1.57 in | 3.3 x 7.8 x 0.78 in | 2.65 x 1.45 x 8.15 in |
| Third figure published | 3 in | 1.97 in | 1.57 in | 0.78 in | 8.15 in |
| Size in the maker’s own words | A 9 inch strainer | Three sieves at 3.15 in, 5.5 in and 7.87 in | Measuring 3.35 x 9 inches, with a 5.1 inch rod handle | 7.8*3.3 in the size field and 3.35 inch in the title | A 3 inch strainer |
| Bowl depth claimed | A deep bowl for large capacity | not published | not published | not published | not published |
| Weight published | 0.6 lb | 0.48 lb | 0.09 lb | not published | 0.13 lb |
| Mesh figure stated | 30 mesh, two woven layers | not published | not published | not published | not published |
| Material stated | Stainless steel 18/8 304, BPA, lead and cadmium free | Food grade stainless steel, polished | 304 stainless steel with a mirror finish rim | Food grade 304 stainless steel | Stainless steel, double rod construction |
| Handle described | Solid riveted steel handle with two rivets | Extra long double riveted handle | A 5.1 inch rod handle with a front rest loop | An ergonomic non slip handle | A handle stated not to slip when wet |
| Hanging or resting feature | A wider hook with two rivets | Stated as easy to hang up | Stated as easy to hang or store in a drawer | not published | A secure loop to sit on mugs or bowls |
| Dishwasher stated | not published | Or simply put it in a dishwasher | Rinsed with water or popped in the dishwasher | By hand or in the dishwasher | Dishwasher safe |
| Sieves in the box | One | Three | One | One | One |
What the table cannot tell you is whether the third figure and the handle are the same measurement. On the OXO row they plainly are. On the Zulay row the maker states a 5.1 inch handle and a 3.35 x 9 inch overall, which leaves the 1.57 in as something else, most likely the cone. On the other three nothing in the listing identifies the number at all.
Tiawudi publishes 3 in, Anaeat 1.97 in, Zulay Kitchen 1.57 in and COKUMA 0.78 in. Those four are consistent with cone depth: a sieve gets deeper as it gets wider, and Tiawudi is a 9 inch bowl while COKUMA is a 3.35 inch one. On that reading the smaller strainers need almost no cabinet gap at all.
OXO publishes 8.15 in for the same field on a strainer its own title calls 3 inch. No 3 inch sieve has an eight inch cone. That figure is the tool lying on its back with the handle sticking up, or standing on its handle, and either way it is not a depth and must not be read as one.
Tiawudi is the only pick of the five that comments on its bowl at all, stating that the 9 inch strainer has a deep bowl that can collect more food and can be used like a colander to drain pasta or sift larger quantities. That is the only sentence in these five listings that connects a published figure to what the bowl does.
The other four describe mesh, handles, rivets and finishes, and leave the bowl to the fields. Anaeat comes closest by stating three diameters, 3.15 in, 5.5 in and 7.87 in, which at least identifies one of its own three fields, but it says nothing about how deep any of the three cones is.
The OXO listing is titled as a 3 inch mini strainer and publishes 2.65 x 1.45 x 8.15 in. Not one of those three numbers is 3 in. The 2.65 in is close enough to be a rim measured inside the wire, the 1.45 in is not any dimension a 3 inch sieve has, and the 8.15 in is the handle.
This page keeps OXO because it is the only pick here whose listing states dishwasher safe in a bullet of its own, because it states a secure loop that keeps the strainer stable on a mug, and because its published 0.13 lb is credible for a small double rod sieve. It goes in the drawer, and the fields do not tell you which way up.
Zulay Kitchen states measuring 3.35 x 9 inches in a bullet, and its fields publish 3.35 and 9. COKUMA publishes 7.8*3.3 in its size field, which matches its 7.8 and 3.3 fields, though its own title says 3.35 inch and its field says 3.3. Anaeat states 7.87 in for its largest sieve and publishes 7.87 as a field.
Those are three different standards of confirmation and all three are worth more than nothing. Tiawudi says 9 inch in its title and publishes 9 in a field, which is the weakest of the four, and OXO says 3 inch and publishes no 3 anywhere. For a cabinet page the pattern matters: the listings that repeat a figure are the listings whose fields you can plan around.
Anaeat is the only pick that is a set, at three sieves of 3.15 in, 5.5 in and 7.87 in, published together at 7.87 x 13.78 x 1.97 in and 0.48 lb. If those figures describe the set as stored then three sieves are nesting inside 1.97 in, which is less gap than Tiawudi’s single 9 inch strainer asks for on its own.
The listing does not say that, and this page will not claim it. What it does say is lightweight and compact enough to store or easily hang up, which is a claim about the set rather than one sieve. For a cabinet holding as few objects as possible, three nested sieves counting as one object is either the best answer here or a guess dressed up as one.
Four of the five publish something to hang or rest the sieve on. Tiawudi states a wider hook fixed with two rivets. Anaeat states it is easy to hang up. Zulay Kitchen states it can be hung or stored in a kitchen drawer, and adds a front rest loop for support over a glass. OXO states a secure loop that keeps the strainer stable on mugs or bowls.
Four of the five also name the dishwasher, and the one that does not is Tiawudi, the heaviest of them. Its five bullets cover steel grade, mesh count, rivets, bowl capacity and a lifetime guarantee, and never mention washing. For a 9 inch sieve with two woven mesh layers that is the omission a buyer would most like filled.
A cabinet where the sieve doubles as a colander. Tiawudi publishes 9 x 17.5 x 3 in and 0.6 lb, states 30 mesh in two layers and is the only pick that says its bowl is deep. It asks the most gap of these five and publishes no washing instruction.
Three sizes counted as one object. Anaeat publishes 7.87 x 13.78 x 1.97 in and 0.48 lb for sieves of 3.15 in, 5.5 in and 7.87 in, with extra long double riveted handles and a dishwasher instruction. Buy it if you want one purchase to end the question.
Cocktails, tea and a figure you can trust. Zulay Kitchen publishes 3.35 x 9 x 1.57 in and 0.09 lb, states the same 3.35 x 9 inches in a bullet, names a 5.1 inch rod handle and a front rest loop, and states hanging or a drawer as alternatives.
The least gap of all. COKUMA publishes 3.3 x 7.8 x 0.78 in in food grade 304 stainless steel, with its size field repeating 7.8 and 3.3. Its weight field sits too close to zero to be a measurement, so this page does not quote one.
A mug, a mesh and nothing else. OXO publishes 2.65 x 1.45 x 8.15 in and 0.13 lb, states dishwasher safe and a secure loop for mugs and bowls, and calls itself a 3 inch strainer while publishing no 3 inch figure anywhere.
These are the things I went looking for in the five listings and did not find.
