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Commercial aluminium colanders drain pasta, rice and vegetables in bulk, and in a pasta section they are the ones that get picked up all service, because of weight. A large colander full of hot pasta is heavy, and the same size in aluminium is lighter to lift than stainless.
Some suppliers and catalogues spell it the American way, so the same item is listed as an aluminum colander — it is the identical product. Aluminium also conducts heat quickly, which cuts both ways. The food cools faster once drained, which is usually what you want, but the colander itself gets hot immediately and needs a cloth on the handles.
The limit on bare aluminium is acidic food. Tomato, citrus, vinegar and wine will react with an unanodised surface, which marks the metal and can taint the food. Drain and move, rather than holding acidic food in the colander.
The other material option is stainless steel colanders, and both sit in the commercial colanders range. Aluminium is used the same way across aluminium food moulds, and the draining alternatives are commercial strainers and a salad spinner.
Not sure which diameters to hold? See the price guide for the sizes and what each one costs.
These are the top FAQs for Commercial Aluminium Colanders
Why choose aluminium over stainless?
Weight and price. The same diameter in aluminium is lighter to lift full and cheaper to replace, which matters when colanders are dropped, dented and lost at the rate they are in a busy kitchen.
It is also easier on the wrists over a long service, which is why plenty of kitchens keep aluminium for draining and stainless for anything that sits in the colander.
Can I use one for tomatoes or anything acidic?
Not for holding. A quick drain and transfer is fine; leaving acidic food sitting in bare aluminium reacts with the metal, dulls the surface and can pick up a metallic taste.
For tomato work, citrus and vinegar-dressed items, use stainless steel instead. It is inert and the difference in weight is worth accepting for those jobs.
Does aluminium dent easily?
More easily than stainless, yes. Dropped on a tiled floor it will dent where stainless would bounce, and a dented rim no longer sits flat in a sink.
That is factored into the price. Treat them as a replaceable item rather than something to be protected, and buy a spare of the size you use constantly.
Is it safe to put through a commercial dishwasher?
Mechanically, yes. Cosmetically, repeated cycles with strong detergent dull and darken aluminium, and over time the surface goes grey. The colander still works; it stops looking new.
If appearance matters — a colander that goes out front for display, for instance — hand wash it. Otherwise the commercial dishwasher is faster and clears the perforations better.
How hot does the colander itself get?
Hot enough to need a cloth almost immediately, because aluminium takes up heat from draining water quickly. This catches people who are used to a plastic domestic colander.
Keep a cloth or kitchen mitts at the pasta station. It is the most common minor burn in that section.
What sizes are worth holding?
A large one for bulk draining, a mid-size for everyday vegetable work, and a small one for portions. The large one gets used hardest and should be the one you hold a spare of.
Diameters are listed per product, so check them against the pot and the sink you will be draining into rather than buying by name.
How should they be stored?
Inverted so they drain, nested where the shapes allow it. Aluminium left standing in a film of water will develop white oxidation marks, which are harmless and look like neglect.
Dry them before they go on the shelf. A pass with a cloth from the tea towels shelf is enough.
