When washing fresh produce, be sure to use an aluminum or stainless steel colanders to wash leafy greens and small fruits. These colanders keep food product from washing down the drain and have footed bases to keep draining water from pooling on the colander bottom. When washing the produce, be sure to toss vigorously under cold water to prevent the veggies or fruit from wilting in the heat.
For straining sauces and fine desserts, stick to mesh as it will remove nearly all of the larger pieces of debris that may make mousse go from magnificent to meh in a few seconds flat. Sometimes thicker pastes will not flow easily throw the mesh and then it is ok to place a little weight on top of the liquid to get it to move through the strainer s little more quickly.