Flint Ekco Wire Mesh Kitchen Strainer Tools Utensils - The Two Sizes...

When building a collection of early Ekco or Flint kitchen utensils, you will find the wire mesh strainers come in two sizes... a small 3" diameter and the larger 5" diameter.

Shown in the photo are the early square black handle versions... both the 3" and  5" have an open style wire mesh baskets - there is another  5" version with two flat steel band supports. A bit heavier duty, the bands cross under the mesh to help keep the conical form. The banded version is stronger, but the down side is food can trap between the band and mesh - making cleaning a bit harder.

We use the 5" to wash our rice before cooking... and the 3" for straining tea leaves ans such... both are strong and hold up very well. The mesh is pliable and can be reshaped when dented or pinged.... and the mesh is stainless steel - it will not rust like cheaper tin/steel strainers.