How's a gearhead to get by?

When you're working in cramped quarters, it can be tempting to find collapsible and otherwise compact versions of everything in sight.

I've been scoping out collapsible colanders - of which there are several choices - but I haven't been able to pull the trigger. Cost isn't a big issue here, but I like my old-school colander, which is a pretty blue enameled job. Nothing too special, but nice anyway.


I think you have to pick your battles: If you don't care for your current non-collapsible colander, and you have a few bucks (or more) to burn, you could save a little bit of room in the kitchen with one of these.

But I think that's largely unnecessary. If you can't figure out a good place to store your colander and it is pretty (like mine!), just tap a nail in under a cabinet and hang it up in plain view, or use it for a second purpose, like as a place to keep oranges...

Some of the "compact" items I've seen seem like more trouble than they're worth. I found a really neat measuring cup, for example, that uses an adjustable bottom to hold more or less material. But the scoop itself is too big to fit in a spice jar, so you'd need to use a spoon to put the spices in the measure. It might work in a big container, but who has room for those?