The History of the Colander

Most likely the colander born from an evolution of sieves and percolators in wicker, linen or bronze with which the wine was filtered ancient times. The oldest specimens were made - like pots - in terracotta. With the discovery of metals, bronze pots and castings appeared, also found in the excavations of Pompeii.

In Medieval times they were also merged in iron. Only in the Renaissance period the first copper specimens appear, material that will remain in use until 19th Century.

The first Italian testimony of a tool specially made to drain pasta dates back to 1363 and is related to the “caza lasagnaria”, a particular type of perforated tool, supplied to “lasagnari” of the Republic of Genoa. But it looked more like a perforated ladle than a real colander, which appears, instead, made of copper with iron handles, reproduced in the Bartolomeo Scappi Work (15th Century-1577), Pope Pio V’s secret cook, published in Venice in 1570 with “Foratoro” name.

Since then its form has not changed significantly, intimately linked, as it is, to its own function. However has seen a succession of different materials in its large-scale production: from glazed ceramic to copper, aluminium, enamelled metal, steel, up to modern synthetic resin.