What is the best method/product for cleaning pasta's starch residue from colander and cooking pot?

Question

After cooking pasta, I typically drain it in a colander. I have found the starch residue in both the cooking pot and particularly the colander is difficult to clean without hand scrubbing it. I am curious if anyone knows a solution - either a method or product that makes clean-up quicker and easier. Thanks for any ideas you may have!

Answer 1

Soaking in water works for me. Put the colander in the pot, fill it with water - preferably before it dries out in the first place - and then leave it alone until you are ready to do the dishes, whether that's after dinner or (gasp!) in the morning. Either way the starch will slip off easily.

Answer 2

In my opinion, the most important part is to rinse immediately after use.

If you use the collander, then let it sit for a few hours (through dinner) or 'til the morning, you're going to have to soak and/or scrub.

A quick spray-down immediately after using will save you a ton of work later:

• pour pasta into collander.
• spray down the pot (I have a pull-out sprayer, and I spray around the edge where the ring formed at the water level; you can give it a quick swipe with a scrub sponge, but you have to be careful about soap near the sink if there's a collander of pasta sitting in there))
• dump out the pot (not over the collander)
• pour the stuff in the collander back into the pot or whatever serving vessel.
• spray down the collander (both sides) & move to the dish drain for full cleaning later

Answer 3

I've only found that hand-scrubbing works. I use a soap and Bon Ami (no-scratch cleanser), at least for the colander. Regular soap and a no-scratch scrubbing sponge works on the pot for me, too.

Answer 4

If there is some build-up then a soak in mild borax solution will get colander shiny new again. However, starch will then again want to stick even more easily... Prevent it with a wee spray of non-stick. I justify my use in that I spare a good deal of hot water in the clean up.

Answer 5

I am aware that I address the question indirectly.

What I have observed is that starch is a problem only if the concentration of starch in the water is high.

What I do, is to make sure that I cook the pasta in way more water than most people do. I try to use at least 1-2 L of water for every 50g of dry pasta.

The main reason why I prefer to use that much water is because the quality of the pasta turn out considerably better that way. The easier washing is just a side effect :)

Yes, bringing all that water to a boil does take a bit more time.

Answer 6

Thanks everyone for your suggestions. I was essentially checking to see if there was one of those 'secrets" to make it particularly easy - as there often are such for many household cleaning situations. Generally speaking, I'm good with this question for now :)