Spider (utensil)

A spider (simplified Chinese: 笊篱; traditional Chinese: 笊籬; pinyin: zhàolí) is a type of skimmer prevalent in East Asian cuisine in the form of a wide shallow wire-mesh basket with a long handle, used for removing hot food from a liquid or skimming foam off when making broths.

It has been widely adopted in Western cuisine by cooks who favour the open mesh over slotted spoons for faster and safer drainage.

[2] A spider is good for lifting and draining foods from hot oil, soups, stocks and boiling water.

This kitchen utensil is most often used to retrieve foods that are being cooked in pots or pans of hot water.

The spider can be dipped into steaming hot water or oil and placed under many different types of food to pull pieces out for inspection or for removing for cooling prior to eating.