This “Adorable” $8 Colander Is Perfect for Berry Season

Stephanie Ganz
Stephanie Ganz
Once a professional chef (in the lifetime before kids), Stephanie Ganz has written for Bon Appetit, Eater, BUST, and Virginia Living and is a regular contributor to Richmond Magazine. She lives in Richmond, Virginia with her husband, two girls, and one excellent cat. Follow her…read more
updated Jun 18, 2024
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Blueberries in a magenta/purple metal colander on a white cutting board with sprigs of mint and a small knife on a gray surface.
Credit: Laura Moss Photography / Shutterstock

My fridge is always fully stocked with peak-summer fruit around this time of year — honey-sweet melons, ripe stone fruit, and all the berries you can imagine. My family loves all kinds of fruit, so I like to have a steady supply of nature’s candy in the fridge when my kids ask for snacks.

Quick Overview

Why We Love the Joie Blueberry Colander Pod

The Joie Blueberry Colander Pod super cute, and also keeps washed berries dry so they won’t spoil faster than you can eat them. At just $8, it’s an adorable and affordable way to make your produce last longer.

If we’re not snacking on fresh berries out of hand, we’re mixing them into scones and baking them up in a crisp. Needless to say, we go through a lot. But berries have a notoriously short shelf life, and produce prices aren’t exactly cheap right now. So, in an effort to preserve every last bit, I rely on clever storage containers, like my Joie Blueberry Colander Pod, which keeps washed blueberries ready to go.

What’s So Great About the Joie Blueberry Colander Pod?

First, the thing I love most about the Joie Blueberry Colander Pod is that it’s so cute. And sometimes that’s enough, you know? The sweet little pod makes me smile as I add blueberries to my breakfast yogurt cup, and that’s a win. And yes, you can use the colander to hold other berries beyond blueberries, but that just adds to the vibes.

Credit: Stephanie Ganz

But beyond the looks, I also appreciate the pod’s functionality. All too often, my 6-year-old daughter drops a plastic clamshell of blueberries, which instantly bursts open and scatters berries into the farthest corners of my kitchen, only to be discovered weeks later as desiccated blueberry raisins. And that’s the “best” case scenario.

The dishwasher-safe colander, which holds exactly one pint of blueberries, is shaped for small hands to grab and hold. It also has a sturdy lid that won’t pop off, so even if my daughter does drop it, the berries stay mercifully contained. When it’s time to open the pod, the lid twists off easily. And because the 6-inch pod is smaller than the usual clamshells from the grocery store, it also takes up less space in my crowded fridge. 

The pod’s colander insert also encourages me to wash berries ahead of time. They can drain in the colander while on the counter or in the fridge. However, I still give them a little pat with a paper towel to remove excess moisture and avoid mold since keeping berries dry is key to ensuring they last.

By having blueberries washed, dried, and ready to go in the cute little pod, we end up eating them more often. This means they don’t have time to sit around and spoil, so it’s definitely a win-win for my home team.