Colador vs. tamiz vs. cedazo
The Spanish words 'colador', 'tamiz', and 'cedazo' refer to instruments used to separate fine particles from coarser ones or liquids from solids. Although they share a similar function, they differ in their specific uses and contexts.
Colador
A 'colador' is a commonly used Spanish word for 'sieve' or 'strainer'. It generally refers to a bowl-shaped device with holes, made of metal or plastic, used primarily to separate liquids from solids.
Voy a usar el colador para separar la pasta del agua.
(I will use the colador to separate pasta from water.)
Necesitamos un colador para hacer el té.
(We need a colador to make tea.)
Tamiz
'Tamiz' often refers to a tool with a finer mesh, used mainly in cooking and baking to sift flour, cocoa powder, and other fine ingredients. It can also be used in scientific contexts for sieving samples.
Debemos pasar la harina por el tamiz para que no haya grumos en la masa.
(We must pass the flour through the tamiz so that there are no lumps in the dough.)
En este experimento, usaremos un tamiz para separar las partículas de diferentes tamaños.
(In this experiment, we will use a tamiz to separate particles of different sizes.)
Cedazo
'Cedazo' is less commonly used than 'colador' and 'tamiz'. It may refer to a coarser sieve used in agriculture to sift grains or in construction to sift materials. The term can vary by region with some using it interchangeably with colador or tamiz.
El granjero usó un cedazo para separar los granos de trigo.
(The farmer used a cedazo to separate the wheat grains.)
En la obra, emplearon un cedazo para tamizar el cemento.
(In the work, they used a cedazo to sift cement.)
Summary
To sum up, all three words relate to devices that separate materials but are often used in different contexts. A colador is largely for everyday kitchen use when separating solids from liquids as in pasta and water. A tamiz tends to denote a finer instrument for things like sifting flour or for scientific samples. Lastly, the cedazo can imply something coarser again and can also be found in farming or building environments.