This Colander Doubles as a Storage Bin, and It’s Totally Transformed My Fridge

When I return home from grocery shopping and unload and sort through all my shopping bags, my fridge inevitably gets packed to the brim with stuff. Each shelf and drawer is stocked up — especially the produce drawers that get filled with not only fresh fruits and vegetables, but also the individual containers or bags they’re often sold in. Sometimes the packaging ends up taking up way more space than the products themselves, which is why I often take the extra step of removing the packaging, cleaning and washing the food items, and letting them dry before storing them away in smaller containers. 

It’s a lot of work right after shopping, when I’m already exhausted from running around all day, and the piles of containers and dishes can add up — which is why when I discovered the Copco Over the Sink Colander Fridge Bin, I knew it would be a smart solution to have on hand. It’s essentially a two-in-one tool that makes it easy to not only clean your produce, but also store it neatly in your fridge immediately after — no other step required. I couldn’t wait to get my hands on it. Spoiler alert: It’s a game-changing find. 

This two-in-one colander fridge bin features removable dividers so you can have three or two separate compartments (or just one single spot) for your produce. With the removable lid and bottom tray, you’re able to wash produce directly in the bin, and you can do it over the sink with ease thanks to the built-in handles with a hinged arm on one.

The overall bin is transparent, while the lid and tray are a dark gray color. It measures 16.5 inches long, 5.6 inches wide, and 4.5 inches tall, and costs $21.99 on Amazon.

The best thing about the Copco Over the Sink Colander Fridge Bin is that it allows you to move from the sink (where you’ll wash your produce directly in the bin) to the refrigerator (where you’ll store the produce) in just one move. You don’t have to take out a separate colander to wash your fruits or vegetables before taking out another container to store them in. You can do it all in just one container, which is incredible. The hinged arm allows the bin to be supported over the sink. Once everything is dry, you pop on the lid and bottom tray, move it to the fridge, and push down the arm. I like that there’s still one handle available to easily move the bin around if needed.

Because of the size of the storage bin, I’m unable to store it directly in the drawer I normally use for produce. It fits neatly on the shelf, though, which honestly turned out to be a better organizational system for me because it keeps anything I stored in it visible, so I’m always able to grab the produce while it’s still fresh (instead of forgetting about it and reaching for it, only to find that it’s gone bad). 

I’ve also found this fridge bin handy for things beyond storing just fruits and vegetables. Whenever I’m making a big batch of soup for my family, I love to use this to store all the fresh noodles, vegetables, and herbs needed in one place.

For instance, if my husband and I make pho, we use the bin to wash herbs and vegetables in two separate slots and then place pho noodles in the third slot. Once the produce has drained, we attach the bottom tray and move the container to sit next to the pho pot. This makes it so easy for everyone to see and grab all the components for the dish as they make their own bowls.

Buy: Copco Over the Sink Colander Fridge Bin, $21.99