Joseph Joseph Square Colander 40092: problems, parts and running costs

Checked: 2026-10-20

Summary

The white Square Colander (SKU 40092) is one moulded plastic body with a vertical handle that keeps it upright when you set it down, so draining, tipping and emptying take one hand. The recurring complaints are about shape rather than breakage: the square body will not sit on a round saucepan rim and it will not stack inside a round bowl stack, so it takes more cupboard space than a round colander. Ownership cost after the purchase is effectively zero, and at about $15 the design is worth it only if your cookware is square — if your pots, sink cabinet and bowls are all round, it is the wrong colander at any price.

Common problems and fixes

Will not sit on a round saucepan rim — owners report that the square body “doesn’t sit in the top of a saucepan”, so it cannot double as a strainer or a steamer over a pot, and the maker’s own copy never claims it can. There is no fix: use a round colander if you need to drain straight into a pan. The 2-year guarantee covers manufacturing problems, not a shape that does not match your cookware. [1]
Does not stack inside round bowls and takes more cupboard space — the most critical owner comment on the maker’s page says it “doesn’t stack inside a stack of bowls to store, nothing else is square - so it doesn’t fit anywhere and ends up taking up more space! Solidly made though”. No fix short of finding it a home in a square cupboard. [1]
Colour may vary slightly from the product photos — the maker itself warns that the images are illustrative and that the colour received may vary. Order the green SKU 40088 if the exact shade matters in your kitchen. [1][3]
“BPA free” is retailer copy, not maker copy — the maker’s page lists only dishwasher-safe care and no material statement, so treat a BPA-free claim on a shop listing as unconfirmed. Nothing to fix; ask the maker if it matters to you. [1]
No capacity, weight or material published — the maker publishes only the size, 4.5 × 7.5 × 8 in, so litre or weight figures on shop listings are seller-supplied. Handle it in your hands before buying if you want to know how it feels full. [1]
Thin US shop distribution — a search of a large US kitchen retailer’s catalogue returned no listing for this colander, so US buyers meet reseller and marketplace pages instead, where seller quotes for the green SKU 40088 ranged from 25,300 to 66,850 KRW across seven sellers. Shop around and check who the seller is. [4][5]
No independent test data — no hands-on or instrumented test of this SKU was located, and the owner comments sit on the maker’s own product page, so the fit complaints are owner sentiment rather than a measured defect rate. [1][6]

Parts and consumables

No replaceable parts or consumables reported. It is a single moulded plastic body with a moulded-in handle: no filter, no moving parts, no power and nothing that wears out. Care is the dishwasher, and the maker publishes no spare-parts channel for it.

Yearly running cost

Effectively nothing. There are no consumables, no filters and no power, so the running cost after the purchase is water and detergent.

When it is a good buy

The maker’s UK store lists the white version at £14.00 (Joseph Joseph UK store, October 2026), and a US reseller listing for the same SKU showed $15.00 in a search snippet (October 2026), so the design is not sold at a premium. [2] At or below about $15 it is good value for draining pasta or vegetables with one hand and a stable set-down; around $16 to $20 it still makes sense if you specifically want the square non-tip form and the vertical handle. Above about $20 to $25 the case weakens, because its stated advantages are the handle, the non-tip body and the drain holes, nothing else.

US kitchen retail has the alternatives. An RSVP Berry Colander at $15.95 (Sur La Table catalogue, October 2026) is the one to take if you want a round colander and do not care about the shape. A collapsible colander and steamer at $39.95 (Sur La Table catalogue, October 2026) is the better buy if you need to drain over a pot and store it flat, and the Joseph Joseph Bloom Steel Folding Steamer Basket at $24.00 (Sur La Table catalogue, October 2026) is the one to consider if steaming is the main job. Stainless steel colanders at $44.95 to $54.95 and Hestan stainless steel colanders at $100.00 to $120.00 (Sur La Table catalogue, October 2026) are the better choice if you want metal rather than plastic. [5]