The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 8 letter word COLANDER
I've seen this crossword clue in The Guardian
C
O
L
A
N
D
E
R
More clues leading to the result COLANDER
- What strains company taking on moon explorer
- Person leaving vessel with one? Something used in kitchen
- For Armstrong, it’s Aldrin that takes the strain
- Article probes rather cool kitchen utensil
- 22 across-er‘s article not so hot outside
- Vessel may pass over mountain range if its end is altered
- Firm with locations in Germany producing kitchen item
- Manxman perhaps needing company to replace is 23
- My bags laden in the wrong order — it’s a riddle
- Less enthusiastic about a new riddle
Buddy explains!
The straight part
We know that "that takes the strain" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case that takes the strain = colander.The cryptic/wordplay part
In cryptic crossword there's often an wordplay/cryptic part as well.This part involves a more complex hint, such as an anagram, homophone, hidden word, etc.
Sadly, We don't have an explanation for this specific crossword clue yet.
What does COLANDER mean?
COLANDER noun- A bowl-shaped kitchen utensil with holes in it used for draining food such as pasta.