Flour Sifters

[Chris Amirault]

Save for this topic on cleaning 'em (consensus: you don't need to clean 'em), there's nothing in eG Forums on flour sifters. I have a baker in the family who needs a new one that has a large capacity and can move quickly through a lot of flour. What're your recommendations?

[weinoo]

What I use, and what I was taught in baking class, is a plain old strainer...I have an older one that I use specifically for sifting.

A newer version may be seen here.

[Doodad]

Save for this topic on cleaning 'em (consensus: you don't need to clean 'em), there's nothing in eG Forums on flour sifters. I have a baker in the family who needs a new one that has a large capacity and can move quickly through a lot of flour. What're your recommendations?

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My grandmother used the large sifters that was a bowl with the handle being pulled as the sifting mechanism. She could sift a lot of flour with that thing.

[paulraphael]

What I use, and what I was taught in baking class, is a plain old strainer...I have an older one that I use specifically for sifting.

Ditto. I never understood the need for a sifter. A strainer seems to do a perfect job. It might be a little slower, but time saved while cleaning it usually more than makes up for that.

In general I'm against single-purpose gadgets. Unless they really do the job a lot better than something else, and it's a job I need to do a lot.

[Mayhaw Man]

Today I just got through making a cake for yet another "I'm moving because I can make more money anywhere in this country than I can in New Orleans" party. My friends call it a "Crack Cake" because, according to them, it's addictive-one bite and suddenly you are selling your stereo to get some funds to buy more, but, I digress.

Crack Cake

The only place that I vary on the recipe is that I use toasted pecans along with the toasted coconut and I use a bit of almond extract in the cake recipe because I like it. Other than that, I follow right along. It's a damned good cake, though kind of a pain to make.

To make the cake, and just about anything else that involves sifting, I use strainers. I have three different ones that are all about the same size, the only difference in them being the size of the screen. I use relatively large strainers, as it's just not quite so messy and I don't use these for anything else. I can't see why anyone would feel the need to buy anything else. They are faster and more convenient than any of the mechanical ones that I have seen and used and they are really easy to clean up if you feel the need.

Mine are all similar to this one (though only one of them is an OXO and I guarantee that I would NEVER pay this much for one):

Flour Sifter

[Chris Amirault]

Yeah, I know that strainers work, and it's what I use. But it's a gift, people! Help me out! Any recs?

[Anna N]

. . .

To make the cake, and just about anything else that involves sifting, I use strainers. I have three different ones that are all about the same size, the only difference in them being the size of the screen. I use relatively large strainers, as it's just not quite so messy and I don't use these for anything else. I can't see why anyone would feel the need to buy anything else. They are faster and more convenient than any of the mechanical ones that I have seen and used and they are really easy to clean up if you feel the need.

Mine are all similar to this one (though only one of them is an OXO and I guarantee that I would NEVER pay this much for one):

Flour Sifter

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I am with Brooks on this one - flour sifter - meh! They are cumbersome to store, can't do anything else, leave a flour trail wherever you put them, have to go into a plastic bag if you don't want flour in your cupboard, are slow and awkward compared to a strainer. Can't come up with one redeeming feature.

[Chris Amirault]

Well, the recipient would say, "It can be used in one hand while the other stirs, is faster than a strainer, and directs the output more accurately than a sifter."

Let's stipulate that flour sifters are not for everyone, shall we?

For those that have and use them, do you have any specific recommendations? For example, this OXO sifter looks all well and good, but the ratings are mediocre; apparently it takes a very long time to sift. Feedback?

[andiesenji]

When I worked in my mom's bakery and went to baking school back in the mid '50s, I used what were then called "hoop" riddlers or sifters, at least in that part of the country.

I still use them and have a smaller set for spices and cocoa, etc., and a large set (they nest) of graduated mesh sizes, for flour, cornmeal, and etc. 1/16, 1/32 and 1/48 th inch mesh.

The original reason was to remove bits of stuff that one did not want in their product, but also to "lighten" or aerate the product that has settled and packed down during shipping and storage.k

Click on this link and scroll to the bottom of the page. these are what I would buy for a professional.

I'm not going to post photos of mine because they are all the wood type and after 30-40 years of use are stained and not very pretty. However they have lasted a very long time with fairly hard use.

There are some more expensive ones here.

[Mayhaw Man]

Yeah, I know that strainers work, and it's what I use. But it's a gift, people! Help me out! Any recs?

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Well, Chris, I suppose that it would depend on what your relationship is with the recipients...

Let me try to break it down for you-

1) People you have to give a gift to but don't really like that much

Old School Cheap Crank Kind (for cheap cranks)

2) For people that you like, but, really, don't feel like are going use it too much

Vibrating Flour Sifter

3) For people that you like alot and who might actually enjoy something mechanical to sift flour with

New Age Hand Turned Sifter

4) For people that you love dearly, want to give the best to, for whom your gift ceiling limit is pretty high and who, probably at some point soon, will want you to cook at their house at some point using their stuff

A gift of love and kindness

For more good living advice, just click on "Brookshelpsouttheclueless.com"

[Chris Amirault]

Andie, do yours have cranks that go round in circles and drive the wires, or handles that you squeeze to make those little wheels skim the top of the screen?

Brooks, thanks. Have you used any of those?

Edited November 24, 2007 by chrisamirault (log)

[Mayhaw Man]

Well, the recipient would say, "It can be used in one hand while the other stirs, is faster than a strainer, and directs the output more accurately than a sifter."

Let's stipulate that flour sifters are not for everyone, shall we?

For those that have and use them, do you have any specific recommendations? For example, this OXO sifter looks all well and good, but the ratings are mediocre; apparently it takes a very long time to sift. Feedback?

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All joking aside, Chris. If you are going to buy a mechanical one, I am all about the ones that have the ring in them that goes round as you crank it. They are really efficient and you can find them new (like in my post) or, better yet imo, you can find old ones that still work great. They're pretty much as good as it gets in the category. Those squeeze ones like you have listed in your post are slow, labor intensive, and annoying.

[Mayhaw Man]

Yes, I have used them-all of them, though not really the models shown in the ads. The electric was the least satisfying-way too slow. I liked the old crank one (I actually have one, though it's a "display" model on top of my cabinets-it works and was my grandmother's, but I haven't used it in years) so I am sure that a new one, modeled on the same design, would be a good thing. I actually thought that one that I linked too looked pretty cool-though I need one that holds at least 5 cups of whatever just because I already make a big enough mess when I bake and loading the thing twice leaves my kitchen looking like the Columbian mafia has been weighing out the weeks imports. I'm trying to learn to be neat, though it might be a fruitless effort.

[Dave the Cook]

Well, the recipient would say, "It can be used in one hand while the other stirs, is faster than a strainer, and directs the output more accurately than a sifter."

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The problem with this, I think, is that the one-handed sifters seem to be designed to identify forearm weakness and diagnose incipient arthritis as much or more than to sift stuff.

For those that have and use them, do you have any specific recommendations? For example, this OXO sifter looks all well and good, but the ratings are mediocre; apparently it takes a very long time to sift. Feedback?

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If you do a lot of sifting -- and by that I don't necessarily mean a couple of cakes a week, but even just a once-a-year holiday cookie marathon -- I don't think you can beat the old crank style. Yeah, it takes two hands, but it goes a whole lot faster, with a lot less hand-and-arm fatigue. You just have to check for good seals where the crank enters and leaves the sifting cylinder, since leaks can develop there.

[azlee]

strainers work best, fastest and are easier to keep clean and don't attract bugs when stored. if you need a fancy geegaw for a gift then go for an electric sifter. noisy and nearly impossible to clean thoroughly and hard to store, but impressive.

electric flour sifter

[Marlene]

I use a strainer for large sifting, but I also have the oxo sifter and I like it. It holds two cups of flour which is about all I usually need. I like that it has top and bottom lids, so I can keep the bottom lid on when I put flour and salt in together for example, and the flour doesn't go anywhere until I'm ready for it to do so.

I also put mine in the dishwasher, regardless that people say you don't need to clean them. I do.

[Chris Amirault]

Marlene, do you find that it's slow? The Amazon ratings suggest that it takes several minutes to get through a few cups.

[Marlene]

No I don't actually. It's a side to side motion rather than a the one you have to squeeze which frankly tires my hand (the squeeze ones) , which might take a minute or two to get used to, but it's not slow. Several minutes? I don't think so. And hey, a strainer isn't exactly a waterfall. Ok a strainer is marginally faster, but I gave up my old sifter after getting and using the OXO for a while.

Edited November 24, 2007 by Marlene (log)

[andiesenji]

Andie, do yours have cranks that go round in circles and drive the wires, or handles that you squeeze to make those little wheels skim the top of the screen?

Brooks, thanks. Have you used any of those?

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No moving parts, nothing to break or hang up. One just dumps a scoop of flour from the scale into the drum and shakes it. It will sift a lot of flour very rapidly.

I measured my big one and it is 14 inches in diameter and the sides are 5 1/2 inches high, the screen is 1/2 inch up from the bottom edge.

I do have some old mechanical ones as part of my kitchen gadget collection but I have never used them for sifting anything. They have too many nooks and crannies that collect residue. The open drum type just needs to be banged upside-down on the bench and perhaps dusted with a bench brush.

You can also get the shallow "dish-shaped" sifters in different mesh sizes and these work fine for smaller amounts.

Here you go, these are the kind I have, Made in France, guaranteed to impress!!

Bridge Kitchenware's tamis sieves

Edited November 25, 2007 by andiesenji (log)

[lancastermike]

I have one that has the handle that you squeeze to run the action. I find it works fine for up two to three cups of flour. It does not tire out my hand and does not take long to work either. For larger amounts I use a big old sieve.

Everyone else seems to despise this type of device, so perhaps I won't recommend it as a gift, but it works ok for me.

[andiesenji]

I have one that has the handle that you squeeze to run the action. I find it works fine for up two to three cups of flour. It does not tire out my hand and does not take long to work either. For larger amounts I use a big old sieve.

Everyone else seems to despise this type of device, so perhaps I won't recommend it as a gift, but it works ok for me.

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Hey, if it works for you it is a gem! I don't have anything against them per se. For me it is simply a practical matter.

My baking was usually in larger batches and by weight, not volume measurements and dumping the dry ingredients into the sieve and sifting it through served to blend as well as sift out any lumps. If you sift something besides flour it is easy to use a stiff brush to clean the sieve but a complex sifter, and many have two or three levels of mesh, is very difficult to clean. Some of the "antique" and "vintage" contraptions are quite clever and interesting, which is why I collected them. These are all made in the U.S. and it is really amazing how many inventors registered patents for this really basic kitchen gadget.

[Beanie]

Andie, do yours have cranks that go round in circles and drive the wires, or handles that you squeeze to make those little wheels skim the top of the screen?

Brooks, thanks. Have you used any of those?

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I have one of those hoop sifters that Andie posted a link to. There is no crank or moving mechanism; just shake it from side to side. It holds alot of flour and sifts very quickly. After using this, I would not go back to the gadgets that require cranking or squeezing, though for very small quantities of flour, I use a strainer. I would definitely recommend the hoop sifter as a gift to someone who would appreciate receiving a piece of professional equipment that is not available in mainstream kitchenware shops.

[duckduck]

I have the battery operated one. It does *not* work. It struggles if you put more than a 1/4 cup of flour in it. You can't just dump a cup or two and expect it to still run. It stops cold. Most useless whydidIbuythis piece of crapola in my kitchen. I'm having a hard time even giving it to the goodwill because I don't want someone to waste their money and time on it. Yes, it's that bad. I use a strainer.

[Smithy]

I have the Oxo Good Grips sifter. I think it's terrific. I gave my mother one, back when she was still baking, and she also thought it was terrific. I like these things about it:

1. It doesn't tire out my hand, the way the squeezer-handle type did; the shaking back and forth is quite easy;

2. It doesn't require 2 hands, the way the hoop-and-crank sifter (our family heirloom) did;

3. It has lids for top and bottom, so it doesn't make messes when I store it.

I do not find it slow.

All these points have been brought up already. One thing that hasn't been mentioned before is that it really does have a comfortable grip. I think this particular Oxo Good Grip lives up to its name.

[Chris Amirault]

Nancy, what's the benefit of this over a sieve? If it's just going back and forth... I'm not sure I get the difference.