Greetings:

I bought one of those squeezy-handled, multi-screened flour sifters. It
took much too long to sift a cup of pastry flour PLUS it's pretty much
impossible to clean after using. And flour leaks out of a hole near the
handle.

So, what would you recommend for sifting flour? Is a strainer that I tap
with the palm of my hand the best way? A sifter with a hand crank? What
do you think?

Thanks!!

Jeff

"Jeff Bernstein" > wrote in message
...
> Greetings:
>
> I bought one of those squeezy-handled, multi-screened flour sifters. It
> took much too long to sift a cup of pastry flour PLUS it's pretty much
> impossible to clean after using. And flour leaks out of a hole near the
> handle.
>
> So, what would you recommend for sifting flour? Is a strainer that I tap
> with the palm of my hand the best way? A sifter with a hand crank? What
> do you think?
>
> Thanks!!
>
> Jeff

Not sifting flour at all? I used to have a sifter, then I lost it. (moved
a couple of times.) I never bought a new one. I have a wire-strainer that
I probably could use by tapping on it, but most of the time, I just throw my
flour in the way it is.

Dawn

"Jeff Bernstein" > wrote in message
...

> So, what would you recommend for sifting flour? Is a strainer that I tap
> with the palm of my hand the best way? A sifter with a hand crank? What
> do you think?

I use a beat up sifter that's been in the family for decades. It has a
shifty arm that slides in an arc across a single screen in the bottom as the
handle is wagged back and forth. This has much more throughput than the
squeezy kind. One with a crank that sweeps a loop of wire over a single
bottom screen would prolly give you a pretty good throughput as well. Good
contact between the sweeper and the screen is needed because it pushes the
flour, sugar, whatever through the screen instead of just agitating it in
hopes that some of it will decide to fall through.

On Fri, 30 Jul 2004 02:06:13 GMT, Jeff Bernstein
> wrote:

>Greetings:
>
>I bought one of those squeezy-handled, multi-screened flour sifters. It
>took much too long to sift a cup of pastry flour PLUS it's pretty much
>impossible to clean after using. And flour leaks out of a hole near the
>handle.
>
>So, what would you recommend for sifting flour? Is a strainer that I tap
>with the palm of my hand the best way? A sifter with a hand crank? What
>do you think?
>
>Thanks!!
>
>Jeff

Howdy,

For me, the question is not "how" but, "why."

Unless you are grinding it yourself, it is very likely to be
pre-sifted.

All the best,

--
Kenneth

If you email... Please remove the "SPAMLESS."

We bought one of those squeeze handle jobs because my husband decided that
sifted flour was the way to go. After succeeding in getting flour all over
the kitchen, with little where it was meant to be we now tend to use the
strainer or don't bother at all.

"Jeff Bernstein" > wrote in message
...
> Greetings:
>
> I bought one of those squeezy-handled, multi-screened flour sifters. It
> took much too long to sift a cup of pastry flour PLUS it's pretty much
> impossible to clean after using. And flour leaks out of a hole near the
> handle.
>
> So, what would you recommend for sifting flour? Is a strainer that I tap
> with the palm of my hand the best way? A sifter with a hand crank? What
> do you think?
>
> Thanks!!
>
> Jeff

In article >,
Jeff Bernstein > wrote
> So, what would you recommend for sifting flour? Is a strainer that I tap
> with the palm of my hand the best way? A sifter with a hand crank? What
> do you think?
>
> Thanks!!
>
> Jeff

I have an old sifter with a hand crank. It holds about 4 cups. I
wouldn't trade it for anything. Not sure I'd buy a sifter now if I
didn't already have one -- a wire whisk through a bowl of flour (before
measuring) would do about the same thing - aerate it a bit.
--
-Barb, <www.jamlady.eboard.com> An update on 7/22/04.

"Melba's Jammin'" > wrote in message
...
> In article >,
> Jeff Bernstein > wrote
> > So, what would you recommend for sifting flour? Is a strainer that I tap
> > with the palm of my hand the best way? A sifter with a hand crank? What
> > do you think?
> >
> > Thanks!!
> >
> > Jeff
>
> I have an old sifter with a hand crank. It holds about 4 cups. I
> wouldn't trade it for anything. Not sure I'd buy a sifter now if I
> didn't already have one -- a wire whisk through a bowl of flour (before
> measuring) would do about the same thing - aerate it a bit.
> --
> -Barb, <www.jamlady.eboard.com> An update on 7/22/04.
>

I usually do stir up the flour a bit before I start measuring it. I never
thought of using a wire whisk.

Dawn

"Melba's Jammin'" > wrote in message
...
> In article >,
> Jeff Bernstein > wrote
> > So, what would you recommend for sifting flour? Is a strainer that I tap
> > with the palm of my hand the best way? A sifter with a hand crank? What
> > do you think?
> >
> > Thanks!!
> >
> > Jeff
>
> I have an old sifter with a hand crank. It holds about 4 cups. I
> wouldn't trade it for anything. Not sure I'd buy a sifter now if I
> didn't already have one -- a wire whisk through a bowl of flour (before
> measuring) would do about the same thing - aerate it a bit.
> --
> -Barb, <www.jamlady.eboard.com> An update on 7/22/04.
>

I usually do stir up the flour a bit before I start measuring it. I never
thought of using a wire whisk.

Dawn

"Jeff Bernstein" > wrote in message
...
> Greetings:
>
> I bought one of those squeezy-handled, multi-screened flour sifters. It
> took much too long to sift a cup of pastry flour PLUS it's pretty much
> impossible to clean after using. And flour leaks out of a hole near the
> handle.
>
> So, what would you recommend for sifting flour? Is a strainer that I tap
> with the palm of my hand the best way? A sifter with a hand crank? What
> do you think?
>
> Thanks!!
>
> Jeff

I find the squeezies and the crankies a nuisance both to use and to clean,
so I've used a strainer for years 'n' years.

Felice

"Felice Friese" > wrote in message
news:KUsOc.216174$XM6.190031@attbi_s53...
>
> "Jeff Bernstein" > wrote in message
> ...
> > Greetings:
> >
> > I bought one of those squeezy-handled, multi-screened flour sifters. It
> > took much too long to sift a cup of pastry flour PLUS it's pretty much
> > impossible to clean after using. And flour leaks out of a hole near the
> > handle.
> >
> > So, what would you recommend for sifting flour? Is a strainer that I tap
> > with the palm of my hand the best way? A sifter with a hand crank? What
> > do you think?
> >
> > Thanks!!
> >
> > Jeff
>
> I find the squeezies and the crankies a nuisance both to use and to clean,
> so I've used a strainer for years 'n' years.
>
> Felice
>
I've always used to crank-type sifter and no need to clean. Just shake it
out when done using it and store it in a plastic bag until the next time you
need it.

Chris in Pearland, TX

"Felice Friese" > wrote in message
news:KUsOc.216174$XM6.190031@attbi_s53...
>
> "Jeff Bernstein" > wrote in message
> ...
> > Greetings:
> >
> > I bought one of those squeezy-handled, multi-screened flour sifters. It
> > took much too long to sift a cup of pastry flour PLUS it's pretty much
> > impossible to clean after using. And flour leaks out of a hole near the
> > handle.
> >
> > So, what would you recommend for sifting flour? Is a strainer that I tap
> > with the palm of my hand the best way? A sifter with a hand crank? What
> > do you think?
> >
> > Thanks!!
> >
> > Jeff
>
> I find the squeezies and the crankies a nuisance both to use and to clean,
> so I've used a strainer for years 'n' years.
>
> Felice
>
I've always used to crank-type sifter and no need to clean. Just shake it
out when done using it and store it in a plastic bag until the next time you
need it.

Chris in Pearland, TX

Jeff Bernstein wrote:
>
> Greetings:
>
> I bought one of those squeezy-handled, multi-screened flour sifters. It
> took much too long to sift a cup of pastry flour PLUS it's pretty much
> impossible to clean after using. And flour leaks out of a hole near the
> handle.
>
> So, what would you recommend for sifting flour? Is a strainer that I tap
> with the palm of my hand the best way? A sifter with a hand crank? What
> do you think?
>
> Thanks!!
>
> Jeff

You sift flour? Wow! I haven't done that for 30 years!
Well, I exaggerate a little. But really, I guess one might
want to do it if they wanted to be really precise. Me, forget
it. The only thing I've sifted lately was powdered sugar.
And it's a nuisance doing it with the kind you have to tap.
Back when I used to sift flour I used the kind of which you
speak, but obviously it was much better made as I noticed
none of the problems you have with yours. I don't know what
sort of cleaning problem you could possibly have. If all you
use it for is sifting flour then it probably won't even need
to be "cleaned" except for rapping it sharply a few times over
the waste basket to dislodge and remaining flour particles.
Or you could just rinse it under hot running water, if you really
want to get rid of every single speck of flour, and let it
air dry in the dish drainer.

Kate
--
Kate Connally
“If I were as old as I feel, I’d be dead already.”
Goldfish: “The wholesome snack that smiles back,
Until you bite their heads off.”
What if the hokey pokey really *is* what it's all about?

On Fri, 30 Jul 2004 10:38:40 -0400, Kate Connally >
wrote:

>You sift flour? Wow! I haven't done that for 30 years!
>Well, I exaggerate a little. But really, I guess one might
>want to do it if they wanted to be really precise.

Howdy,

Measuring flour by volume is extremely inaccurate. For accuracy, weigh
it.

All the best,

--
Kenneth

If you email... Please remove the "SPAMLESS."

Kenneth wrote:
>
> On Fri, 30 Jul 2004 10:38:40 -0400, Kate Connally >
> wrote:
>
> >You sift flour? Wow! I haven't done that for 30 years!
> >Well, I exaggerate a little. But really, I guess one might
> >want to do it if they wanted to be really precise.
>
> Howdy,
>
> Measuring flour by volume is extremely inaccurate. For accuracy, weigh
> it.
>
> All the best,
>
> --
> Kenneth
>
> If you email... Please remove the "SPAMLESS."

It's accurate enough for my purposes. Never had
a problem yet.

Kate
--
Kate Connally
“If I were as old as I feel, I’d be dead already.”
Goldfish: “The wholesome snack that smiles back,
Until you bite their heads off.”
What if the hokey pokey really *is* what it's all about?

On Mon, 02 Aug 2004 14:40:23 -0400, Kate Connally >
wrote:

>Kenneth wrote:
>>
>> On Fri, 30 Jul 2004 10:38:40 -0400, Kate Connally >
>> wrote:
>>
>> >You sift flour? Wow! I haven't done that for 30 years!
>> >Well, I exaggerate a little. But really, I guess one might
>> >want to do it if they wanted to be really precise.
>>
>> Howdy,
>>
>> Measuring flour by volume is extremely inaccurate. For accuracy, weigh
>> it.
>>
>> All the best,
>>
>> --
>> Kenneth
>>
>> If you email... Please remove the "SPAMLESS."
>
>It's accurate enough for my purposes. Never had
>a problem yet.
>
>Kate

Yeah. What she said.

Nonetheless, I have been known to sift flour if the recipe requests it
:>

Sue(tm)
Lead me not into temptation... I can find it myself!

On Mon, 02 Aug 2004 14:40:23 -0400, Kate Connally >
wrote:

>Kenneth wrote:
>>
>> On Fri, 30 Jul 2004 10:38:40 -0400, Kate Connally >
>> wrote:
>>
>> >You sift flour? Wow! I haven't done that for 30 years!
>> >Well, I exaggerate a little. But really, I guess one might
>> >want to do it if they wanted to be really precise.
>>
>> Howdy,
>>
>> Measuring flour by volume is extremely inaccurate. For accuracy, weigh
>> it.
>>
>> All the best,
>>
>> --
>> Kenneth
>>
>> If you email... Please remove the "SPAMLESS."
>
>It's accurate enough for my purposes. Never had
>a problem yet.
>
>Kate

Yeah. What she said.

Nonetheless, I have been known to sift flour if the recipe requests it
:>

Sue(tm)
Lead me not into temptation... I can find it myself!

Kenneth wrote:

> Measuring flour by volume is extremely inaccurate. For accuracy, weigh
> it.

Absolutely essential. Cups are out. Pounds are in.

///Peter
--
"The cat in the box is both a wave and a particle"
-- Terry Pratchett, introducing quantum physics in _The Authentic Cat_

Kenneth wrote:
>
> On Fri, 30 Jul 2004 10:38:40 -0400, Kate Connally >
> wrote:
>
> >You sift flour? Wow! I haven't done that for 30 years!
> >Well, I exaggerate a little. But really, I guess one might
> >want to do it if they wanted to be really precise.
>
> Howdy,
>
> Measuring flour by volume is extremely inaccurate. For accuracy, weigh
> it.
>
> All the best,
>
> --
> Kenneth
>
> If you email... Please remove the "SPAMLESS."

It's accurate enough for my purposes. Never had
a problem yet.

Kate
--
Kate Connally
“If I were as old as I feel, I’d be dead already.”
Goldfish: “The wholesome snack that smiles back,
Until you bite their heads off.”
What if the hokey pokey really *is* what it's all about?

Kenneth wrote:

> Measuring flour by volume is extremely inaccurate. For accuracy, weigh
> it.

Absolutely essential. Cups are out. Pounds are in.

///Peter
--
"The cat in the box is both a wave and a particle"
-- Terry Pratchett, introducing quantum physics in _The Authentic Cat_

"Kate Connally" > wrote in message
...
> Jeff Bernstein wrote:
> >
> > Greetings:
> >
> > I bought one of those squeezy-handled, multi-screened flour sifters. It
> > took much too long to sift a cup of pastry flour PLUS it's pretty much
> > impossible to clean after using. And flour leaks out of a hole near the
> > handle.
> >
> > So, what would you recommend for sifting flour? Is a strainer that I tap
> > with the palm of my hand the best way? A sifter with a hand crank? What
> > do you think?
> >
> > Thanks!!
> >
> > Jeff
>
> You sift flour? Wow! I haven't done that for 30 years!
> Well, I exaggerate a little. But really, I guess one might
> want to do it if they wanted to be really precise. Me, forget
> it.

Same here. I weigh my ingredients, so I get accurate measurements anyway.
I might sift dry ingredients over a foam if I am making foam type cake. In
that case, I use a fine mesh stainless strainer. Cleaning isn't an issue
because in the rare event it needs to be cleaned, it goes into the
dishwasher.

On Fri, 30 Jul 2004 10:38:40 -0400, Kate Connally >
wrote:

>You sift flour? Wow! I haven't done that for 30 years!
>Well, I exaggerate a little. But really, I guess one might
>want to do it if they wanted to be really precise.

Howdy,

Measuring flour by volume is extremely inaccurate. For accuracy, weigh
it.

All the best,

--
Kenneth

If you email... Please remove the "SPAMLESS."

Kate Connally wrote:

> Jeff Bernstein wrote:
>>
>> Greetings:
>>
>> I bought one of those squeezy-handled, multi-screened flour sifters. It
>> took much too long to sift a cup of pastry flour PLUS it's pretty much
>> impossible to clean after using. And flour leaks out of a hole near the
>> handle.
>>
>> So, what would you recommend for sifting flour?

A big wire sieve. I can't imaging using anything else. It takes about 20
secs to sift a pound of flour this way, using a large dessertspoon. Get
a well-made metal-framed sieve, not one of those bendy plastic ones. I
think in the US a sieve may be called a strainer (that word is used here
too, but only applied to liquids). I mean one of these:
http://www.cooking.com/products/shprodde.asp?SKU=138018

> You sift flour? Wow! I haven't done that for 30 years!
> Well, I exaggerate a little. But really, I guess one might
> want to do it if they wanted to be really precise.

It's nothing to do with precision. It's to get the gritty bits out which
the miller leaves behind. Otherwise they go crunch when you eat the bread.

> it. The only thing I've sifted lately was powdered sugar.
> And it's a nuisance doing it with the kind you have to tap.

I'm lost here. "Tap"?

///Peter
--
"The cat in the box is both a wave and a particle"
-- Terry Pratchett, introducing quantum physics in _The Authentic Cat_

In article >,
Peter Flynn > wrote:
>Kate Connally wrote:
>
>> Jeff Bernstein wrote:
>>>
>>> Greetings:
>>>
>>> I bought one of those squeezy-handled, multi-screened flour sifters. It
>>> took much too long to sift a cup of pastry flour PLUS it's pretty much
>>> impossible to clean after using. And flour leaks out of a hole near the
>>> handle.
>>>
>>> So, what would you recommend for sifting flour?
>
>A big wire sieve. I can't imaging using anything else. It takes about 20
>secs to sift a pound of flour this way, using a large dessertspoon. Get
>a well-made metal-framed sieve, not one of those bendy plastic ones. I
>think in the US a sieve may be called a strainer (that word is used here
>too, but only applied to liquids). I mean one of these:
>http://www.cooking.com/products/shprodde.asp?SKU=138018
>
>> You sift flour? Wow! I haven't done that for 30 years!
>> Well, I exaggerate a little. But really, I guess one might
>> want to do it if they wanted to be really precise.
>
>It's nothing to do with precision. It's to get the gritty bits out which
>the miller leaves behind. Otherwise they go crunch when you eat the bread.

Commercial flours found in the supermarket are sifted before they
are packaged.


Chuck Demas

--
Eat Healthy | _ _ | Nothing would be done at all,
Stay Fit | @ @ | If a man waited to do it so well,
Die Anyway | v | That no one could find fault with it.
| \___/ | http://world.std.com/~cpd

Charles Demas wrote:

> In article >,
> Peter Flynn > wrote:
>
>>Kate Connally wrote:
>>
>>
>>>Jeff Bernstein wrote:
>>>
>>>>Greetings:
>>>>
>>>>I bought one of those squeezy-handled, multi-screened flour sifters. It
>>>>took much too long to sift a cup of pastry flour PLUS it's pretty much
>>>>impossible to clean after using. And flour leaks out of a hole near the
>>>>handle.
>>>>
>>>>So, what would you recommend for sifting flour?
>>
>>A big wire sieve. I can't imaging using anything else. It takes about 20
>>secs to sift a pound of flour this way, using a large dessertspoon. Get
>>a well-made metal-framed sieve, not one of those bendy plastic ones. I
>>think in the US a sieve may be called a strainer (that word is used here
>>too, but only applied to liquids). I mean one of these:
>>http://www.cooking.com/products/shprodde.asp?SKU=138018
>>
>>
>>>You sift flour? Wow! I haven't done that for 30 years!
>>>Well, I exaggerate a little. But really, I guess one might
>>>want to do it if they wanted to be really precise.
>>
>>It's nothing to do with precision. It's to get the gritty bits out which
>>the miller leaves behind. Otherwise they go crunch when you eat the bread.
>
>
> Commercial flours found in the supermarket are sifted before they
> are packaged.
>
>
> Chuck Demas
>

Hey, Chuck, whatcha doin' over in this neighborhood?

You're correct that commercial flours, at least in the US, are sifted,
but commercial bakers of any size resift the flour anyway, lest there be
any weevils that may have hatched in the interim; and sifting at home
serves the same purpose if you notice little black things moving around.

Peter is writing from across the pond, though, and I don't know what the
milling and packaging practices are over there with regard to sifting.

Dick Margulis wrote:

> You're correct that commercial flours, at least in the US, are sifted,
> but commercial bakers of any size resift the flour anyway, lest there be
> any weevils that may have hatched in the interim; and sifting at home
> serves the same purpose if you notice little black things moving around.
>
> Peter is writing from across the pond, though, and I don't know what the
> milling and packaging practices are over there with regard to sifting.

They make a big play of how well they sift. "Graded grains make finer flour"
went one jingle. I haven't seen weevils in the flour since I was at boarding
school. But recipes using flour (not just for bread) typically start off by
saying to "sift the dry ingredients together..." (ie flour, salt, sugar...)

///Peter
--
"The cat in the box is both a wave and a particle"
-- Terry Pratchett, introducing quantum physics in _The Authentic Cat_

<posted & mailed>

Charles Demas wrote:

[me]
>>It's nothing to do with precision. It's to get the gritty bits out which
>>the miller leaves behind. Otherwise they go crunch when you eat the bread.
>
> Commercial flours found in the supermarket are sifted before they
> are packaged.

Yes, but I still find grit in them every time I sift flour :-)

///Peter
--
"The cat in the box is both a wave and a particle"
-- Terry Pratchett, introducing quantum physics in _The Authentic Cat_

<posted & mailed>

Charles Demas wrote:

[me]
>>It's nothing to do with precision. It's to get the gritty bits out which
>>the miller leaves behind. Otherwise they go crunch when you eat the bread.
>
> Commercial flours found in the supermarket are sifted before they
> are packaged.

Yes, but I still find grit in them every time I sift flour :-)

///Peter
--
"The cat in the box is both a wave and a particle"
-- Terry Pratchett, introducing quantum physics in _The Authentic Cat_

Charles Demas wrote:

> In article >,
> Peter Flynn > wrote:
>
>>Kate Connally wrote:
>>
>>
>>>Jeff Bernstein wrote:
>>>
>>>>Greetings:
>>>>
>>>>I bought one of those squeezy-handled, multi-screened flour sifters. It
>>>>took much too long to sift a cup of pastry flour PLUS it's pretty much
>>>>impossible to clean after using. And flour leaks out of a hole near the
>>>>handle.
>>>>
>>>>So, what would you recommend for sifting flour?
>>
>>A big wire sieve. I can't imaging using anything else. It takes about 20
>>secs to sift a pound of flour this way, using a large dessertspoon. Get
>>a well-made metal-framed sieve, not one of those bendy plastic ones. I
>>think in the US a sieve may be called a strainer (that word is used here
>>too, but only applied to liquids). I mean one of these:
>>http://www.cooking.com/products/shprodde.asp?SKU=138018
>>
>>
>>>You sift flour? Wow! I haven't done that for 30 years!
>>>Well, I exaggerate a little. But really, I guess one might
>>>want to do it if they wanted to be really precise.
>>
>>It's nothing to do with precision. It's to get the gritty bits out which
>>the miller leaves behind. Otherwise they go crunch when you eat the bread.
>
>
> Commercial flours found in the supermarket are sifted before they
> are packaged.
>
>
> Chuck Demas
>

Hey, Chuck, whatcha doin' over in this neighborhood?

You're correct that commercial flours, at least in the US, are sifted,
but commercial bakers of any size resift the flour anyway, lest there be
any weevils that may have hatched in the interim; and sifting at home
serves the same purpose if you notice little black things moving around.

Peter is writing from across the pond, though, and I don't know what the
milling and packaging practices are over there with regard to sifting.

In article >,
Peter Flynn > wrote:
>Kate Connally wrote:
>
>> Jeff Bernstein wrote:
>>>
>>> Greetings:
>>>
>>> I bought one of those squeezy-handled, multi-screened flour sifters. It
>>> took much too long to sift a cup of pastry flour PLUS it's pretty much
>>> impossible to clean after using. And flour leaks out of a hole near the
>>> handle.
>>>
>>> So, what would you recommend for sifting flour?
>
>A big wire sieve. I can't imaging using anything else. It takes about 20
>secs to sift a pound of flour this way, using a large dessertspoon. Get
>a well-made metal-framed sieve, not one of those bendy plastic ones. I
>think in the US a sieve may be called a strainer (that word is used here
>too, but only applied to liquids). I mean one of these:
>http://www.cooking.com/products/shprodde.asp?SKU=138018
>
>> You sift flour? Wow! I haven't done that for 30 years!
>> Well, I exaggerate a little. But really, I guess one might
>> want to do it if they wanted to be really precise.
>
>It's nothing to do with precision. It's to get the gritty bits out which
>the miller leaves behind. Otherwise they go crunch when you eat the bread.

Commercial flours found in the supermarket are sifted before they
are packaged.


Chuck Demas

--
Eat Healthy | _ _ | Nothing would be done at all,
Stay Fit | @ @ | If a man waited to do it so well,
Die Anyway | v | That no one could find fault with it.
| \___/ | http://world.std.com/~cpd

"Kate Connally" > wrote in message
...
> Jeff Bernstein wrote:
> >
> > Greetings:
> >
> > I bought one of those squeezy-handled, multi-screened flour sifters. It
> > took much too long to sift a cup of pastry flour PLUS it's pretty much
> > impossible to clean after using. And flour leaks out of a hole near the
> > handle.
> >
> > So, what would you recommend for sifting flour? Is a strainer that I tap
> > with the palm of my hand the best way? A sifter with a hand crank? What
> > do you think?
> >
> > Thanks!!
> >
> > Jeff
>
> You sift flour? Wow! I haven't done that for 30 years!
> Well, I exaggerate a little. But really, I guess one might
> want to do it if they wanted to be really precise. Me, forget
> it.

Same here. I weigh my ingredients, so I get accurate measurements anyway.
I might sift dry ingredients over a foam if I am making foam type cake. In
that case, I use a fine mesh stainless strainer. Cleaning isn't an issue
because in the rare event it needs to be cleaned, it goes into the
dishwasher.

Kate Connally wrote:

> Jeff Bernstein wrote:
>>
>> Greetings:
>>
>> I bought one of those squeezy-handled, multi-screened flour sifters. It
>> took much too long to sift a cup of pastry flour PLUS it's pretty much
>> impossible to clean after using. And flour leaks out of a hole near the
>> handle.
>>
>> So, what would you recommend for sifting flour?

A big wire sieve. I can't imaging using anything else. It takes about 20
secs to sift a pound of flour this way, using a large dessertspoon. Get
a well-made metal-framed sieve, not one of those bendy plastic ones. I
think in the US a sieve may be called a strainer (that word is used here
too, but only applied to liquids). I mean one of these:
http://www.cooking.com/products/shprodde.asp?SKU=138018

> You sift flour? Wow! I haven't done that for 30 years!
> Well, I exaggerate a little. But really, I guess one might
> want to do it if they wanted to be really precise.

It's nothing to do with precision. It's to get the gritty bits out which
the miller leaves behind. Otherwise they go crunch when you eat the bread.

> it. The only thing I've sifted lately was powdered sugar.
> And it's a nuisance doing it with the kind you have to tap.

I'm lost here. "Tap"?

///Peter
--
"The cat in the box is both a wave and a particle"
-- Terry Pratchett, introducing quantum physics in _The Authentic Cat_

"Jeff Bernstein" > wrote in message
...
> Greetings:
>
> I bought one of those squeezy-handled, multi-screened flour sifters. It
> took much too long to sift a cup of pastry flour PLUS it's pretty much
> impossible to clean after using. And flour leaks out of a hole near the
> handle.
>
> So, what would you recommend for sifting flour? Is a strainer that I tap
> with the palm of my hand the best way? A sifter with a hand crank? What
> do you think?
>
> Thanks!!
>
> Jeff

I've found that the hand-crank type works best. No need to clean - just tap
the excess flour off and store in a plastic bag.


--
Peter Aitken

Remove the crap from my email address before using.

Jeff Bernstein > wrote in message >...
> I bought one of those squeezy-handled, multi-screened flour sifters. It
> took much too long to sift a cup of pastry flour PLUS it's pretty much
> impossible to clean after using. And flour leaks out of a hole near the
> handle.
>
> So, what would you recommend for sifting flour? Is a strainer that I tap
> with the palm of my hand the best way? A sifter with a hand crank? What
> do you think?


The points raised in Scene 3 in the transcript available below may help somewhat:

http://www.goodeatsfanpage.com/Season5/EA1E08.htm

"Jeff Bernstein" > wrote in message
...

> So, what would you recommend for sifting flour? Is a strainer that I tap
> with the palm of my hand the best way? A sifter with a hand crank? What
> do you think?

I use a beat up sifter that's been in the family for decades. It has a
shifty arm that slides in an arc across a single screen in the bottom as the
handle is wagged back and forth. This has much more throughput than the
squeezy kind. One with a crank that sweeps a loop of wire over a single
bottom screen would prolly give you a pretty good throughput as well. Good
contact between the sweeper and the screen is needed because it pushes the
flour, sugar, whatever through the screen instead of just agitating it in
hopes that some of it will decide to fall through.

In article >,
Jeff Bernstein > wrote
> So, what would you recommend for sifting flour? Is a strainer that I tap
> with the palm of my hand the best way? A sifter with a hand crank? What
> do you think?
>
> Thanks!!
>
> Jeff

I have an old sifter with a hand crank. It holds about 4 cups. I
wouldn't trade it for anything. Not sure I'd buy a sifter now if I
didn't already have one -- a wire whisk through a bowl of flour (before
measuring) would do about the same thing - aerate it a bit.
--
-Barb, <www.jamlady.eboard.com> An update on 7/22/04.

"Jeff Bernstein" > wrote in message
...
> Greetings:
>
> I bought one of those squeezy-handled, multi-screened flour sifters. It
> took much too long to sift a cup of pastry flour PLUS it's pretty much
> impossible to clean after using. And flour leaks out of a hole near the
> handle.
>
> So, what would you recommend for sifting flour? Is a strainer that I tap
> with the palm of my hand the best way? A sifter with a hand crank? What
> do you think?
>
> Thanks!!
>
> Jeff

Not sifting flour at all? I used to have a sifter, then I lost it. (moved
a couple of times.) I never bought a new one. I have a wire-strainer that
I probably could use by tapping on it, but most of the time, I just throw my
flour in the way it is.

Dawn

Jeff Bernstein wrote:
>
> Greetings:
>
> I bought one of those squeezy-handled, multi-screened flour sifters. It
> took much too long to sift a cup of pastry flour PLUS it's pretty much
> impossible to clean after using. And flour leaks out of a hole near the
> handle.
>
> So, what would you recommend for sifting flour? Is a strainer that I tap
> with the palm of my hand the best way? A sifter with a hand crank? What
> do you think?
>
> Thanks!!
>
> Jeff

You sift flour? Wow! I haven't done that for 30 years!
Well, I exaggerate a little. But really, I guess one might
want to do it if they wanted to be really precise. Me, forget
it. The only thing I've sifted lately was powdered sugar.
And it's a nuisance doing it with the kind you have to tap.
Back when I used to sift flour I used the kind of which you
speak, but obviously it was much better made as I noticed
none of the problems you have with yours. I don't know what
sort of cleaning problem you could possibly have. If all you
use it for is sifting flour then it probably won't even need
to be "cleaned" except for rapping it sharply a few times over
the waste basket to dislodge and remaining flour particles.
Or you could just rinse it under hot running water, if you really
want to get rid of every single speck of flour, and let it
air dry in the dish drainer.

Kate
--
Kate Connally
“If I were as old as I feel, I’d be dead already.”
Goldfish: “The wholesome snack that smiles back,
Until you bite their heads off.”
What if the hokey pokey really *is* what it's all about?

"Jeff Bernstein" > wrote in message
...
> Greetings:
>
> I bought one of those squeezy-handled, multi-screened flour sifters. It
> took much too long to sift a cup of pastry flour PLUS it's pretty much
> impossible to clean after using. And flour leaks out of a hole near the
> handle.
>
> So, what would you recommend for sifting flour? Is a strainer that I tap
> with the palm of my hand the best way? A sifter with a hand crank? What
> do you think?
>
> Thanks!!
>
> Jeff

I find the squeezies and the crankies a nuisance both to use and to clean,
so I've used a strainer for years 'n' years.

Felice

On Fri, 30 Jul 2004 02:06:13 GMT, Jeff Bernstein
> wrote:

>Greetings:
>
>I bought one of those squeezy-handled, multi-screened flour sifters. It
>took much too long to sift a cup of pastry flour PLUS it's pretty much
>impossible to clean after using. And flour leaks out of a hole near the
>handle.
>
>So, what would you recommend for sifting flour? Is a strainer that I tap
>with the palm of my hand the best way? A sifter with a hand crank? What
>do you think?
>
>Thanks!!
>
>Jeff

Howdy,

For me, the question is not "how" but, "why."

Unless you are grinding it yourself, it is very likely to be
pre-sifted.

All the best,

--
Kenneth

If you email... Please remove the "SPAMLESS."

"Jeff Bernstein" > wrote in message
...
> Greetings:
>
> I bought one of those squeezy-handled, multi-screened flour sifters. It
> took much too long to sift a cup of pastry flour PLUS it's pretty much
> impossible to clean after using. And flour leaks out of a hole near the
> handle.
>
> So, what would you recommend for sifting flour? Is a strainer that I tap
> with the palm of my hand the best way? A sifter with a hand crank? What
> do you think?
>
> Thanks!!
>
> Jeff

I've found that the hand-crank type works best. No need to clean - just tap
the excess flour off and store in a plastic bag.


--
Peter Aitken

Remove the crap from my email address before using.