Whether you are whipping up a birthday cake or making a fluffy loaf of bread to accompany your evening meal, a flour sifter is a handy tool that will make the whole process that little bit simpler. Unlike
colanders, which separates liquids from solids, sifters are designed to be used for flour products to remove any lumps and bumps that may interfere with the baking process. Most sifts use a fine-meshed material that also allow liquids or finer grains to pass through, making them ideal for juices and sauces too. If you are looking to step up your cooking and baking game then a flour sifter is definitely a tool you will want by your side!
Sifters don’t differ too much in their design and quite often have very similar features. There are, however, a few things you will want to consider before making your purchase. Firstly, there are two main types of sifter:
Hand Crank: A hand crank sifter is a manually operated sifter where you use a handle on the side to sieve the flour. These products are older in design but are just as effective. Some customers feel a hand crank sifter is more effective than other products as you can sieve the flour to a consistency that’s right for you and for what you’re cooking.
Electric/ Battery Operated: These sifters have become increasingly popular in recent years due to their simplistic, easy to use design. These types of sifters run on batteries and can be a lot quicker (and a lot less tiring) than using a hand crank product.
When it comes to selecting the best flour sifter for you there are a few things you may want to consider beforehand. Firstly, sifters range in sizes from 1 cup to 5 cups and more often than not have a measuring scale on the side too. If you are whipping up a pizza to shove in the
pizza oven or are cooking for a large group or family, then you may want to purchase a sifter that has a larger capacity. If, however, you’re simply making a batch of cookies to shove in your
cookie jar then a smaller sifter should be sufficient.
Price
Like we mentioned previously, flour sifters don’t actually differ too much in features, so the price of your new product is going to probably come down to the type of sifter you choose (hand crank or electric) and its capacity. Electric sifters tend to be more expensive than hand crank versions as they are easier to use and, quite often, easier to clean too. An electric sifter will cost you anywhere between $12 and $15. A hand crank version is usually quite a bit cheaper and will range between $9 and $12, depending, again, on how many cups it can hold. More affordable flour sifters are available ($9 or less) but just be aware that these types of products are often not as durable and are prone to rusting or damage.
Features
When shopping around for your perfect flour sifter there isn’t really too much to look out for. The sifter you purchase will probably come down to your own personal preferences and the specific capacity you are after. There are a few things, however, that we recommend keeping an eye out for.
Here is our list of important sifter features:
- Stainless Steel
- 3-5 Cup Capacity
- All-Purpose Design
Construction and Design
We recommend choosing a sifter made from stainless steel due the fact it makes the product durable and also easy to clean! Stainless steel is also less likely to rust and can withstand higher temperatures than other materials, which is perfect if you are straining soups or sauces.
Another thing we suggest looking for when picking up your new flour sifter is a product that has a capacity of 3-5 cups. There are some smaller sifters available on the market, but these tend to be too small and insufficient if you are cooking large batches or for family dinners. A sifter with a larger capacity, put simply, is easier to use. Keep an eye out for sifters with measurements on the side, too, as this will make your life A LOT easier!
Another feature we recommend looking for is a sifter with an all-purpose design. This basically means that the sifter can be used for a variety of cooking rather than just flour. This will mean you get more use out of your sifter and save yourself some pennies too!
Performance and Ease of Use
Unfortunately, most flour sifters are not suitable for dishwashers and therefore are required to be washed by hand. Don’t panic though, it isn’t a tricky task. You can simply wash a flour sifter as you would your dinnerware or cutlers, that is, with hot water and lots of soap, simple! Just make sure the product is dried well to avoid rusting or streaks.
If you have selected an electronic flour sifter then the one thing you will need to replace every now and then is the batteries. Most electronic sifters only require one C battery so this isn’t too tough a task and pretty good on the old purse strings too. If you are specifically looking for a flour sifter that’s easy to use then this is the sifter for you; it’s particularly beneficial to those with sore joints and weak wrists.
Hopefully our buying guide on flour sifters has given you a better idea about what these wonderful little products are and how they can benefit your cakes and bakes. You should also have a better idea about what it is that YOU personally want to get out of your new product and the type of sifter you’re after; this will make the whole selection process that little bit easier. So what are we waiting for? Let’s get looking at our top 5 picks!
Features
HIC are a wholesale cooking company that have a huge selection of cooking supplies, cooking tools, food prep equipment and much, much more! Founded in 1957, HIC are a third generation, family-owned business that understand how important affordability is to their customers. Today the brand carries over 3,500 home and commercial kitchen supplies with their products available in over 25 countries.
We are big fans of HIC’s Baking Sifter due to the fact it’s dishwasher safe and breaks up clumps effectively and easily. This product is suitable for flour, icing sugar and other sifted baking ingredients. Made from stainless steel, the handle of this sifter is made from solid wood for sturdy, rust-free sifting!
Features
Fox Run has been a leading supplier of kitchen products for specialty retailers for over 40 years. Started in Pennsylvania, Fox Run now distributes products all over the world, from Toronto to Shanghai. Originally started as a cookie cutter manufacturer, today Fox Run offers over 3,000 products for the home including bakeware, grill-ware, food prep and coffee and tea products too.
Fox Runs Flour Sifter is a favorite of ours due to its easy-to-use design and its consistent clump-free results. Made from stainless steel with a fine mesh screen, this sifter is incredibly durable and will last you a lifetime! The sifter’s easy-to-use design allows you to hand crank using one hand and has an impressive 3 cup capacity too. This product will break up lumps with ease and give you lighter, consistent, clump-free results.
So, fingers crossed, by now you have found your perfect flour sifter and are scouring your cookbooks to find the perfect recipe for the chocolatiest cake in the world (and planning on sending us a slice as a thank you…). If, however, this isn’t the case then don’t you worry, we’ve got you covered! All the brands we have selected are renowned for their large product selections, so simply browse through their other products to find the sifter that’s right for you. Easy peasy!
