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Flour Sifters: Pie Supply Buying Guide

Flour sifters are the perfect friend to any perfect pastry dough.

For a while, I resisted buying one, thinking it would be a waste of space or too expensive. I was very wrong.

I found that many of the best flour sifters were the smallest and least complicated.

First let’s start with the complicated. I gravitated toward the more expensive brands with hand cranks and push triggers. I would not recommend either. The hand crank flour sifter worked well for the first few recipes, however over time the gears would rust or get flour inside. Then, the crank did not work so well. It would become a grind- and I would end up beating the sides to get the flour to sift.

If you would prefer to have a hand crank instead of sifting normally, I would recommend a high quality sifter that holds 6 cups or more. Check out this high quality guy at cooking.com.

The next type is the trigger operated sifter. You pull the trigger on the side and it forces the flour through a twisting metal blade. I found in many models that the trigger would often take two hands to operate. By the time I would finish with several cups of flour, my hand was sore.

Best Buy

With flour sifters, I find the simplest mechanisms are the best for me. I prefer the canister sifters with nothing to crank or little parts to wash. This great product is only $8.95. You fill the canister; twist the top and the shake. It even has a little lid so you can keep your ingredients fresh for later usage.

A great alternative would be keeping your powdered sugar in here at all times. It will not get that plastic bag taste and it is ready to shake out!