Sifting through...

I've never been a big fan of sifters. Inevitably, someone at my home would rinse an old one and everything in it would become caked and the workings would rust, causing me to make that "ooh, yuk!" face when I would pull it from the cupboard [just before tossing it in the trash]. 

And my aching hand...after cups and cups of cake flour and cups and cups of organic powdered sugar, I felt like my hand was going to fall off...muscles I don't normally use were crying out for some ointment to be rubbed on them (or at least some cake crumbs).

Now a sifter that was easy to use, easy to clean and easy to store = that would make me happy in the kitchen.

I saw this Scoop & Sift by Cuisipro and thought I'd give it a shot. After all, it WAS billed as a "single-hand flour sifter" with a "handle angled for ergonomic comfort requiring minimal effort" and some days ~ well, let's just say I'm all about minimal effort.

Cake baking time. This sifter's front screen has a wide surface area, which I found ideal for getting the job of sifting done quickly, making my muscles very happy.

Because the single-hand trigger mechanism was easy to use, I was able to keep one hand free to measure and mix ingredients while I was sifting.

After my sifting chores were finished, I tapped the flour out completely and wiped it gently with a paper towel. The tag did say "dishwasher safe ~ top shelf" so as soon as I get a dishwasher (but that's another story).

Storage was a cinch. A twist tie and a large plastic bag and I stored the sifter near my cake flour for frequent use.  

And, just for the record, I still hate to sift ~ but it's a small price to pay for tender cakes and frostings, lovingly made.


Bev Shaffer is a chef, food writer, cookbook author, and culinary instructor.
She can be reached through her website http://www.bevshaffer.com/about.