Chinois strainer

[Cachetes]

I'd like to get my husband a chinois strainer for his birthday, but there seems to be a pretty good range of prices and style variations (albeit small) out there. Can anyone suggest a brand/type that they really like?

[Rubee]

I've only had one brand - Williams Sonoma's - but have been very happy with it; bought it about 4 years ago. It comes with a stand and pestle. I like the height (perfect for straining chicken stock into tupperware), and I've had no problems the few times I've thrown it in the dishwasher (it says to handwash).

http://www.williams-sonoma.com/produc...

[normalheightsfoodie]

I agree with Rubee. I use mine to strain anything. It is nice because it comes with the stand and pestle. I also use it to strain my lemoncello. It is a little pricey, but worth it. I also put in the washer, with no problems. The stand is also handy to dry decanters.

[Will Owen]

How fine a strainer you want? I finally bought a fine one after several years of using the kind with about the same size holes as your typical food mill. I used it ONCE, spent the better part of a day cleaning all the tiny particles out of the tiny apertures, and have used it only to strain liquid, with a cheesecloth liner, since then. The old medium-fine one works great for juicing pomegranates etcetera.

[karykat]

I don't have a chinois anymore (hmmmm -- don't remember what happened to it) but do have a fine strainer. There are some times you really need a fine strainer. The critical thing, I think, is to rinse it upside down as soon as you are done using it. Sometimes hard to remember. But it saves a lot of work cleaning.

[Cachetes]

Thanks to all - I want a pretty fine mesh one, so the cleanign tips are a great help (I loved the imagery of WillOwen spending all day cleaning the tiny holes : ) )

In any case, the Williams Sonoma looks great, and there's one other I found online that is also stainless steel with the stand, and about half the price. Much cheaper than that and they become aluminum or don't come with stand.

Thanks for the input!

[normalheightsfoodie]

The stand is key!

[Will Owen]

My old one is aluminum, with three steel-rod loop legs that plug into receptacles around the rim. I've never had any trouble with it because of the material - we now use it about once a year to butcher a few dozen pomegranates. Mrs. O has a special set of old clothes she puts on for that little exercise, with a fresh set of indelible purple stains added every year.

[normalheightsfoodie]

We have the same one, and you are spot on, we also use it to juice poms. You get all of the juice and not pith.