does a regular household need a Chinois?

[boomchakabowwow]

to be honest, i thought it was spelled entirely different just a mere 5 minutes ago.

fine mesh sieves i have. what does a Chinois get me, beyond a sieve? anything or nothing?

 

[More_Gyutos]

If you like your puréed stuff super perfect and velvety and your stocks absolutely clean then yes. Otherwise, no. I have one and before I got it I felt that my stocks were not as nice and clear as at the restaurant. But I have a whole host of items in my kitchen that most would think are unnecessary.

 

[WildBoar]

We got one (really two). If nothing else that have a pretty big capacity, so they work well for straining big pots of stock.

 

[superworrier]

Is there an advantage for this over cheesecloth other than reusability?

 

[boomchakabowwow]

Is there an advantage for this over cheesecloth other than reusability?

exactly. this.

 

[superworrier]

Maybe less likely to clog up too?

 

[btbyrd]

You run your stock through the chinois first to catch the larger particles and then strain through cheesecloth. Then clarify with a Methocel F50 raft and pass it through a Chemex.

 

[stringer]

You run your stock through the chinois first to catch the larger particles and then strain through cheesecloth. Then clarify with a Methocel F50 raft and pass it through a Chemex.

And then pass it through a Brita filter and all you will have left is drinking water.

 

[Up_dog128]

to be honest, i thought it was spelled entirely different just a mere 5 minutes ago.

fine mesh sieves i have. what does a Chinois get me, beyond a sieve? anything or nothing?

My take: If you're asking if you need it, then you don't need it

 

[MarcelNL]

I usually distill it....

My use for it is mostly ease of pushing liquid out of whatever I've been making stock with without splattering around too much so that it's embarassing ;-)

 

[Rangen]

Is there an advantage for this over cheesecloth other than reusability?

The one I got is sturdier than my wireframe strainers, and can hold more of the solid stuff, and can drain over more surface area, so it sped the process considerably.

New process:

Pour into giant chinois, let sit until drained, empty, repeat until it's all strained

Old process:

Pour into strainer lined with cheesecloth, making sure to not pour too much solids. Wait until it drains. A fat layer likes to form on the cheesecloth and slow things down, so do some tilting to get everything out, or just wait 15 minutes each time for things to drain.

Discard the solids, which disrupts the cheesecloth as things like to cling to it. Rearrange the greasy cheesecloth over the strainer, trying to get it to stay all the way up the sides and over. Repeat, the cheesecloth rebelling more each time and sometimes coming along with the solids into the trash.

 

[Heckel7302]

I've thought about buying one, but never pulled the trigger. I think it's overkill with stock. My fine mesh bowl style strainer works just fine. Chinois cone shape would be more beneficial for running a puree through, but I almost never do that and I already have enough kitchen crap.

 

[Delat]

I’ve been thinking about getting one for years, mainly for speed and efficiency vs a mesh strainer as others have mentioned.

 

[yummycrackers]

I use one for stocks on a regular basis and find it invaluable. The capacity is much bigger than that of a standard mesh strainer, which lets me strain everything in one go and then discard the solids. The clarity of the stock is an added bonus.

 

[btbyrd]

It is nice for larger volumes or if you make stock regularly. Or if you’re into purées. I think it’s nice to have as a home cook, but probably not necessary. That said, I wish I’d put one on my registry along with a pressure cooker.

 

[stringer]

I prefer a fine China cap to a mesh strainer or Chinois. Here's what I have at home. If I need finer I line with the cheese cloth. Fits in better with how I cook.

 

[sumis]

just get one.

i use china cap, chinois, cloths, sieves and colanders of different kinds all the time. just because. (i also switch between different gyutos ).

now, the real question is: what kind of tamis are you getting?

.

 

[chefcomesback]

Yes , I wish I had bought 2 instead of 1 when I was in the kitchen

 

[Justinv]

I had one for a long time and never used it so I let it go. No you don’t need one and they are one of the most impractical things to store - even worse than salad spinners.

 

[Michi]

No you don’t need one and they are one of the most impractical things to store - even worse than salad spinners.

Yes, they are bulky. But they do an excellent job at straining stocks and sauces. I use mine regularly.

 

[JASinIL2006]

I make large batches (30+ quarts) of beef stock fairly regularly and I strain it through cheese cloth, which works fine but clogs quickly and is a bit of a pain to handle. Would an extra fine mesh chinois perform similarly to several layers of cheesecloth when straining stock?

 

[Michi]

Would an extra fine mesh chinois perform similarly to several layers of cheesecloth when straining stock?

Yes. It’s quicker and far less messy with a chinois.

 

[JASinIL2006]

Yes. It’s quicker and far less messy with a chinois.

Looks like another item to be added to the birthday wish list....

 

[chefwp]

essential, no
nice to have, yes

I don't use mine often, but it came out last weekend when I cooked a 6 course meal that someone had bought at an auction and I needed to strain the intermezzo, an apple/celery shooter. It also usually comes out once or twice in the summer when I make watermelon gazpacho, which oddly I have not made once this summer, whoops. It is nice, as folks mentioned above, for large quantities of stock.

 

[Justinv]

Colanders are much more useful. And they can be stored in mixing bowls and used for pasta. Small fine mesh sieves work well too. Filter out the bulk of your stock with a colander, then run it through a fine sieve if desired. Add a fat separator if needed. Sieve + paper towel or cheesecloth if you want more clarity. Nothing wrong with straining through a few different media to get the desired results.

 

[sumis]

tamis!

i have one from de Buyer with exhangeable mesh/grids, and it serves a multi purpose tool: sifting, making purée, sieving …

for larger volumes though, you'll need a chinois or lined colander or the like.

.

 

[JASinIL2006]

Colanders are much more useful. And they can be stored in mixing bowls and used for pasta. Small fine mesh sieves work well too. Filter out the bulk of your stock with a colander, then run it through a fine sieve if desired. Add a fat separator if needed. Sieve + paper towel or cheesecloth if you want more clarity. Nothing wrong with straining through a few different media to get the desired results.

Straining 40-60 qts. of stock thru a collander or sieve lined with cheesecloth takes forever and it gets old fast.

 

[Michi]

Straining 40-60 qts. of stock thru a collander or sieve lined with cheesecloth takes forever and it gets old fast.

You are in a regular household and make 40-60 quarts of stock?

 

[JASinIL2006]

Yes! I make large batches several times a year. I reduce it (1 qt. down to a third of a cup) and then freeze it in cubes. My secret weapon for making many dishes extra yummy! (I also share some with friends.)

 

[MarcelNL]

I cheat, and buy Knorr Liquid concentrate...if I need stock I revive it with fresh veg and herbs...works wonders for those (many) days I cannot find the time to make stock from scratch.