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I have an inexpensive flour sifter that just has wire mesh and a little hand-crank (like one of these 1, 2.)

It has cup markings on the side ("one cup," "two cups").

This is probably a silly question, but why? Doesn't the flour just start pouring through the wire mesh as soon as you start adding it, thereby making the markings useless?

anon
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1 Answers1

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Only a tiny amount of flour will fall through the grating before you start actively sifting; there is a reason there is an agitator and crank to help force the flour through. I am sure the idea was that you could use the sifter as a measuring cup.

Of course, since most sifters are opaque and the markings are on the outside, it is difficult to get a good measurement.

In practice, these markings are essentially useless, and you are far better off using a proper measuring cup, or even better, a scale.

Personally, I am of the opinion that sifters are hard to clean, not useful for anything else, and in general a pain. I use a simple sieve when I need to sift.

SAJ14SAJ
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  • In fairness, the cup markings for the two sifters in the links in the original question **do** show on the inside, even though the body of the sifter is opaque. Those circumferential bulges show on both the inside and the outside. – Pete Becker Nov 17 '13 at 15:27