Chinois (fine mesh strainer)


 
j biesinger

j biesinger

TVWBB Platinum Member
I've been looking for one of these for a couple of years. I'm always shocked when I see one at a store and look at the price. I keep thinking I'll bump into one when we're exploring chinese restaurant supply stores in nyc, but despite the name (chinaman's cap) they are probably more french than asian.

Well as luck would have it we were in a store in nyc and I stumbled on one for $35. I grabbed it and tried to ignore the impulse to buy anything else (forschner granton edge slicer for $40...doh!).

It turns out that we walked a bit uptown to Broadway Panhandler in the East Village, which is a "fancy store" unlike the one I just came from that was filled to the ceiling with unopened boxes. A similar sized chinois, that I thought was inferior to the one I just bought, was twice as much (75!!!).

Now I just got to remember what I intended to use it for. The mesh seems fine enough that I think it'll replace my normal technique of lining a funnel with cheese cloth when straining sauces.
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by j biesinger:
I've been looking for one of these for a couple of years. I'm always shocked when I see one at a store and look at the price. I keep thinking I'll bump into one when we're exploring chinese restaurant supply stores in nyc, but despite the name (chinaman's cap) they are probably more french than asian.

Well as luck would have it we were in a store in nyc and I stumbled on one for $35. I grabbed it and tried to ignore the impulse to buy anything else (forschner granton edge slicer for $40...doh!).

It turns out that we walked a bit uptown to Broadway Panhandler in the East Village, which is a "fancy store" unlike the one I just came from that was filled to the ceiling with unopened boxes. A similar sized chinois, that I thought was inferior to the one I just bought, was twice as much (75!!!).

Now I just got to remember what I intended to use it for. The mesh seems fine enough that I think it'll replace my normal technique of lining a funnel with cheese cloth when straining sauces. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Very good for making terrines and pates too - just have to keep everything very cold while doing it
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<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Very good for making terrines and pates too - just have to keep everything very cold while doing it Smiler </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Thanks for the tip, Charcuterie Man!
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Hehe, I have a feeling you are the yoda in this conversation
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For an especially fine ground pate or terrine I coarse grind, then puree in food processor, then push through the chinoise. Everything is so cold it is almost frozen.
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Hehe, I have a feeling you are the yoda in this conversation Wink </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

I believe I'm merely a charcuterie padawan.
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by j biesinger:
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Hehe, I have a feeling you are the yoda in this conversation Wink </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

I believe I'm merely a charcuterie padawan. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Not in the arena of food - I have read many of your posts and wished we were neighbors
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Another good item is a tamis. I have several that range from fine to coarse.

Really good for getting super fine grain in a pate.
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Not in the arena of food - I have read many of your posts and wished we were neighbors Smiler </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Likewise. Even my bbq teammates think I'm nuts sometimes, but they don't mind the results when eating at my house.

The chinois was surprising, but somehow I must of seem or heard about using a tamis for pates, because reading that made familiar sense.

other than keeping things cold, help me out with running it through the chinois. does it pass though easily? or are you using a wooden pestle-like thing?
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">I've been looking for one of these for a couple of years. I'm always shocked when I see one at a store and look at the price. I keep thinking I'll bump into one when we're exploring chinese restaurant supply stores in nyc, but despite the name (chinaman's cap) they are probably more french than asian. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
That they are.

Many of us refer to a China cap and chinois as two related but different things, the latter being much more fine (in mesh and construction)--but this is more restaurant-speak than anything else. ('China caps' are used for initial stock straining; 'chinoises' of the fine mesh for the uses that Cameron notes and/or, after initial straining,for finer, clearer stocks.)

Chinoises are often spendy because good ones -- the only ones worth bothering with -- need to be strong enough to take pressure and last, regardless. Sounds like you found a good one.

I'm with Cameron on a tamis -- or several -- being a good item to have in the kitchen.
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by j biesinger:
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Not in the arena of food - I have read many of your posts and wished we were neighbors Smiler </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Likewise. Even my bbq teammates think I'm nuts sometimes, but they don't mind the results when eating at my house.

The chinois was surprising, but somehow I must of seem or heard about using a tamis for pates, because reading that made familiar sense.

other than keeping things cold, help me out with running it through the chinois. does it pass though easily? or are you using a wooden pestle-like thing? </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

hehe - sorry, I meant to say tamis instead of chinois. I use the chinois for soups, stocks, sauces etc...
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And yes, I use a wood pestle thing, and also have thought of buying one of those chinois with a built in device that pushes things through the sides (you spin it basically)

For the tamis I use a plastic scraper... I have a few of the scrapers
 
For as uncommon as chinois sitings have been for me in my search, tamis are even rarer. I guess, now that I have the chinois, that my search begins anew.

I often wish I had the chinois when I'm straining sauces. I have a small mesh strainer that I've used (which was actually fairly effective if small), and this one is much finer than that. I'll bet it'll be as effective as two layers of cheese cloth.

I'm looking forward to my next batch of guava habanero sauce, the pineapple pulp won't have a chance.
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">You can purchase an Update International fine mesh china cap/chinois for as little as $25 through restaurant supply stores.

You may contact them to find a dealer on their website. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

thanks for the heads up. are you associated with the company?

despite my travels, I still find it tough to find reasonably priced, decent quality gear. Its either cheap and cheap or good and expensive.
 
I use AceMart and Surfas as well as Fantes a lot. I have never --yet-- found an inexpensive chinoises to be as good as the pricier ones for the reason I noted upthread. Still, in a noncommercial environment good but inexpensive ones should last. Most home cooks don't use them all that often and are not under the time pressure that can cause commercial cooks to, shall we say, abuse the kitchen equipment. But get a good pestle.
 
Hi,

I am not associated with Update in any manner.

I have looked at these chinois an realize they are not as sturdy as a commercial stainer and lack an exterior frame. But the mesh is stainless, probably not the best but for home use it is an incredible bargain.

I use mine (20 years old) for stock and would never use a pestle for that application.

Tim
 
Neither would I. The pestle is to use for typical chinois use. Stocks can be strained with other things. Chinoises are the go-to for finishing fine sauces. For that a pestle is needed.
 
OR you can also use a 2 oz ladle to push things thru (for stocks and sauces). They're probably cheaper and more useful than a wooden pestle.
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by J Pan:
OR you can also use a 2 oz ladle to push things thru (for stocks and sauces). They're probably cheaper and more useful than a wooden pestle. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Good point - I don't have a 2 oz ladle, I need to get a few smaller ones. I have a 4 oz and an 8 oz I think.
 
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