Published December 5, 2006.
Is this really helpful or just a gimmick?
Sifting flour hardly qualifies as a complicated step in baking, albeit a monotonous, often messy, and potentially arthritic one if you’re using a squeeze-handled model. Those who want to sift through the process a little faster (and don’t mind a low buzz in their ears) might find luck with the click of switch. The thumb-handy “On” button embedded in the Norpro Battery Operated Flour Sifter’s ($14.99) plastic grip activates a motor that quivers rapidly enough to make quick, tidy work of sifting up to four cups of flour, cocoa powder, or confectioner’s sugar. When you’re done, a simple swipe of a pastry brush or a soft, dry cloth will dust away any lingering powder. A bit gratuitous for something as simple as sifting? Perhaps. Traditionalists can feel free to just tap the sides as they would with a mesh sifter. But the way we see it, the sooner the flour is sifted, the sooner the cake’s out of the oven.
