MatferBourgeat Professional Bouillon Strainer/Chinois with Exoglass Handle and Fine Steel Mesh Sieve

If you are looking at this product than you probably already know. The best are usually the most expensive and this is no exception. Very high quality, durable and does an excellent job. If you buy this it will probably be your last, I don't see how this could be improved upon.

If you regularly make stocks this is the strainer you need! I see why pro kitchens use the Matfer, it's mesh is fine but sturdy, the wire supports are strong and easily take the weight when full of bones, plastic handle is tough and doesn't bend or twist under full weight, and it's easy to clean - just rinse and put in the dishwasher. I can see this lasting for years. It's a good size for home use, I make stocks in 2.5gal lots and this saves me several steps compared to using a sieve. I don't use it to strain sauces, for the small amounts I make a fine sieve does the job.This item is absolutely worth the money if you are a serious home cook making stocks/soups.

My wife and I have had this for months and used it several times in that period. We've used regular mesh strainers before but never another chinois so I can only compare this to regular strainers. From that viewpoint, this is way better than a regular strainer. I don't know how it stacks up against other chinois though.The hooks opposite the handle have proven useful as I sometimes mount this over a kettle while I prepare wort for homebrewing. I've noticed, though, that there still seems to be some particulate trub in my wort sometimes. There is way less than if I had tried to use a standard strainer or, really, any other method I've tried.My wife made some jam for the first time recently and we made use of both this chinois and this HIC Brands that Cook Wooden Pestle for Chinois. That particular pestle fit really well with this chinois though I was a bit worried that a lot of poking might cause the pestle to break through the chinois' mesh which would be pretty terrible given how expensive chinois are. That was the first time we used a pestle with the chinois and the results were a lot better than our attempts to use other tools (i.e. wooden spoons) to press out more liquid.I suppose that the chinois stands I've seen might be used to keep the mesh from pushing up against whatever container you're working over but two pieces of metal wire crossing around the outside of the screen provided good support. I was able to place the chinois inside my 2-cup measuring glass such that the wire held the mesh screen away from the glass itself. I think the only way that an actual stand may have been more useful than these wires is if you needed to get the chinois higher out of the container you're working over or maybe if you need both hands.Since anything that strains through the screen seems to flow down the screen until it reaches the tip, I didn't have to worry about the liquid squirting out all over the counter. This is nice considering that the screen must be at least seven inches tall.The only drawbacks to this are that it's not very multi-purpose; a cardinal sin for many dedicated kitchen-dwellers. It's also pretty large so it takes up most of an entire shelf in one of our cabinets. If storage space, money, or amount of use are a concern for you then this tool might not be a good fit. If you've got the space and money, this has been a great tool for me in home brewing and my wife in preserving so I'd recommend it.

I made gazpacho the other night with my homegrown veggies and pushed the puree through this. Came out like silk! I was worried about the cleaning after the fact but it was relatively simple using a narrow scrub brush with very hot water. Very happy!!

This is a really nice Chinois. It's sturdy (despite the plastic handle/rim), fine, and strains exactly as you'd expect.Two things to be aware of:1. It's really tall. None of my 8 or 12qt stock pots can accommodate it, height-wise. (The bars around the tip of the cone touch the bottom of the pot long before the hooks around the strainer's rim could reach the rim of the pot.) Ditto with my largest mixing bowls. This means I'm pretty much hand-holding it (which can be tiring... and can be nearly impossible when I'm pouring from a large pot into it.)2. There is a matching stand available from Matfer, but it's expensive (~$45 here on Amazon... for a simple piece of stainless steel), and the design is a little odd. (See my review of that product.)

Yes, it's large, expensive, and a bit of a pain to store, but it's incredibly well made, has a fine, durable mesh, easily cleans in the dishwasher, and works flawlessly in practice. Hard to ask for more.

I use this at least once a week. I use this mainly for straining homemade yogurt and occasionally chicken bone broth.This is a very fine strainer. Very little yogurt strains through with the whey. I turn one gallon of milk into yogurt. It takes filling this strainer up twice for the entire batch. I usually let it strain 1/4 of the way down which takes about 45-60 minutes if the yogurt is straight out of the warming oven. This produces approx 2.5-3 quarts of yogurt. Reducing it too much produces dry thick yogurt.Straining bone broth is a breeze. It ensures all small bones are caught. Its large enough to strain the bones from a whole chicken.Pros:-it's large, thus reducing your straining time-dishwasher safe-handles high heat well-sturdy- the wires that protect the strainer work wellCons:-It's large. It may be difficult to store depending on your kitchen.- the size makes it really hard to strain by hanging in even a large stockpot. It does stand and lean while straining ok though.It can be difficult to clean the fine mesh. I use a sink sprayer and then put it in the dishwasher.-the price is a bit highOverall this is a great purchase and I am extremely pleased with the product. I can't imagine making yogurt without it.