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Customer Review
- Reviewed in Canada on March 29, 2013I have been making all our stocks, soups, and gravies from scratch since I was a teenager (and that was a long time ago). Separating the fat or just getting the pieces of ingredients out can get quite frustrating; this separator works for both.
Over the years I've tried many different tools, which generally fall into one of 2 categories: the measuring-cup style with the spout coming out the lower portion of the cup, and the soup-ladle style with the plug on the bottom (I haven't been able to find one of these lately, in case you've been looking).
I haven't had great luck with either: the measuring-cup style doesn't work well unless you have a LOT of liquid in there, and the soup-ladle ones I've tried have always been very small (~1 cup capacity) and tend to make a mess on the counter when you refill them.
This separator combines the best of both styles: it has a 4-cup (1 L) capacity and lets the stock out the bottom like the ladle-style separator. It consists of 3 pieces: the bowl (the clear part in the picture), the rim which includes the handle and red plug, and a separate strainer (looks like a lid in the picture). All the pieces can be separated for washing, and the unit can be used with or without the strainer.
For the measurement-conscious: there are embossed markings for cups, oz, and mL. For the mess-conscious: there's a lip around the bottom, which raises the base enough to minimize counter-mess when you put it down. I still use a plate under it, but at least you don't need a bowl!
My other concerns were whether the hole in the bottom is big enough to make the tool efficient (I usually do ~4 L of stock at a time so a trickle wouldn't work well) and refilling the cup (whether it can be refilled without worrying about spills through the hole in the bottom). So far both seem to be fine: The capacity is enough to make it realistic for the larger quantities, the liquid pours through quickly and the hole plugs well (the red plug on the bottom is a soft rubber or silicone; the lip around the bottom helps too). As an added bonus, the bottom of the bowl is slightly rounded so you get just the stock even when the cup is nearly empty... this design is (as far as I've seen) unique to this model.
In terms of space requirements, the separator measures about 6" (15 cm) in both diameter and in height, with the lid on (but not counting the handle). The little black bump at the top left in the picture is a grip to remove the strainer and is not included in the measurement above.
The separator is labelled as dishwasher-safe and BPA-free but doesn't go in the microwave.
Overall, this is the best fat-separator of many that I've tried and I would definitely recommend this one.
