Kefir has become incredibly popular in the last few years. No wonder. The kefir beverage is healthy and it really tastes nice. Moreover, you can easily make kefir at home and that will not require a lot of time, effort or money.
By the way, the actual process of making kefir is very simple and, usually, people have absolutely no problems with this part. But once the beverage is ready, you are faced with one important question: how do you now get the kefir grains out of the drink? And that’s exactly when strainers come in handy (no matter whether that’s water or milk kefir)!
- What are the best strainers for making kefir to buy on the market today?
- Does it have to be a specific strainer?
- And what does the actual process of kefir grains straining look like?
Let’s find the answer to all of these questions together. However, here is our list of the best strainers that are good for making kefir for those who are in a hurry.
1. US Kitchen Supply, Set of 4 Stainless Steel Strainers
2. Culina Nylon Mesh Strainer, Set of 3
3. HIC Brands that Cook Nylon Mesh Strainer
Table of Contents
Review: 3 Best Strainers for Making Kefir to Buy
These are the best options available for the making of water or milk kefir.
1. US Kitchen Supply, Set of 4 Stainless Steel Strainers
- 4 Professional Grade Fine Mesh Strainers: 4 sizes of premium high performance stainless steel fine mesh round strainers that are perfect for sifting and straining wet or dry ingredients. All sizes feature a sturdy outer mirror finished broad rimmed framework design, and have rust-proof firm fine mesh strainer screens with securely attached long handles. They contain a wide resting ear design for extra stability. Our durable and sturdy strainers are built to last for a lifetime.
- Essential Sizes Needed For Any Task: The right assortment of strainer sizes allows you to save time, and be more more efficient in the kitchen! Set includes 3", 4", 5.5" and 8" strainer sizes, which are the most popular and preferred sizes needed to handle all your straining, sieving, sifting, filtering and rinsing tasks. Nest the strainers together for space saving storage or hang them together within reach of where you use them the most. Easy to clean and dishwasher safe.
- No Wasted Food: There's no wasted food, because the concave fine mesh nets easily catch and sift, strain or drain the smallest ingredients. The sealed steel rims also prevent food from getting trapped between the mesh and the rim. Strainers are an essential tool for busy kitchens, and are the secret to making consistent quality meals.
- Sift, Strain and Rinse: Our strainer sieves are great for sifting and filtering out impurities and breaking up clumps in dry ingredients like flour, sugar and spices. Also use them for rinsing fruits and vegetables or fine grains and pastas like quinoa, rice and orzo. Strain thick or thin wet ingredients like sauces, lumpy gravy and yogurt or for removing seeds from squeezed fruit juices.
That’s a pretty good price for a set of 4 pieces made out of stainless steel, right? The strainers contain fine mesh netting. All pieces are round with the diameters 3, 4, 5.5 and 8 inches. Of course, when it comes to choosing the size of the strainer, it totally depends on what you feel works better for water or milk kefir. However, it is always nicer to have a choice. So, if you haven’t yet clearly understood what exact size you are gravitating towards, then ordering a set of four might be a great idea.
The manufacturer suggests that the two smaller strainers are used for straining liquids (like tea or coffee). That’s why you might want to try these ones first. You can always leave the bigger strainers for your vegetables and pasta. The great thing about the strainers is that they won’t go to waste and you will surely find what to do with them in your kitchen.
The net is small enough to strain and drain even the smallest ingredients. And the size is perfect for breaking up clumps, this is an important feature for all the water or milk kefir lovers out there.
The strainers are manufactured to the highest standards. The company uses only durable top quality materials that are able to serve for years and years. By the way, with your purchase, you will be getting a full lifetime satisfaction guarantee.
Check out the current price for US Kitchen Supply, Set of 4 Stainless Steel Strainers on Amazon.
2. Culina Nylon Mesh Strainer, Set of 3
- Nylon Mesh Strainer Set of 3 - 4 in., 5½ in. and 7 in. diameters
- Hooks on side of pot or bowl for hands free straining
- Durable nylon; will not retain odors or transfer flavors
- Convenient eyelet in handle for creative storage solutions
- 100% Culina Satisfaction Guarantee
You will be getting a set of three strainers (3-4, 5.5 and 7 inches). The model is made of durable nylon that does not transfer any smells and flavors. All strainers also have double-ears, so you can easily hang the model on any bowl, pot or whatever it is that you are using.
The model is dishwasher safe (for the first rack). These strainers come with a 100% guarantee from the company. You might want to use the smallest size for your ‘young’ grains and then switch to the bigger ones once the kefir grains start growing and multiplying.
Check out the current price for Culina Nylon Mesh Strainer, Set of 3 on Amazon.
3. HIC Brands that Cook Nylon Mesh Strainer
- HIC’s Double-Ear Fine Mesh Strainer easily drains, strains, and sieves foods for silkier soups or sauces plus sifts and aerates ingredients for baking
- Made from fine mesh with a durable plastic, double-ear design for added stability; BPA free; hangs for convenient and compact storage
- Fine mesh drains liquids, removes smaller bits for smoother soups, sauces, pastes and purees, and removes clumps for lighter, fluffier baked goods
- Sits securely on pots and pans, mixing bowls and other food preparation containers to keep both hands free for other tasks, like measuring and pouring
- Their non reactive material is perfect for use with acidic foods, like tomato and citrus juices; top-rack dishwasher safe
This is a double-ear model which means that you can easily hang the strainer over a bowl, pot or a container when you are trying to push the over-cultured kefir, for example. This feature is incredibly helpful.
The nylon material used is non-reactive. The actual net is small enough to stop even the smallest bits. Moreover, it’s easy to store this strainer as the model can be easily hanged on a hook. This nylon mesh strainer is dishwasher safe, however, we would still recommend paying some extra attention to the equipment that you use to make your water or milk kefir, so you might want to wash the thing twice before using it again.
This strainer beautifully deals with lumps. But don’t forget to take into consideration the dimensions of the item (7 x 7 x 4 inches). Some might find this strainer to be a bit too small.
Check out the current price for HIC Brands that Cook Nylon Mesh Strainer on Amazon.
How to Remove the Kefir Grains from the Finished Product?
We assume that you already know how to make kefir. But did you know that there are at least three ways in which you can remove the kefir grains from the fermented beverage?
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Use your hands
This one is pretty much a no-brainer. To remove the grains, you can always use your hands. Simply ensure that they are clean. By the way, always double-check whether the equipment that you are using to produce your kefir is clean or not. If the utensils are dirty, you might end up ruining your water or milk kefir. Moreover, such kefir can even be dangerous for your health, so making sure that all your jars and spoons are clean is vitally important.
Back to your hands. Once the grains are big enough, you certainly can try and remove the little guys with your hands. Do not use an anti-bacterial soap to make your hands clean as it might contaminate the culture.
However, this method may be a bit tricky as the grains have a gelatinous texture and they can easily slide through your fingers.
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Use a shallow bowl
Getting the kefir grains out of the jar is really difficult because you can’t see the little fellows. That’s why it might be a great idea to use a shallow bowl. Pour the kefir into it so that you can vividly see the grains. Then use a spoon (wooden or plastic) to get the kefir grains out. Once there are no more grains left in the beverage, pour it in a container and store in a fridge.
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Use a strainer
This is the quickest and maybe even the best way to remove your kefir grains from the beverage. One important thing that you have to take into consideration is the material from which the strainer is made. A plastic mesh option is great. You can also use a stainless steel strainer.
However, make sure that the tool is really made out of stainless steel. Otherwise, there a dangerous chemical reaction could occur that will affect the grains.
What to Do If Your Kefir is Too Thick?
The consistency of your water or milk kefir can vary from one batch to the other. And while it’s pretty much easy to deal with thin kefir, sometimes people have no idea what to do, if the kefir turned out a bit too thick. Don’t throw the batch away, you can still save it!
The main rule here is to treat the grains with extra care. Thick kefir is also sometimes called ‘over-cultured’. Such a state can depend on many different factors. For example, the amount of milk (if you’re making milk kefir), the temperature in the place where you store the jar and the time that you have spent on the fermentation process.
Thick kefir has both, curds and whey. And what you have to do at first is mix the two together. To do that you can use either a wooden spoon or a lid. If you decide to use the later, simply close the jar and shake it. However, be careful not to damage the grains.
Now you can get your strainer ready. Don’t worry about the curds, once the mass comes through the strainer it will become smoother. To get the over-cultured kefir through the actual strainer, you can tap it gently with your hand or against something. Moreover, you can always use a spatula or the wooden spoon that we have mentioned earlier to try and ‘push’ the whole thing through the strainer.
You can surely use the grains again, even if the batch was over-cultured.
In general, kefir strainers do not differ from the normal ones. However, you have to pay some extra attention to the material used and to the size of the actual strainer.