EQUIPMENT KNOWLEDGE · PREPARATION TOOLS

Food Mill

A food mill uses a hand-cranked blade or paddle to force soft cooked food through a perforated disc, simultaneously puréeing and separating some skins, seeds, or fibrous material.

Best Uses

Tomato sauce, applesauce, cooked vegetables, potato preparations, fruit purées, soups, and rustic-to-fine textures depending on the disc.

What to Look For

• Interchangeable discs with useful hole sizes.
• A stable support that rests over bowls or pots.
• A smooth crank mechanism.
• Enough capacity for the intended batch.

Correct Use

Cook ingredients until appropriately soft, work in manageable batches, and turn the crank steadily. Reverse briefly when necessary to clear fibrous buildup.

Common Mistakes

• Trying to mill ingredients that are too firm.
• Overfilling the hopper.
• Expecting a perfectly smooth high-shear blender texture.

Chef’s Notes

The food mill is useful when you want both texture and separation. It can remove tomato skins and seeds while creating sauce in a single operation.

Related Equipment

Potato ricer, immersion blender, fine-mesh strainer, mixing bowls, and saucepan.