Sieves

If you have been faithfully following my advice on sauces, it could be said you'll never have to sieve out any lumps - and I would put money on that!

However, you will need to sift four and icing sugar, extract the pips from soft fruit and use a sieve for puréeing small quantities. I have two sizes of metal sieve and one nylon - the latter is best for soft fruit as the metal can sometimes discolour it. I also keep a tiny sieve, like a tea strainer, in my spoon drawer - perfect for sprinkling a small amount of cocoa or icing sugar.