When I first saw this object, I was convinced it was a giant tea infuser… 🍵 Maybe a special version for hardcore tea lovers, capable of preparing a brew for an entire village. 😄 But this strange tool has nothing to do with tea and everything to do with… 👇 Find out in the first comment! 💬
This quirky gadget is actually a flour and powdered sugar sifter, an essential tool for bakers of the past. Its mechanism is as simple as it is ingenious: by pressing the handles, the spiral begins to move, allowing you to sift flour onto a work surface or dust a cake with a delicate layer of powdered sugar.
The goal? To achieve an even distribution and prevent flour clumps in the dough or uneven sugar piles on a dessert.
Before the arrival of modern sifters and stainless steel strainers, this type of tool was a staple in kitchens. It could be found in the drawers of both professional bakers and home cooks, ready to be pulled out to give the finishing touch to a cake just out of the oven.
And unlike today’s electric appliances, it didn’t require batteries or a plug—just a little muscle and a pinch of know-how.
Today, it has largely been replaced by more modern tools, but it hasn’t lost any of its effectiveness. In fact, if you love the charm of vintage items, why not adopt it? Besides being practical, it adds a touch of nostalgia to every pastry.
It just goes to show, an object can hide another… The next time you come across an unknown tool at a flea market or at your grandmother’s house, take a moment to guess its purpose. Who knows, you might rediscover a treasure from the past!
You can see how it works below:
