Tamis

A tamis (pronounced “tammy”) is a drum-shaped kitchen sieve with flat mesh stretched across a circular frame, used to create ultra-smooth purees and strain sauces without over-processing ingredients. Unlike cylindrical strainers or conical sieves like a chinois, the tamis’s flat design allows chefs to apply even downward pressure with horizontal scraping motions, producing consistently fine textures that can’t be achieved with mechanical tools.

How a Tamis Works

The tamis sits over a bowl with its mesh facing down. Chefs place cooked ingredients—potatoes, vegetables, fruit—onto the mesh and push them through using a bench scraper, bowl scraper, or pestle. The flat surface distributes pressure evenly, forcing food through the mesh while leaving behind fibers, seeds, and skins. This method creates silkier textures than a food mill or blender because it doesn’t aerate or mechanically shear the ingredients, which can turn starches gummy or introduce unwanted air bubbles.

Professional Kitchen Applications

Tamises appear most often in high-end restaurant kitchens where texture matters. Joel Robuchon’s legendary potato puree—impossibly smooth and rich—requires passing cooked potatoes through a tamis twice. Pastry chefs use tamises to sift almond flour for macarons, ensuring no lumps disrupt the delicate cookie structure. Savory applications include straining vegetable purees for plating, creating velvety sauces, and grating Parmesan to a fine powder that melts instantly into risotto. The tamis also handles gnocchi dough, removing any lumps before shaping.

Sizes and Mesh Types

Professional kitchens typically stock 10-12 inch diameter tamises, which balance capacity with control. High-volume operations may use 15-16 inch models for large batches, while smaller 6-8 inch versions work for precision tasks or sauce portions. Mesh comes in different materials and gauges: nylon mesh resists staining and holds its shape well for fruit purees, while wire mesh provides sharper edges and greater strength but requires immediate drying to prevent rust. Mesh gauge (20, 30, 50 mesh or higher) determines how fine the final texture will be—higher numbers mean finer mesh.

Advantages Over Other Tools

Chefs choose a tamis over a potato ricer, food mill, or blender when they need the finest possible texture without compromising ingredient quality. Ricers and mills work faster but leave behind slightly coarser textures. Blenders introduce air and can over-process delicate ingredients, creating pasty or gummy results. The tamis requires more physical effort—you’re manually forcing food through fine mesh—but delivers unmatched smoothness and control. It’s the difference between “smooth” and “restaurant-smooth.”

Historical Context

The tamis has been used since the Middle Ages and entered English culinary vocabulary around 1595-1605 from the French word meaning “sieve.” Professional adoption expanded significantly in 19th-century French kitchens, where classical technique demanded precise textures. Today, it remains standard equipment in Michelin-starred kitchens and serious pastry operations. In Indian cooking, a similar tool called a chalni serves the same purpose, demonstrating the universal need for fine straining across culinary traditions.