Are you searching for a way to easily filter the honey your honey bees produce? A honey strainer will help you remove the bits of honeycomb and wax that are often found in raw honey. If you’re searching for the best honey strainer, I’ve done the research for you. All you must do is choose the one that will best fit your needs.
What is the best honey strainer? The VIVO Stainless Steel Strainer is the best honey strainer, in my opinion. The double sieve design helps catch both large and small particles in your honey. It’s also made from durable materials and is easy to clean.
Once you pick the perfect strainer, you should explore why straining raw honey is such a benefit and worth the extra effort. After you know straining is the right method for you, you’ll want to know how to strain your honey before bottling. Keep reading, and I’ll walk you through the whole process, step-by-step.
Last update on 2023-03-25 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
Reviews of the Best Honey Filter Strainers
1. VIVO Stainless Steel Double Sieve Honey Strainer
The VIVO Honey Strainer has a double sieve design that allows both large and small particles to be caught in the strainer. The first strainer has larger holes that trap larger wax particles in the honey.
From there, the honey flows to the next strainer with smaller holes. Those holes catch the finer particles of wax that may remain in the honey. This design is ideal because it means you won’t have to add a layer of cheesecloth to catch the finer particles or refilter the honey prior to bottling.
The strainer is designed with 201 stainless steel. This steel is made to stand up to rust and oxidation. The strainer still must be cared for properly by being dried completely and kept out of moisture for long periods of time. However, if properly maintained, it shouldn’t fall prey to rust as some stainless steel materials do.
Purchasing any piece of equipment for beekeeping can feel overwhelming because of the number of choices and the expense involved. This strainer comes with a one-year warranty. It takes the risk out of purchasing the product, and if you aren’t happy with it or have any problems during the first year, the company claims to stand behind their product.
Pros:
- Quality mesh in the sieve
- Does a good job filtering; there shouldn’t be a need to add other filtering products or to restrain the honey before bottling
- Easy to clean
Cons:
- Double sieve design can make it difficult for gravity to pull the honey through to strain
- Strainer must be fully dry before storage or rust can get caught inside the strainer
- The strainer may be unsteady on top of the bucket during straining depending upon the size of the bucket being used
2. Mann Lake HH440 Stainless Steel Honey Strainer
The Mann Lake Honey Strainer also offers a double sieve design. This design is useful in removing both large and small impurities from raw honey. The larger screen catches large chunks of honeycomb while the smaller screen is useful for catching wax residue.
This honey strainer is known for being lightweight, which is a beneficial quality when straining honey. It weighs less than two pounds. This is ideal because you don’t want heavy or bulky equipment when you’re trying to pour honey into a bucket.
The strainer also has an adjustable handle. This is a great addition because it has proved to make the strainer fit better on a bucket. Yet, it also helps it to fit on other containers as well.
If you prefer to strain your honey into bowls rather than food-grade buckets, the handle can help support the strainer over the different sized openings.
Mann Lake’s honey strainer is finished in stainless steel. However, there have been reports that it isn’t as high-quality of a finish as you may hope. This makes it vital that you clean the strainer after each use, dry it completely, and store it out of the weather to avoid rust.
Pros:
- Lightweight
- Double sieve design
- Adjustable handle which makes the strainer an easier fit over different sized containers
Cons:
- Shipping and packaging issues have been reported
- Stainless steel finish leaves room for improvement
- Adjustable handle may need to be engineered to make the strainer fit as tightly as needed on certain containers
3. Fasmov Stainless Steel Double Sieve Honey Strainer
The Fasmov Honey Strainer could be an excellent fit for a new beekeeper. The strainer has been designed to fit universally on most food-grade buckets.
It also comes with adjustable arms that are meant to suspend the strainer over the bucket. This makes the strainer fit a wide variety of containers if you don’t have a food-grade bucket on hand.
Though this honey strainer has a double sieve design, the two screens can be separated into two different pieces. This is great if you only wish to remove the large chunks of honeycomb from the honey because you could use only the sieve with the wider mesh.
Yet, if you wish to fine sieve your honey, you could add the sieve with the smaller holes. The best part about the strainer separating is that it makes it easier to clean.
Once you remove any large chunks of debris from the sieves, they can be tossed in the dishwasher for easy cleaning and drying.
Any equipment that is both easy-to-use and easy-to-clean could prove beneficial for those that are new to beekeeping.
One downside that must be mentioned about this honey strainer is that the strainer can fit many different sized containers, but the mesh itself won’t extend across the top of some containers.
When you pour your honey into the strainer, some wax may make its way around the mesh and fall into the container below. This may prove time-consuming if you must strain your honey again to remove the debris that bypassed the strainer.
Pros:
- Universal fit for most buckets or containers
- Adjustable arms help the strainer remain suspended above most containers and allows easy fitting
- Dishwasher-safe product
Cons:
- Mesh in the finer mesh sieve may be too fine and cause clogs during the straining process
- Mesh isn’t wide enough to cover the opening of every container – this allows wax to bypass the strainer and raise a need for straining honey a second time
- Mesh is delicate and may easily detach if pressed on too hard
4. Goodland Bee Supply Food Grade 304 Double Sieve Honey Strainer
The Goodland Bee Supply Honey Strainer appears to be a quality product. As shown again, the double sieve design seems to be the way to go when purchasing a honey strainer.
Obviously, this design jumped on the same bandwagon. There are two sieves with different size mesh in each sieve. The sieve with the larger holes is meant to catch larger debris while the smaller mesh filters other impurities prior to bottling raw honey.
The strainer is designed to fit a five-gallon bucket. It has a 10-inch basket with 16-inch arms that will extend to keep the strainer afloat over the bucket.
This strainer is a little heavier than some of the aforementioned strainers, but not by much. It weighs approximately two pounds. Having durable but lightweight equipment is helpful when performing necessary tasks of beekeeping.
If you’d like to separate the strainers to either get a rough strain from the larger sieve or a finer strain from the smaller sieve, you can do this. It also makes for easier cleaning once your honey straining process has been completed.
It’s important to make sure that you dry the strainer completely before storing it and avoid storing it in the elements. The stainless steel could develop rust issues if it isn’t cared for properly.
Pros:
- Double sieve design to remove larger debris and finer impurities prior to bottling
- Fits most five-gallon buckets
- Lightweight product which makes the straining process easier on the beekeeper
Cons:
- Stainless steel may rust if not dried or stored properly
- Mesh doesn’t cover the entire top of the bucket – this could require refiltering if too much debris bypasses the strainer
- Adjustable arms can make the strainer a little unsteady as it rests over the top of the bucket
5. Blisstime Honey Harvesting Starter Kit
The Blisstime Honey Harvesting Starter Kit includes the important equipment that new beekeepers need when harvesting honey.
It contains a double sieve honey strainer. The strainer has a diameter of nine inches and is deeper than most other honey strainers on the market. This is said to make the straining process go faster.
The kit also includes a frame holder, an uncapping fork, and a honey gate. These products are necessary to get your honey from the frame to the jar. They’re made from durable products, such as stainless steel, and are meant to be long-lasting.
However, there have been a few concerns raised about this starter kit. Some customers have received products that were built inverted. They were easy fixes but had to be fixed none-the-less.
The honey gate may be smaller than what seasoned beekeepers are accustomed to, though it may work well if you’re filling smaller jars.
You may have noticed this strainer has a nine-inch diameter while previous strainers had a ten-inch diameter. The strainers with a ten-inch diameter still faced reports that chunks of wax were able to bypass the strainer, which required the beekeeper to refilter the honey. Since this strainer has an inch less in diameter, it may present the same problem.
Pros:
- Great value and convenient for new beekeepers
- Deeper strainer may help the process go faster
- Constructed from durable products such as stainless steel
Cons:
- Quality control issues have been reported
- Honey gate may be smaller than what seasoned beekeepers are accustomed to working with
- Strainer has a smaller diameter which could allow wax to bypass the straining process and require the honey to be refiltered
Why Filter Honey
You may be wondering why you should even consider filtering your honey. Leaving some bits of wax in the honey could be a marker that your honey is the “real deal”.
Straining honey is a personal decision among beekeepers, and much of the decision will depend upon your market. Some buyers prefer to see particles floating in their honey to ensure they’re purchasing honey straight from the hive.
Other buyers may be turned off by particles floating in their honey and will shop elsewhere because of the presentation.
If you’re selling your honey, straining will make a difference based upon your clientele and the clarity of your product.
Another reason beekeepers strain their honey is if they participate in the “crush and strain” method. This method is normally used by beekeepers raising a smaller number of hives.
If you only have a frame or two of honey you’d like to extract honey from at one time, there’s no need to purchase an extractor. This can be a costly purchase for little return.
Instead, you can cut the comb from the frames, place it in a large bowl or bucket, and crush it up with a wooden spoon or potato masher until it’s fine enough to run through a strainer.
Once the honey and comb are mashed, run it through the honey strainer, where all the particles of wax can be caught in the strainer and easily removed from the honey prior to bottling.
Straining honey is a simple job that can help you make and save money simultaneously in these instances.
How Do You Strain Honey
If you’re someone who enjoys raw honey but still desires a cleaner looking product, straining honey is the choice for you. Here’s how you can strain your honey:
1. Extract the honey
To strain honey, you must have extracted honey to work with. If you have an extractor and have enough frames of honey to justify using the extractor, use it to separate the honey from the comb.
However, if you’re working with only a few frames, use the crush and strain method mentioned above. You can also use this method if you don’t have an extractor.
Once the honey is either removed from the comb or crushed with the comb, it’s time to begin the straining process.
2. The honey and strainer meet
Pour the honey into the strainer. If you used the crush and strain method, the product should pour slowly into the strainer. This is what you should aim for to avoid clogs while straining. Be sure to remove any large chunks of comb from the strainer to make sure the honey is straining properly.
If you’re working with extracted honey, be sure to pour the honey into the strainer gently. If you try to push too much honey through the strainer at once, it could overflow and make a sticky mess.
Though extracted honey shouldn’t have large chunks of comb, keep an eye on the strainer. Particle build-up can happen with extracted honey, and it will clog the strainer.
3. The cooling-off period
When all the honey has been strained, leave it in a covered bucket. It’s important to make sure the bucket is secured with a lid to stop any particles or insects from finding their way into your freshly strained honey.
Leave the honey sitting at room temperature for three days. This will allow any air bubbles in the honey to float to the top prior to bottling.
4. Skim and bottle
Once the three days are up, remove the lid from the bucket. If there were air bubbles in the honey, you’ll see them on top.
As you would skim the cream from the top of milk, skim the air bubbles from the top of the honey. When it has been removed, it’s time to bottle the product and store until use or sale.
My Choice for the Best Honey Strainer
For me, the best honey strainer is the VIVO Stainless Steel Honey Strainer. It offers a double sieve design that gets the honey cleaner with less effort. The top sieve has larger holes that are meant to catch larger pieces of honeycomb. The honey then runs through to the next sieve, with smaller holes, where finer particles are caught.
The entire process ensures you have a cleaner product for bottling. This is especially pertinent if you’re planning on selling your raw honey because some buyers want raw honey with a grocery store appeal. However, the quality mesh and durable frame function cohesively to ensure that your strainer will hold up during the intense cleaning process.
The VIVO Strainer is lightweight and easy-to-clean as well. The strainer being lightweight means less demand is put on your arms when juggling both the pouring of honey and stabilizing the equipment.
Top Rated Honey Filter Strainers
Last update on 2023-02-25 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
