# Flour vs. Cornstarch



## mitch

I am curious as to when to use flour vs. cornstarch as a thickening agent. For example, when I make cream gravy (e.g. sausage gravy), I use flour. What is the practical difference? - Thanks in advance


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## suzanne

There are a few basic differences:
Appearance: flour makes a gravy opaque and can dull or lighten the color, while cornstarch (when used properly) yields a clear, shiny sauce.
Flavor: flour needs to be cooked enough to lose its raw flavor; cornstarch doesn't have much flavor on its own. And if you use a cooked flour (such as a long-cooked Cajun-style roux, or roasted flour), you ADD a roasty-toasty flavor you can't get with cornstarch.
Cooking time: Flour needs relative long cooking, both to lose its raw flavor and to unleash its thickening powers; cornstarch needs only a short cooking time to thicken. In fact, if you cook cornstarch too long, it lets go and the sauce thins out again.
This is just a start. I'm sure others will chime in with more!


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## liv4fud

I second that suzanne,
Alton Brown did too!


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## amorphesis

does rice flour have the same properties as cornstarch???


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## mezzaluna

I don't know, but potato starch works similar to corn starch- as does arrowroot.


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## pete

I also find that cornstarch tends to deaden flavors more than flour does, so you need to make sure your liquid is well seasoned before adding your cornstarch slurry.


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## even stephen

I think the biggest thing a roux has to offer is richness.
I use roux to emulsify or suspend fat into soups or sauces.
with corn or potato starch you lack the richness because
you cannot trap the fat within the liquid. One downside to
roux is the skin that forms on top of the sauce or soup. It 
has to be strained constantly. Someone scientific, please
continue with explanations.


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## mitch

Thanks All I appreciate your comments


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## shroomgirl

I use fat with flour....roux with oil or mount with butter/flour.....or pan drippings (aka meat fat).

cornstarch is added more to sauces ala minute for me.....Asian food has more cornstarch.


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## markv

Cornstarch however, (and arrowroot for that matter) are more efficient thickeners than flour. Because they are devoid of protein they will thicken with 50-100% greater efficiency than flour. 

But of course, all the aforementioned variables must be taken into account when making a final decision of which thickener is best for your specific dish.

Mark


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## suzanne

I think these questions would be great for our visit by Harold McGee! May I suggest that those of us who have the update of _On Food and Cooking_ check out pages 610 to 620 -- a wealth of information on "Sauces Thickened with Flour and Starch."


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## gonefishin

Hi Mitch,

For a breakfast sausage gravy I like to use flour. But, as others have said...use the flour as a roux. Mixing it with a fat.

For my breakfast sausage gravy I like to brown the sausage in a cast iron skillet...then add the flour (I think three tablespoons or so) and cook, mixing into the sausage. Then add whole milk mixing the entire time with a whisk until the desired thickness is just past (so just a little on the thin side). As the gravy cools down it will thicken up a bit more. Salt and pepper.

dan


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## blade55440

Don't forget it also comes into play how you're going to STORE said sauce, etc... (if at all). Flour thickened items will hold up to the fridgerator where corn-starch ones will have a tendency to "weep" and lose alot of their thickness while in the fridge.

As for which one to use... depends how quick you need it thickened. If you have the time use a roux, if it's an a la minute kind of thing, hit it with a slurry (I have to say arrowroot is a wonderful thing). As for a sausage gravy... I'd only use flour anyway, but I'm southern and couldn't right call it gravy if I used corn-starch.


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## lentil

So if I understand you all correctly, if I'm going to keep soup warm in a steamer for hours, I should be using flour? When I make a sauce, corn starch would be a better alternative. Thanks for the clarification!


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## ma facon

You can make a roux with butter and cornstarch instead of flour, You use less, you don't have to cook it out as long as flour, It is more stable than a butter/flour roux [especially for holding]. The downside is it doesn't brown to different degrees like flour does. Just another option.:chef:


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## suzanne

Right. If you used cornstarch in the soup, as it held in the steamer the gelatinization would eventually break down. With flour, that is less likely to happen -- but then you also have to watch out that the soup doesn't get too thick. If that happens, it's easy enough to add a little stock, scalded milk or cream, or even water to thin it back to the proper consistency.


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## dealinhoz

Just FYI for those that cook Asian Stirfry, flour is never used as a thickening agent. Stirfries have that dark brown color because of Mushroom Soy Sauce (which is typically thicker in consistency than your standard soy sauce) and if you use flour, it will lighten the color of your dish.


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## frereandre

Thank you Suzanne for reminded me to look into McGee...I certainly will...  My interest is finding out which flour works better for a boeuf bourguignon or ragout de boulettes AND being gluten-free. I have been using my own gluten-free flour mix, but noticed that my sauces thinned after refrigeration... which sounds like it is due to the cornstarch content of my mix.  Is potato starch any better? That is a work in progress...lol!


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## boar_d_laze

Potato starch is no better.  You're going to have to use more reduction, and other ingredients which add structure -- like tomato paste -- that will help tighten up your liquids rather than binding them.  You can also, when it's appropriate, use things like egg liasons and butter finishes; but they're not germane to your purposes here, and you probably already know about them anyway.  

Good luck,

BDL

PS.  You're lucky to get an answer.  The last response in this thread was six years ago.  Suzanne's post, seven.


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## chefedb

I prefer flour in sausage gravy, and turkey or chicken gravy as it tends to cling better to the product. Cornstarch thickened will run off . Flour based Rouxs must be cooked so the taste of flour is not detected when making a sauce. Hi acid sauces will break down starch thickened sauces when cooked over long periods.  Starch yields a clear sauce where flour does not. I have worked in classical kitchens where cornstarch is not permitted but is in the pastry shop it is. Both are good and acceptable when used in the proper way.


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## auzzi

Try this:

Chickpea Gravy
2 Tbsp plain oil
1 tsp fresh garlic
3 tsp minced fresh ginger root
1/2 tsp ground coriander
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp paprika
4 cups unsalted vegetable stock [GF]
1/3 cup besan flour [not chickpea or garbanzo flour]
1 Tbsp tamari soy sauce optional
pepper/salt to taste
Heat oil in a heavy saucepan on medium-low to sauté the garlic and ginger in the oil.
Add besan flour & spices and stir for 5 minutes until it browns
Once a thick paste is formed, add the stock while stirring constantly.
Once it thickens, add soy sauce, salt & pepper to taste ...

Besan provides a flour with taste and a depth of texture that a pure starch does not provide.

You can also use sorghum flour in place of besan, but some people detect a slightly bitter-flavour in the gravy [I bake with sorghum, but I have not tried it in gravy]


> My interest is finding out which flour works better for a boeuf bourguignon or ragout de boulettes AND being gluten-free.


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## frereandre

Any thoughts on the use of the "modified cornstarch"?  i used it last Thursday and seem to get good result, but i did not try it for a stew where it is generally better the second time around.... but i will try next time.


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## robert carlson

I prefer roux over cornstarch for most things, but pastries and clear soups. Roux is easier to reheat as well, like in gravy's it is easy to reheat with out lumps. When reheating one with cornstarch seems to separate.


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## JSP

Reviving this old thread again.

I didn't see any mention of gelatin in this thread. I have never used it personally so I was curious to get thoughts on using it (particularly in stews).

Here is a link to and example:
Beef Flavored Gelatin


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## Jain Daugh

ma facon said:


> You can make a roux with butter and cornstarch instead of flour, You use less, you don't have to cook it out as long as flour, It is more stable than a butter/flour roux [especially for holding]. The downside is it doesn't brown to different degrees like flour does. Just another option.:chef:


Thanks for sharing this tip! I must cook gluten free so tend to mainly use cornstarch since the gluten free flour I use has bean flour in it that is more protein than wheat flour and it will clump up if added to warm oils/fats like one does with wheat flour. I also discovered that if I want to use gluten free flour to thicken a gravy or soup, I need to stir it into a cool/cold liquid to dissolve the flour before adding to what I want to thicken.


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## flipflopgirl

Zombie thread but since there is a question that relates I will add my 2 cents.
If the soup or stew has potatoes as an ingredient just remove a few and run thru a ricer and add back as a thickener.
Instant mashed potatoes work great for thickening stews and soups as well.
I buy the small packs (plain...no garlic or butter or chives in the mix) and pour into a small (labeled) canning jar and store next to the cornstarch.
Some brands may have an additive that contains gluten so read your labels.
Corn tortillas are gluten free as well and give a pot of chili a great background flavor.
Just remove a cup of the chili to a bowl containing a few shredded stale corn torts and allow to rehydrate then run thru a ricer then add back to the pot.

mimi


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## Jin

Flour is "heavier" I feel.


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## chrislehrer

JSP said:


> Reviving this old thread again.
> 
> I didn't see any mention of gelatin in this thread. I have never used it personally so I was curious to get thoughts on using it (particularly in stews).
> 
> Here is a link to and example:
> Beef Flavored Gelatin


Gelatin melts at a pretty low temperature, so it doesn't work well for thickening hot foods.

Agar works nicely: you heat a small amount in your liquid, stirring continuously, and boil briefly. It begins to set around 170F, if memory serves. Stir well and you've got a thickened sauce that won't break, nor will it melt until you bring it to something like 190F. It has a very clean flavor release and is invisible, plus you don't need fat.


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## fatcook

Arrowroot works well also.


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## chrislehrer

Worth noting: Jacques Pépin, who among other things was Saucier at the Plaza Athenée before he was 20, prefers potato starch for basic thickening. His reasoning:

Flour is not transparent and has taste, and usually adds fat (roux, beurre manié, etc.).

Cornstarch he says "gets a bit gooey in sauces."

Arrowroot works just the same as potato starch but is much more expensive.

To thicken with potato starch, make a slurry with an appropriate liquid and add, a little at a time, to the simmering liquid, stirring. Stop when the desired viscosity is reached.


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## archbow

So without going into too much detail, I've been currently using a combination of both flour, and rice flour as my thickening agents. If I plan on making a gluten free special (which has been more often as of late) I will use rice flour as the thickening agent which I think gives a slightly less ****** look than cornstarch, and also doesn't dampen the flavor as much.

I will continue to use flour in dishes that benefit from the roasty toastyness of a roux, or a cheese sauce that requires a bechamel, but I've truthfully been allowing rice flour to start getting incorporated into some of my weekly dishes. Its quick thickening properties has most definitely helped on the fly, and doesn't take the necessary steps of roasting the raw flavor out of traditional flour.


That also being said, you can also use rice, potatoes, and roasted tomato as an alternative thickening agent.


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## sjboswell

mitch said:


> I am curious as to when to use flour vs. cornstarch as a thickening agent. For example, when I make cream gravy (e.g. sausage gravy), I use flour. What is the practical difference? - Thanks in advance


 I have not heard anyone else say this, but I don’t care much for the flavor of cornstarch gravy. I love flour gravy. When I eat out, I can always tell which they’ve used!


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## surfcast

Cornstarch sauces does not like to be put in the freezer. Cornstarch if left to boil too long looses its thickening power. Flour loose some of the ability to thicken. When you cook it to brown or black.


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## summer57

I prefer arrowroot to cornstarch these days for thickening. Nice and glossy, but no starchy taste, and unlike cornstarch, heat resistant. I used to use arrowroot mainly for thickening Asian sauces, but now that my daughter's been diagnosed with celiac, I use it instead of flour.


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## surfcast

ma facon said:


> You can make a roux with butter and cornstarch instead of flour, You use less, you don't have to cook it out as long as flour, It is more stable than a butter/flour roux [especially for holding]. The downside is it doesn't brown to different degrees like flour does. Just another option.:chef:


I thought cornstarch was introduced to cold fluid than added to the sauce. Never heard of making a roux out of it. I think I will have to try this! What do you like to use this method in?


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## brianshaw

I’ve never done making a cornstarch roux and would suggest trying a cornstarch *Beurre manié* before cooking cornstarch with butter.



https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beurre_mani%C3%A9


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## Vai101

Flour and cornstarch are both used as thickeners in cooking, but they have different properties. Flour is made from wheat, and it has a protein content that helps it form gluten. This gives it a thick, sticky texture that works well for gravy, sauces, and soups. Cornstarch is made from corn, and it has a neutral flavor. It has a very fine texture that helps it dissolve easily in liquids. It works well for thickening sauces, puddings, and pie fillings.


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