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Cooking: Cornstarch vs.
Arrowroot as thickeners:Cornstarch and arrowroot have almost twice the thickening power of flour. Cornstarch produces a sauce that is almost clear and is shiny or glossy to look at. Arrowroot has the same qualities and produces a clearer sauce, but is much more expensive. To use the starches, combine them with a little cold water or wine and stir out any lumps. This is called a slurry. Add the slurry to a boiling liquid and whisk until the sauce has thickened. If you allow the sauce to cook to long, the starch will loose some of its thickening capacity. Unfortunately, these sauces do not hold up well in a steamtable for very long. If you are making a roux thickened sauce, you can make it just a little thin, then finish with cornstarch or arrowroot to give the sauce a nice glossy look.
