Is there a better thickening agent than Corn Starch?

[TheMutt]

My favorite thickener is a roux. It's similar to a beurre manie, except that it is cooked first. It also lends a great flavor what whatever you add it to. Also doesn't make your gravy clear/translucent like cornstarch or arrowroot.

[quicksilver]

My mother used flour . My grandmother used
flour. I use cornstarch, but it doesn't reheat
well . So when I know I'm going to have left-
overs, I use 1/2 flour - 1/2 cornstarch .
I like cornstarch best because it thickens
clear, to flour's cloudy. And it's lighter.

quicksilver

[Caslon]

That's one reason why I asked for another thickener, is that, sometimes to get the desired thickess, I end up adding too much cornstarch and it starts muting the flavor of the stew sauce.

I was sorta wondering what the major commerical companies use (IE:stouffers, etc).

[B'sgirl]

You can try potato starch, tapioca starch, modified food starch and a wide variety of alternative flours: rice, millet, amaranth, etc.

[ribs and steak]

I've only known the following for thickners: Flour(my mother uses in gravy), butter & flour(used in the kitchen that I work in), and of course corn starch and tapioca.

[YT2095]

Xanthan gum works well in everything and doesn`t change the color in anyway, but for Stews I like to just throw in a handful of rolled oats, I have tried Bulgar wheat also, and it works.