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Cocktails have had a bit of a renaissance in recent years, and they remain a consistently popular drink of choice when out on the town. However, with exotic spirits and liqueurs becoming much easier to buy from specialist online retailers, home cocktail making has also seen a rise in popularity and a stylish cocktail shaker kit is one of the must-have kitchen accessories this year.
If you’re new to the world of cocktails, we’ve got some fantastic recommendations on the best cocktail shaker sets to buy online to be on-trend and make delicious drinks to wow your friends and family. We'll introduce you to the best cocktail shakers on Amazon and John Lewis, so don’t be shaken and let us stir you up into a froth over our favourites!
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Nothing quite beats that sound of ice cubes rattling against stainless steel as you wait in anticipation for your next round of drinks, so we’ll not delay and head straight into our buying guide to help you choose the perfect shaker for your home!
There are three main types of cocktail shaker to buy, so let’s take a look at them and their pros and cons of each so you can decide which would work best for you.
Cobbler shakers are the most common type of shaker and they consist of three parts: a tumbler, a lid with a built-in strainer, and a cap. This is the quintessential cocktail shaker you picture when you think of smoky speakeasies in films, and their classic shape is so simple that it leaves no need for any additional tools.
However, they can be tricky to open – especially when full of liquid and ice – and slower to strain, plus, depending on the size of the holes, they may not strain out everything you need them to. They do look good though, and they are easy to come by and tend to come with other accessories included.
Boston shakers are the ones you tend to see bartenders using, and they’re made up of two tumblers that seal inside one another. Sometimes both are stainless steel, and sometimes one is stainless steel and the other is glass or plastic, and you seal the liquid inside by placing one tumbler on top of the other which then creates a vacuum seal.
This is a really fast way of shaking up a drink, and the lack of strainer means that it's much easier to take apart and clean. However, they do take a bit of practice to get used to, and you’ll need some additional accessories such as a strainer to get the best results.
French cocktail shakers are very like cobbler shakers in appearance, but unlike cobblers, they don’t have an integrated strainer. They’re simple to use and much easier to open than cobblers, and they come in really modern and minimalistic designs so are sure to look fantastic on your drinks shelf.
They’re not nearly as common as cobbler and Boston shakers, so you may need to look a little harder to find them, but they’re a great addition to a classy barware collection.
If you’re regularly catering for a crowd of friends and want to turn out Tequila Sunrises by the tonne, then buying a shaker meant for only one or two drinks is going to be a fairly major anticlimax. Similarly, if you only really mix drinks for you and your partner, your smaller quantities will look a bit lost in a large shaker!
The average shaker is usually between 600 and 750 ml and will be able to mix up two or three cocktails, but don't forget you’ll also be using a large quantity of ice to shake up your drinks. So, pay attention to the size and volume of the shaker to make sure it's going to be suitable for your needs.
Cocktail shakers can, of course, come as just the shaker itself, or they can come as a comprehensive barware set that acts as a package for all your drink-making needs. The different accessories included can be anything from a strainer, a mixing spoon or a muddler to a set of drink spouts.
Which one you choose is purely a matter of personal choice, and also taking into account what you already own and what you want to add to your collection. However, a kit or set is well worth considering if you’re just starting out, as they can be a great one-stop shop for everything you need to get mixing.
This is a fairly simple one, but it's often overlooked. Check the manufacturer’s recommendations on how your chosen shaker is best cleaned – this will ensure that after you've had a couple you don’t accidentally ruin a hand-wash-only shaker by putting it in the dishwasher. A tragedy!
If you follow the recommended cleaning information correctly, then you’ll have a shaker that works better for longer and also stays looking like new for as long as possible.
Users of this set love how well made it feels and how all the accessories are of similarly high quality and are all very useful. Vinekraft also assure customers that they can contact them any time if they have problems. This is a luxury set with a bargain price tag, and that's why we've chosen it for our top recommendation!
LIVEHITOP promise that this food-grade stainless steel shaker set is durable and won't ever scratch or dent, and it comes with excellent quality accessories as well as a user guide to get you started. It's beautifully boxed and packaged too so it would make a really thoughtful gift for friends and family.
The recipe card included has some great essential cocktails, and the brand also sell other accessories including copper mugs and stainless steel straws so you can build on the set and have a great range of modern and stylish barware. This kit also comes with a 90-day 100% money back guarantee for extra assurance.
Looking for a premium shaker set that looks the part too? This quality kit has a luxe look that's sure to make a stunning addition to your home bar. It's made of superior quality Japanese stainless steel with elegant gold accent bands around the cocktail shaker, cocktail jigger and on the spoon.
If we're being very nit picky, despite the manufacturer saying otherwise, the cocktail jigger doesn't have any volume measurements so it's not as useful as we would hope. However, as this set looks so good and is made from such great quality materials, we still think it is a great buy!
The accessories in this set could be of slightly better quality, as there were a few cases where they didn't function very well. However, for the cost this a really fairly-priced set that's sure to be well used. Innoplus also offer a 2-year guarantee in case you're not completely satisfied with it, giving some added peace of mind.
There were a couple of instances of the coating on the wooden muddler coming off, which may could put some people off using it to mix drinks. However, this is a fantastic set that functions well and is really eye-catching, not to mention that it's a great value all-in-one package for starting your home bar!
This shaker from BARVIVO is made of really high-quality steel, and its slightly larger capacity means you can mix more drinks in one go making it ideal for parties. It is supplied in lovely packaging too so it would make a good gift, and also includes recipes for four popular drinks.
There were a few reports of this shaker starting to show signs of rust in as little as 3 months, however, BARVIVO offers a 6-month warranty with this set so this does give some assurance that any issues will be easily resolved. The addition of a cocktail jigger and the recipes is really useful, especially for cocktail novices.
Some of the accessories don't quite fit into the stand which could cause a degree of annoyance to some, and once again the problem of the lid being difficult to remove was an issue for a lot of users. However, this is a great introductory set for those just starting to mix drinks as it has all the basics.
A few people remarked that the accessories didn't have quite the same finish as the shaker, meaning that when displayed together they didn't look like a set. Care should be taken when washing and drying this shaker, as there are some reports of rust forming after a period of use. So, just ensure you dry it well to lower the risk of this happening.
This shaker feels very well made and solid, and the brushed steel finish is modern and minimalist and will look great on display with your other barware. The quality stainless steel is also ideal for heat conduction to give the ice just enough melt to dilute the drink the perfect amount.
Once again, some beginners found it was tricky getting used to placing the lid on correctly in order to remove easily it after shaking – though this is typical of French shakers. Others also reported that it gave their drinks a metallic taste, but this was only in a small number of cases.
This cobbler cocktail shaker from John Lewis is a great size for shaking up a round of drinks, and the copper outer gives it a stylish and modern edge. The design includes popular cocktail recipes on the outside so you can quickly master classics such as Cosmopolitans and Tequila Sunrises to impress your audience.
Some people found that this shaker was quite tricky to seal which meant there was a small amount of spillage when shaken. As with a lot of cobbler shakers, the top is also a little tricky to remove once the seal has formed, and the fact that it is hand wash only may put some people off.
How about a delicious espresso martini to christen your new shaker with? BBC Good Food's classic recipe is super simple as it should be, so it's easy for even complete beginners to whip up.
Ingredients:
For the sugar syrup:
For the cocktail:
Is your drinks cabinet feeling a bit unloved and sorry for itself? Do you feel you need to inject some new flavours into the tipple you enjoy at home but you don't know where to begin?
We've got some fantastic recommendations for spirits to add to your collection, which will no doubt give you great inspiration for your next cocktail menu. Make sure you have a look at our favourites to enjoy when the sun is over the yard arm!
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