Reddit reviews Boston Shaker: Professional Stainless Steel Cocktail Shaker Set, including 18oz Unweighted & 28oz Weighted Shaker Tins
We found 4 Reddit comments about Boston Shaker: Professional Stainless Steel Cocktail Shaker Set, including 18oz Unweighted & 28oz Weighted Shaker Tins. Here are the top ones, ranked by their Reddit score.
PROFESSIONAL BARTENDER'S CHOICE: Tough enough for high volume bars and home bars alike, this boston shaker has been hand-selected and tested by professional bartenders to be the highest quality and best shaker available.DURABLE: Professional food-grade Stainless Steel 304 and dishwasher safe for home or commercial dishwashers. This all-stainless shaker set will not break like glass shakers, and has no rubber seal to crack and warp with age.NO DRIPS OR MESSES: Don't take your chances buying shaker tins separately, this set has been selected and tested to offer the perfect water-tight seal. Unlike cobbler shakers, this boston shaker set will not freeze shut, drip or spill as you pour out your drink.VERSATILE: Use the shaker for shaken drinks like Margaritas, Daiquiris and Mojitos, or use the bottom tin for stirred drinks like the Martini, Manhattan or Old Fashioned. The tins also nest-inside each other for low-profile storage when not in use.MONEY-BACK GUARANTEE: Backed by money-back guarantee, this set is the last shaker you'll ever need for your home bar. Always ships from the USA!
I would never go for a manhattan shaker. They are notorious for locking up, as soon as there's a bit of liquid in the cracks (unless you buy really expensive japanese ones). They are also harder to clean than the simple two cups of a boston shaker, and the extra strainer isn't really hard to use.
I haven't used a parisian shaker, but that seems like it could do fine, but might lock up on you.
My own kit is made of a lot of individual stuff. Some from amazon, some from local shop, and some from china. If you want, I can do a writeup of where i got it, but since it's from china, it will take a month before you will receive the goods. However, the guys behind AbarAbove.com recently launched their quality bar tools line. They have a complete set of tools, which all seem to be of great quality. They have only gotten 5-star reviews so far: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01LVY7VMH. It's $63 for the complete set.
Or you can just buy their boston shaker for $20, and this excellent strainer from OxO ($7), along with this measuring cup ($5)
Then you have a pretty good starter set. A fine strainer can be bought in most dollar stores locally for next to nothing, or you can find one on amazon. They are pretty much all the same, but it isn't really required if you're just starting out. I also have a bar spoon, a mixing glass and a muddler, but to be honest, I rarely use them. If you need to muddle something, use a wooden spoon or something. If you decide you really need one, look for one which is at least 6 inches long, to avoid bashing your knuckles on the edges of the shaker, or google "morgenthaler homemade muddler".
Hope your GF will be happy with your gift!
EDIT: Missed the part about you being from UK. Here's an updated list. I'll let the other one be for any americans who might wander through here.
Seeing as there is a shipping charge, I probably wouldn't go for the OXO Strainer unless there's something else that you need from the american amazon. The one from the Homekeros set should be adequate.
To get started in glassware, I would keep it simple. I find that most drinks can be successfully executed with two types of glassware: a 5oz coupe/cocktail glass and an old fashioned/rocks glass. I consider a Collins glass to be optional, as I personally don't like drinking out of them (they're typically served with a straw which is wasteful). I'll often use an 11oz double old-fashioned glass in its place.
In terms of brands I own several sets of the Luminarc Barcraft series coupes (available on Amazon). I like them because they're a fair price, which is great because I don't have to feel bad if one breaks. I also have the highballs which are also pretty decent.
If you're looking for higher end, I really like the New York Bar series from Stolzle. You can checkout the whole line here.
I personally use a Top Shelf shaker which I really like. Feels much nicer then some of the cheaper ones. The strainer I have is from Modern Mixologist. After having so many of the cheaper ones break, I decided to get one that I hopefully wouldn't have to replace. So far its been great and I enjoy using it.
The other tools I would consider getting is a meddler, a fine mesh strainer, a mixing glass, and a bar spoon!
edited: typo
https://www.amazon.com/Stainless-Steel-Boston-Shaker-Professional/dp/B01F2LAZB0/ref=sr_1_5?s=kitchen&ie=UTF8&qid=1484426815&sr=1-5&keywords=boston+shaker
i use this one, but jesus, it was 15 bucks when i bought it. probably not worth 28 imo
EDIT definitely not worth 32 lol
EDIT2 it is now on sale for a very reasonable 19.99
I go with a simple tin boston shaker [from amazon]
(https://www.amazon.com/Stainless-Steel-Boston-Shaker-Professional/dp/B01F2LAZB0/ref=sr_1_3?s=kitchen&ie=UTF8&qid=1499789596&sr=1-3&keywords=boston+shaker).
It's worked great for me, easy to seal and to open. The cheater tin is smaller than the standard pint glass, but I use it for stirring drinks and haven't had any problems.