Best specialty spoons according to redditors
We found 24 Reddit comments discussing the best specialty spoons. We ranked the 9 resulting products by number of redditors who mentioned them. Here are the top 20.
We found 24 Reddit comments discussing the best specialty spoons. We ranked the 9 resulting products by number of redditors who mentioned them. Here are the top 20.
I'll just go ahead and list a few of the things I use on a regular basis.
Koriko shakers are awesome. They look cool and function amazingly. Good investments. End of story.
http://www.cocktailkingdom.com/Koriko-set-of-2-Weighted-Tins-large-and-sma-p/sha_korikoxxxx_0028_set.htm
I prefer using a julep strainer over a hawthorne strainer, it works fine for me when I'm not muddling things into the drink I don't want served.
http://amzn.com/B001VZAMPQ
http://amzn.com/B000H7VF64
Get speed pourers. Even if you don't plan on free-pouring, they're nice to have a more standardized pouring speed so you can pour out of an entirely full bottle without worrying about spilling too much.
http://amzn.com/B002J8RRAM
A cheap bar spoon is an awful experience. A decent bar spoon is fine. An overpriced barspoon is (generally) just overpriced metal. However, the Tanqueray spoons and the Standard Spoon on kickstarter are actually pretty nice quality stuff. But that said, almost everyone I've met likes the regular old bar spoon.
http://amzn.com/B000VQOP5O
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/workofmyhands/standard-spoon-for-craft-cocktails
Have a jigger on hand, even if you free pour. Just for when you have nicer ingredients and want to try out a drink with them and would rather have the proportions right than have to revive the drink.
http://amzn.com/B00080B07Y
I make a lot of bitters myself or super small batch infusions, so having a set of mason jars on hand has been extremely helpful.
I use cheapo squirt bottles ( http://amzn.com/B007OM9W2E ) to store simple syrup or other infused simple syrup.
If you get super into infusions and stuff like that, I've heard a lot of good things about the iSi system; I have a friend with one, he absolutely loves his. I have to admit, it takes a lot of work and patience out of infusion. As well as whipped cream, or carbonating things, or what have you... now I might want to get one.
These two items are somewhat paired (at least for me) -- a water filter and an ice tray. For ice, I'm talking like the Tovolo King Size ice trays. Water filter -- doesn't matter, as long as it filters from what I can tell.
http://amzn.com/B00395FHRO
Something that's nice to have on hand so you can double-strain is a fine-mesh strainer. Can be harder to find on the cheap though, I ended up breaking down and going to a Bed Bath & Beyond for mine since everything on Amazon was fairly expensive the thrift shops near me didn't have one.
Get nice glassware. I remember when I was younger and someone demonstrated the importance of having nice glass when tasting wine. The same thing applies. This isn't exactly bar-tools, but it's critical to your cocktail experience. Drinking out of cheap glasses, or the wrong glasses, will really hurt the presentation and your perception of the cocktail. In essence, t's important to take pride in both how you make the cocktail and how you serve the cocktail.
That's all I got for now.
This is Gallium, a metal with a melting point of 86°F. They sell kits where you can pour it back into a mold and do this over and over again.
Are you just bartending casually at home or are you looking to do it as a job in the future?
Jefferey Morgenthaler's book is great:https://www.amazon.com/Bar-Book-Elements-Cocktail-Technique/dp/145211384X
You'll want to get a jigger, I recommend oxo's graduated jigger, a barspoon, a mixing glass, a strainer, a set of shaker tins (get a small and a large, and seriously splurge for koriko not the other bullshit)
Those are all of the essentials, beyond that everything is fairly unnecessary but there are tons of other things you can buy. I guess a vegetable peeler could be handy for peels but you can just use a sharp paring knife for zest garnishes.
For glassware you can spend as much or as little as you want, depending on how much you care about appearance. When I first starting making drinks at home I had glasses for every variety of drink. I still have those glasses, but basically use these for everything, regardless if it's shaken stirred or whatever. Gimlets taste delicious out of them, manhattans taste delicious out of them.
One little handy thing I've found is these seagram's bottles. Buy a 6 pk of the little glass club soda bottles. Once you use the soda, rinse them out and they're perfect for storing syrups, juices, etc. Plastic caps won't deteriorate like metal will in other styles of bottlees. They're short so they fit in weird parts of your fridge, hold enough syrup for plenty of drinks, etc etc.
Do NOT get a cobbler. They are a pain to get apart and I haven't used one yet where the top part hasn't all but sealed shut completely. You want a metal on metal shaker. Steel has the best thermal properties and isn't ever going to break.
I personally would advise the following:
Shaker:
https://www.amazon.com/Stainless-Steel-Boston-Shaker-Professional/dp/B06Y2NN5N3/ref=sr_1_5?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1501019324&sr=1-5&keywords=boston+shaker
Spoon:
https://www.amazon.com/Hiware-Inches-Stainless-Pattern-Cocktail/dp/B00IRY8CJ2/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1501019552&sr=8-1-spons&keywords=bar+spoon&psc=1
Jigger
https://www.amazon.com/Vking-Japanese-Jigger-Stainless-Cocktail/dp/B0126GQ806/ref=sr_1_8?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1501019600&sr=1-8&keywords=jigger
Strainer:
https://www.amazon.com/Winco-Stainless-Steel-4-Prong-Strainer/dp/B000H7VF64/ref=sr_1_4?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1501019642&sr=1-4&keywords=bar+strainer
Muddler (Edit): https://www.amazon.com/HIC-Muddler-FSC-Certified-Beechwood-8-75-Inches/dp/B00KLHNH34/ref=sr_1_14?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1501019848&sr=1-14&keywords=muddler
Barmat (Edit, but HIGHLY recommended): https://www.amazon.com/BonBon-Professional-Bar-Service-Mat/dp/B06X93XN69/ref=sr_1_4?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1501019915&sr=1-4&keywords=bar+mat
Actually 5/7 since you can buy a mold to make a new one:
http://www.amazon.com/Gallium-Spoon-Mold-By-Rotometals/dp/B0061DPTW4
If I had to pick the left one - but I dont like any of them.
The middle one is cheap shit and will tear your hand webbing after a while. The fork one has too small a spoon and the gold one is a square shape which will hurt your hand too.
This is the spoon we use at work and I use at home - its got rounded edges and is nicely weighted.
Since I actually find the links in the sidebar to be fairly unhelpful, at least for someone as detail oriented as me as a beginner, and I'm still enough of a beginner to remember how hard it was to get started, I'll go ahead and give you a start here.
Equipment needed
Equipment Wanted If you think you'll get really into this, here's some equipment that I have that I feel makes life a lot easier.
Ingredients Needed
To Brew a Mead
NOTE If you're making a 1 gallon batch, you can put your batch directly into your jug carboy and shake instead of stir. You can also use a balloon instead of an airlock. I recommend sanitizing a food-grade funnel to put all your ingredients in if that's the case. To make smaller batches - just divide everything in my recipe (except the yeast, always just use 1 packet of that regardless of the batch size) by 6.5x. For example - for a 1 gallon batch you would use 1.5 cups of pumpkin mash instead of 10.5 cups. etc etc etc.
As time goes by
One thing I found from the Employees only book is to bend the spoon a little. Huge difference in feel.
I use this one http://www.amazon.com/American-Metalcraft-511K-Stainless-Twisted/dp/B0040IQFG6/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1421020497&sr=8-5&keywords=bar+spoon
It'll never break
yah LOL! but get a bartender spoon - we use this kind
Sure, let's talk!
If you're learning how to use a bar spoon, it's easier, IMO, to start out with the thicker bodied ones, since they provide a little more heft and therefore control. The drawback to them is that they don't maneuver in the glass quite as easily, and they're ultimately a little slower. Once you're pretty comfortable with your technique, I much prefer the thinner kind. Not only do that have a sexier look to them, I find I can control the movement of the spoon a lot more precisely.
I'm a big fan of these happy face spoons. Maybe pair them with a few small baked goods?
You could get a large spoon like this or use a mash paddle
Could this work? Cuisipro Fiberglass Basting Spoon https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000TGS7VE/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_IW4Xzb7THDF5T
walmart has 16-Qt Stainless Steel Stock Pot and a Stainless Steel Spoon. I poured a gallon in the pot and used a drimal to mark the spoon at 1-2 - 2.5 - 3 - 3.5 - 4 so no problem knowing the water level.
My shopping list
https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00IRY8CJ2/ref=pd_aw_lpo_79_tr_img_2?ie=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=7CJ34053QY4M9818FZMH
https://www.jbprince.com/Bar-Tools/cocktail-kingdom-set-of-koriko.asp
https://www.jbprince.com/Bar-Tools/cocktail-kingdom-koriko-hawthorne-strainer.asp
https://m.crateandbarrel.com/hatch-mixing-glass/s310798?localedetail=US&ps_cid=210&a=1552&campaignid=640063196&adgroupid=29766033536&targetid=pla-352575254124&pla_sku=310798&scid=scplp310798&sc_intid=310798&scid=scplp310798&sc_intid=310798&gclid=Cj0KCQiA0vnQBRDmARIsAEL0M1m3b1PgOd54XUn3Y9AGDrTX7qr4rLHwlaTBicIkEmUujwWZJrLJvpsaAvnuEALw_wcB
World market or Crate and Barrel for glassware. If you want to go all out: https://m.crateandbarrel.com/maxine-bar-cabinet/s554189
6 oz glasses not in these pics .. Dragon Glassware Espresso Cups,... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07462824J?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share
2 oz shot glasses .. JoyJolt Javaah Double Walled... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01N03DSGT?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share
Shakers and stirrer (we do mostly iced drinks) .. Premium Cocktail Shaker Set:... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B073L557JF?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share and Hiware LZS13B 12 Inches Stainless... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00IRY8CJ2?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share
With a stirring spoon.
This is my preferred route.
Equipment
cocktail kingdom shaken set
hiware barspoon
winco wooden muddler
A cutting board (I prefer black plastic ones, wood breaks apart and usually gets all bacterial, yech)
A cheap santoku knife
cocktail kingdom channel knife
There's the most important equipment that should last you awhile at home.
10 Bottles
A lot of the brand suggestions in here are surprising, the other comments are suggesting typical sponsor brands a lot. I would steer clear of brands you are used to seeing at dive bars.
Three things I like about myself...
I would really love these Serving Spoons as it became very apparent that i weas lacking some when I cooked Thanksgiving and Christmas dinner for the family... lol How are these motivational? Well, I take a good deal of pride in my housewifely duties, and that means being able to set a proper table for when we have company. so... Treat yo'self
But in all honesty, I love surprises too.
Thank you for the contest!
You should replace your spoon with a stainless one, which can be sanitized endlessly and should not stain. Here is one on Amazon that is affordable: Stainless Spoon
http://www.amazon.com/Gallium-Spoon-Mold-By-Rotometals/dp/B0061DPTW4
One of the "hidden" costs of brewing is upgrading equipment. If it's something you really think he'd be in to, getting some equipment that's worthwhile can save you/him money in the long term. I've had a few friends that got in to it, purchased cheap/small stuff, and spent the next year upgrading things again. Buy it once. Now, I'm not saying refit your garage into a full HERMS setup, but getting not-dirt-cheap items & items you can grow with really is invaluable.
When I started, I went with this which has most of what you'll need. The only things left are the kettle, mash tun, propane burner, and a good metal spoon. Here's what I went with, and still use.
Kettle
Spoon
Burner
For the mash tun, I went with a 10g igloo and converted it over following these instructions. I've since upgraded that to a 15g stainless steel pot w/ false bottom, but the igloo definitely served its purpose.
If you are doing big melomels, you might want a hydrometer with a high range (I'm assuming the one you linked is standard). Also maybe an 8g/30l bucket. otherwise those items are fine for normal strength meads w/o tons and tons of fruit.
Get the metal spoon, IMO (https://www.amazon.com/Brewing-SYNCHKG011311-Spoon-Stainless-21-Inch/dp/B001D6KF8M/ref=asc_df_B001D6KF8M/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=222720245886&hvpos=1o2&hvnetw=g&hvrand=9783685370321181631&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9061189&hvtargid=pla-384544715503&psc=1)
you don't need the paddle (that's more for mashing grain for beer brewing) - maybe get a wine whip instead?
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--You have 2 buckets there, are you planning on aging in plastic? I'm usually a bit leery of that myself (I prefer steel for aging, so I use kegs but lots of folks like their carboys just fine). 2nd bucket is handy for sanitizer, etc while working though.
--suggestions: get a good gram scale with 1/10 gram resolution. Comes in handy for yeast, nutrients, spices etc. mesh bags are good if you are adding whole fruit and the like.