Reddit mentions of Boston Shaker 2 Piece Set (Silver)

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.

• Shaker: Homekeros sems to have a good one. (£16, £19 with a strainer) The strainer looks fine.
  
• Shaker (alternative): If budget is a concern, then the Mezclar Tin on Tin Boston Shaker (£6) looks fine. One reviewer said, however, that the small tin was so tiny, it almost dropped to the bottom before making a seal. The other 9 reviews are happy with it though. Still, It's an amazing price!
  
• Strainer: The OXO strainer (£5.43 + £3.19 S+H)
  
• Measuring Cup: OXO angles measuring cup (£4.25)
  
• Citrus juicer: I kind of forgot about it in the main post, but this is a tool that get used every time I use the shaker and sometimes also just for cooking. Very useful. I recommend the Chef'n freshforce citrus juicer (£22.32)
  
  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.