Bar Tools Worth Buying: Jiggers, Spoons, Strainers, Mixing Glasses

Buy five bar tools first: a jigger with inner markings, a Hawthorne strainer, a long bar spoon, a mixing glass of about 500 ml, and a shaker. Plain stainless steel is the easy-care choice, because makers such as Cocktail Kingdom say plated barware is not dishwasher safe. A muddler and a julep strainer can wait.

Which five bar tools should you buy first?

Shakers have their own page: see Boston vs cobbler vs Parisian shakers.

What makes a good jigger?

Accuracy you can see. A jigger with lines marked inside lets you measure small amounts without a second tool.

Japanese-style jigger	Premium pickCocktail Kingdom Japanese Style Jigger	Accessible alternativeViski Harrison Large Japanese-Style Jigger
Cups	1 oz (30 ml) and 2 oz (60 ml) to the top	1 oz and 2 oz
Inner markings	1/2 oz, 3/4 oz and 1 1/2 oz	0.5, 0.75 and 1.5 oz
Material	18/8 stainless steel, brushed finish	Stainless steel
Also sold	In plated finishes (not dishwasher safe)	In gold and gunmetal finishes

Pay more if

you want a bartender supplier and a brushed finish.

Save if

the markings are the same and you would put the difference toward glassware.

Here the accessible pick gives up very little. Both jiggers measure the same five amounts.

Bar tool sets, jiggers, strainers and mixing glasses

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Which mixing glass and bar spoon should you buy?

Stirring is for drinks made only of spirits. Difford’s Guide suggests stirring briskly for about 30 to 45 seconds, which it counts as at least 50 turns. The spoon needs a stem long enough to reach the base of the glass while you hold it high above the rim.

Mixing glass	Premium pickYarai Mixing Glass, 500 ml	Accessible alternativeViski Highland Crystal Mixing Glass
Capacity	500 ml (17 oz), one to two drinks	18 oz, about two drinks
Material	Glass with the Yarai cut pattern	Lead-free crystal
Size	13 cm tall, 9 cm across	Not listed
Features	Fits julep and Koriko strainers	Thick base, pour spout, square-cut pattern
Care	Dishwasher safe	Dishwasher safe

Pay more if

you want the pattern seen in cocktail bars, from the line its maker calls a heavy-duty workhorse.

Save if

you want the same size and care in lead-free crystal, or a matching set of Viski tools.

For spoons, Cocktail Kingdom’s Teardrop spoon has a weighted end for balance and comes in a 30 cm length that suits a 500 ml glass. Viski’s Harrison Weighted Bar Spoon is 40 cm long.

Hawthorne or julep strainer?

Own a Hawthorne first. Difford’s Guide explains that its spring catches the chips of ice and fruit made by shaking, and that pushing the finger rest closes the gap to catch finer pieces.

A julep strainer is a perforated metal spoon that sits inside the mixing glass. It is traditional for stirred drinks. The same guide says it is less efficient at catching small fragments of ice. Its name is said to come from drinkers who held one over a mint julep to keep ice and mint back.

Do you need a muddler?

Only for drinks built on crushed fruit, sugar or herbs. Wood muddlers are the classic choice. Cocktail Kingdom’s Cato muddler is untreated hardwood, 7.5 inches long and not dishwasher safe. Steel and plastic muddlers can go in a dishwasher if the maker says so.

Should you buy a set?

A set matches and costs less thought. The Viski Harrison 4-Piece Barware Set contains an 800 ml lead-free crystal mixing glass, a Hawthorne strainer, a double-sided jigger and a weighted bar spoon. That covers stirred drinks completely. Add shaker tins for the rest.

Once the tools are in hand, the next upgrades are clear ice and, for whiskey drinkers, a cocktail smoker kit. Tools look best in a tray on a bar cart, and the home bar setup overview lists everything in buying order.