Top 6 compared
The best cocktail making sets
A shaken margarita or a stirred Old Fashioned made at home, measured and strained the way a bar does it.
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The top 6 at a glance
A cocktail set gathers the bar tools into one kit: a shaker, a strainer, a jigger, usually a bar spoon and sometimes a muddler. A martini or cobbler shaker has three pieces, with a strainer built into its lid. A Boston shaker, the kind most bars use, is a big tin with a smaller tin or a glass pushed in, and pours through a Hawthorne strainer, the flat one ringed with a spring.
Health Canada counts a standard drink of 40% spirits as 43 mL (1.5 oz), the size of a shot glass, so a cocktail made with 60 mL (2 oz) of spirits counts as more than one. Stainless steel keeps its shine longest when it’s dried by hand straight after washing.
What matters
- A double jigger, measuring two pour sizes from one tool.
- A stand, if the tools will live on the counter.
- Recipe cards or a book, for ideas past the first few drinks.
#1KITESSENSU Cocktail Shaker Set with Stand (15 pieces)
$30–$50
A 750 mL (25 oz) martini shaker with a strainer in its lid and a separate Hawthorne strainer, so a drink can be strained either way, with a muddler, a bar spoon, three pourers, ice tongs and a corkscrew, all standing together in one bamboo stand.
What owners say: Its shine and good looks win praise, and owners find the kit has all a cocktail needs and is reliable and well made; no complaint recurs.
A closer look: KITESSENSU says hand washing in warm water is the better choice for the tools. The two steel straws come with their own cleaning brush, and the cocktail picks spear an olive or a cherry for the rim of the glass.
- Strainer built into the lid
- Separate Hawthorne strainer
- Muddler for mint
- Steel straws with cleaning brush
Best for: Mojitos, margaritas and martinis
- Pieces
- 15
- Shaker
- Martini
- Jigger
- 15/30 mL (½/1 oz)
- Stand
- Yes
- Recipes
- Yes
#2PERJOY 16-Piece Boston Cocktail Shaker Set
$30–$50
Two weighted Boston tins, 740 and 590 mL (25 and 20 oz), seal together for a hard shake, and a fine mesh strainer behind the bar strainer double strains out ice chips and pulp. Six pourers, a 30 cm (12 in) bar spoon and a muddler fill out the kit.
What owners say: Holds up with no rust or chipping, its owners report, and they say nothing is missing and the set does its job well.
A closer look: With a pourer fitted to each bottle before guests arrive, every round pours straight into the jigger. PERJOY lists every piece as dishwasher safe, and between uses the tools sit together on a tray on the bar cart.
- Weighted tins seal tight
- Fine mesh strainer for pulp
- Six liquor pourers
- Every piece dishwasher safe
Best for: Boston-shaken sours, double strained
- Pieces
- 16
- Shaker
- Boston
- Jigger
- 20/40 mL (⅔/1⅓ oz)
- Stand
- No
- Recipes
- Yes
#3KITESSENSU Boston Cocktail Shaker Set (4 pieces)
$20–$30
The shaking tools a bartender reaches for: 530 and 830 mL (18 and 28 oz) Boston tins, a Hawthorne strainer and a double jigger, in dishwasher-safe stainless steel thickened to 0.8 mm. It suits anyone who would rather shake with two tins than a three-piece shaker.
What owners say: No leaks and a tight seal, according to owners, and the set is easy to use even for someone new to shaking.
A closer look: Fill the big tin with ice and the drink, set the small tin in at a slight angle and tap it home to seal. A firm smack on the big tin’s rim where the two meet opens them again after shaking, and the Hawthorne strainer sits on the big tin to pour.
- Thick 0.8 mm steel tins
- Hawthorne strainer included
Best for: Two-tin shaking in a small kit
- Pieces
- 4
- Shaker
- Boston
- Jigger
- 20/40 mL (⅔/1⅓ oz)
- Stand
- No
- Recipes
- Yes
#4Etens Cocktail Shaker Set (3 pieces)
$10–$20
A 710 mL (24 oz) martini shaker with a strainer in its lid, a double jigger and a mixing spoon in 304 stainless steel: the three tools a margarita or an espresso martini needs. Etens says all three can go in the dishwasher.
What owners say: Owners praise the quality for what it costs, find it handy for cocktails at home and say the tools look smart.
Heads up: There’s no muddler, stand or recipe cards in the box, so a mojito needs a muddler bought separately.
A closer look: Shake until the tin turns frosty, then take off the cap and pour through the strainer in the lid. The mixing spoon also stirs a Manhattan or a Negroni right in the glass, no shaker needed.
- Strainer built into the lid
- Dishwasher safe
- Spoon for stirred drinks
Best for: A few shaken drinks, kept simple
- Pieces
- 3
- Shaker
- Martini
- Jigger
- 15/30 mL (½/1 oz)
- Stand
- No
- Recipes
- No
#5MixMate 15-Piece Bartender Kit with Stand (silver)
$30–$50
Brushed stainless steel tools in a dark wood stand, with a martini shaker, a jigger, a strainer, a stirring spoon and a bottle opener among the 15 pieces, plus a 16-recipe cocktail book. Everything packs into a presentation box, and MixMate gives a two-year guarantee.
What owners say: The set looks good and every tool works as it should, owners say; the recipe book and how long it lasts get mixed reports.
A closer look: A QR code on the thank-you card opens a free digital recipe booklet to go with the printed book. Each tool has its own slot in the holder, so after a party a gap shows at once if one hasn’t come back from the sink.
- Brushed stainless steel
- Two-year guarantee
- Packs into a presentation box
Best for: Bar carts and display shelves
- Pieces
- 15
- Shaker
- Martini
- Jigger
- Size not stated
- Stand
- Yes
- Recipes
- Yes
#6Bare Barrel 16-Piece Mixology Bartender Kit with Stand
$75–$100
An 800 mL (28 oz) Boston shaker, a Japanese-style jigger, a Hawthorne and a fine mesh strainer, a zester, an ice scoop and two bottle stoppers, held in a black bamboo stand with 35 recipe cards for whisky, vodka, rum, gin and tequila. Bare Barrel gives a three-year rustproof warranty.
What owners say: By owners’ accounts it looks handsome on a home bar and holds every essential, and they’re pleased with the value.
A closer look: Bare Barrel rates the silver tools dishwasher safe; the bamboo stand stays out of the machine and gets a wipe instead. The zester takes a strip of citrus peel for an Old Fashioned, and the two bottle stoppers seal opened bottles of vermouth or syrup.
- Zester and ice scoop
- Two bottle stoppers
- Three-year rustproof warranty
Best for: Building a home bar from scratch
- Pieces
- 16
- Shaker
- Boston
- Jigger
- Japanese style, size not stated
- Stand
- Yes
- Recipes
- Yes
How they compare
Swipe sideways or rotate device to see all 6.
| Feature | #1KITESSENSU 15-piece kit | #2PERJOY 16-piece set | #3KITESSENSU Boston 4-piece | #4Etens 3-piece set | #5MixMate 15-piece kit | #6Bare Barrel 16-piece kit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best overall | Best budget | |||||
| Picked Rating | 9.4 | 9.3 | 9.3 | 9.3 | 9.1 | 9.1 |
| Price | $30–$50 | $30–$50 | $20–$30 | $10–$20 | $30–$50 | $75–$100 |
| Pieces | 15 | 16 | 4 | 3 | 15 | 16 |
| Shaker | Martini | Boston | Boston | Martini | Martini | Boston |
| Jigger | 15/30 mL (½/1 oz) | 20/40 mL (⅔/1⅓ oz) | 20/40 mL (⅔/1⅓ oz) | 15/30 mL (½/1 oz) | Size not stated | Japanese style, size not stated |
| Stand | Yes | No | No | No | Yes | Yes |
| Recipes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes |
| Best for | Mojitos, margaritas and martinis | Boston-shaken sours, double strained | Two-tin shaking in a small kit | A few shaken drinks, kept simple | Bar carts and display shelves | Building a home bar from scratch |
| Buy now | Amazon | Amazon | Amazon | Amazon | Amazon | Amazon |
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