Simple kitchen tools

There’s a fair chance you might have some of these already, whether you know it or not. Every kitchen has that drawer with tools that haven’t been used for years!

Vegetable peeler – Fantastic tool to peel potatoes, carrots, or cucumbers. In mixology, it’s used to get nice slices of citrus peels without getting the white bitter pith into your cocktail.

Blender – Precious ally to create frozen cocktails for summer. My favourite is definitely the Nutribullet, which I use both for cocktails and for regular smoothies.

Nutribullet 1000 series with accessories

Bottle opener – Just in case your kitchen doesn’t have one, get a magnetic one and stick it to your fridge.

Corkscrews – There are quite a few types of corkscrews, the most popular being the winged corkscrew (immediately easy to use for everyone) or the sommelier’s corkscrew—this one requires some skills, and once you master it, your guests will be fairly impressed.

Champagne stopper – You don’t have to chug a whole bottle of wine! This little tool will keep your champagne or wine bottle fresher for longer.

Citrus squeezer/extractor – It is not always easy to extract all the juice from one lime. If your cocktail recipe asks for a precise amount of lime juice, and you couldn’t squeeze enough from your lime, let the citrus squeezer help you get some extra drops.

Chopping board – A nice wooden chopping board will last for years. Use it to cut herbs and other garnishes.

Measuring spoons – Because sometimes a perfect cocktail require perfect amounts of ingredients.

Paring knife – It’s a small knife with a plain edge blade that’s ideal for peeling, removing seeds, or cutting small garnishes. Paring knives are usually between 6 and 10 cm (2½ and 4 inches) long.

Paring knife

Shaker

A cocktail shaker is a container designed to mix the desired ingredients of a cocktail, and usually ice, by shaking.

There are three main varieties of cocktail shakers:

The Boston Shaker – A two-piece shaker consisting of a metal bottom and a mixing glass. The two parts can be either inserted into each other for shaking or used separately for stirring or muddling. Once you’re done shaking, you will need a strainer (i.e. a Hawthorne strainer), to avoid crushed ice or other solid ingredients getting in your glass.

Boston shaker

The Cobbler Shaker – A 3-piece shaker that has tapers at the top and bottom, and includes a built-in strainer and a cap. The cap can be used as a measure for spirits or other liquids.

Cobbler shaker

The French Shaker – A two-piece shaker consisting of a metal bottom and a metal cap. An external strainer is always required.

French shaker

Other bar specific tools

Bar spoon – It’s a long-handled spoon used for mixing and layering mixed drinks. Its length ensures that it reaches the bottom of the tallest jug or tumbler to mix ingredients directly in the glass.

Decanter – It’s a type of bottle that is used to hold the decantation of a liquid (such as wine) which may contain sediment. Decanters, which differ widely in shape and design, have been traditionally made from glass or crystal.

Jigger – It’s the most popular tool to measure liquors. Modern jiggers are double-ended and made of stainless steel, with two unequal-sized opposing cones.

Strainer – It’s a metal bar accessory to keep ice and other solid ingredients away from your cocktail as it’s poured into the serving glass. The Hawthorne strainer is a disc with a handle and two stabilising prongs.

Hawthorne strainer in action

Mixing glass – As the name says, it’s a glass where you stir your cocktails before pouring them into the serving glass.

Muddler – It’s a bartender’s tool, used like a pestle to mash fruits, herbs and spices in the bottom of a mixing glass to release their flavour.

Pourer – It’s a piece of stainless steel that is used to pour liquors with precision, usually with a black rubber cork that fits all standard bottles.

Pourer

Ready to talk about glasses?

Proceed to the glasses page, or get back to the Home Bar section.