Utensils & kitchen tools · Barware
Cocktail shaker
A sealed metal container for shaking drinks with ice to chill, dilute and mix them.
Specialist · Manual · 3 recipes
Photo: Clément Bucco-Lechat, via Wikimedia Commons (CC-BY-SA-3.0)
What it is
Cobbler shakers have three parts: a tin, a lid with a built-in strainer and a cap. Boston shakers are two tins, or a tin and a glass, that seal together and need a separate strainer. Shaking chills quickly, adds a little water from the ice and creates froth.
What it’s for: Mixing and chilling drinks that contain juice, cream, egg white or syrups.
How to use it
- Add ingredients to the shaker, then fill with ice.
- Seal firmly and hold both parts.
- Shake hard for 10–15 seconds until the outside is frosted.
- Strain into a glass.
Good to know
- Tasks
- shaking cocktails and mocktails, mixing lassi or milkshakes, emulsifying dressings, making iced coffee
- Cooking methods
- No-cook, Raw
- Materials
- stainless steel, glass
- Care and cleaning
- Rinse after each drink; dry fully so seals do not stick.
- Limitations
- Not for carbonated drinks; small batches only.
Safety
- Hold both halves while shaking; Boston shakers can separate.
- Do not shake fizzy drinks; pressure builds.
If you don’t have one
- Glass jar with lid — A tight-lidded jar shakes drinks; strain with a small sieve.
Equipment guide
How it works: Shaking with ice chills, dilutes and aerates the drink at once. Heat moves from the drink into the ice as it melts, and the violent movement mixes ingredients of different densities.
| Material | Good | Watch out |
|---|---|---|
| Stainless steel | Durable, non-reactive, dishwasher-safe, does not hold smells. | Can scratch non-stick pans; conducts heat, so all-metal handles get hot. |
| Borosilicate or tempered glass | Non-reactive, lets you see the browning on the sides and base; holds heat well once hot. | Slow to heat; can shatter with sudden temperature changes (e.g. cold liquid into a hot dish, or from fridge to hot oven). |
- Boston shaker
- Metal tin and glass or second tin; professional choice.
- Cobbler shaker
- Three-piece with built-in strainer.
- Parisian (French) shaker
- Two-piece metal.
Buying guidance
Starting out: A three-piece cobbler shaker.
- Capacity about 500–750 ml
- Tight-fitting seal
- Stainless steel
No brands or prices — check current reviews before buying.
Related tools
Recipes that use it
Cucumber mint spritz
International · 7 min · 65 kcal · Vegan
Greek frappé
Greek · 3 min · 47 kcal · VegetarianKulukki sarbath
Indian · 20 min · 112 kcal · Vegan