Boston shakers

A complete set consists of a large tin of about 80 cl and a smaller one that seals into it. That is the usual choice if you are starting from scratch. If you already work with existing tins, the separate sizes are more interesting: 30 and 28 oz are the large halves, 18 and 16 oz the small ones. The combination of 28 with 18 oz is the standard behind most bars, because those two seal tightly and still come apart with a tap. Look at the finish too. Untreated stainless steel is the quickest and easiest to keep clean. The copper, gold and black versions have a coated outside that looks better on the table but shows scratches sooner. The vinyl version has a rubbery layer that gives wet hands grip, welcome while you are still learning the movement. Finally, check whether the base is weighted, because that makes breaking the seal calmer.

Fill the large tin two thirds with ice, pour the ingredients into the small tin and set it in at a slight angle. One tap with the palm of your hand on the base seals the whole thing. Shake with the large tin pointing outwards and with both hands, between ten and fifteen seconds for a drink without egg. You break the seal by tapping the rim of the large tin with the heel of your hand at the point where the join sits, not by levering it. A Daiquiri is the standard test: three ingredients, shaken short and hard, and you taste straight away whether you kept going long enough. With an Espresso Martini you shake longer, because the layer of foam on top has to come entirely from that movement.

Rinse the tins out straight after use, because citrus juice and syrup leave a sticky film that only comes off with soaking once it has dried. Untreated stainless steel can go in the dishwasher and will take that for years; the dull sheen it develops afterwards is cosmetic and has no effect on how it works. Wash the coated versions in copper, gold and black by hand, because dishwasher tablets attack the coating and make the colour uneven. Dry the tins off or stand them upside down to drain, so no water sits in the rim. Store the two halves apart and not pushed into each other.

If you would rather have a shaker with a built-in strainer, the cobbler shakers are the simpler route, and the full range of both types is with the cocktail shakers. You measure with a jigger, and stir and build with a bar spoon. The ice you shake with comes from the ice tools. And because a shaken drink belongs in a chilled glass, you will find the matching shapes with the cocktail glasses.