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TL;DR:
Best Cocktail Set based on Equipment: Autumndeer.
Best Cocktail Set based on Value for Money: Autumndeer or Ratel.
Best Cocktail Set Based on Average Rating: Ratel.
Best Overall Cocktail Set: Autumndeer or Ratel.
Why these two Cocktail Sets? Read the comparison post below to find out.
If you want to make cocktails at home a cocktail set is a great buy.
Let me tell you: it’ll take your cocktail-making game to the next level. And the best part is, you can pick one up from anywhere between £15 and £35.
Not too pricey to get great-tasting cocktails, am I right?
The problem is, there are tonnes of cocktail shaker sets out there. Knowing which one is the best to buy can be a headache.
Don’t worry – we’ve got your back, Jack.
We’ve done all the work for you and put together this detailed cocktail set comparison guide.
Let’s dive right in.
What do we Mean by Cocktail Sets?
I think a good place to start would be to describe what mean when we say a cocktail set.
You might refer to it as a cocktail set. Or maybe a cocktail shaker set. Or maybe just a Cocktail Shaker. Or you might call it something else entirely.
Whatever you might call it, that’s what we’ll be reviewing today so buckle up for the ride.
Why Do You Need a Cocktail Set?
A lot of people think that using a cocktail shaker is just about looking cool, but there’s a whole lot more to it than that.
A cocktail shaker and the set that comes with it will improve your whole cocktail making experience.
How? There are 3 main reasons:
- By mixing ingredients properly in a shaker (when the recipe requires it), you’ll improve the taste of your cocktail creations.
- You will also give the cocktail a chill, as most recipes call for your mixture to be shaken with ice.
- Mixing properly dilutes the mixture enough so that your concoction will be great to sip.
…but you can’t deny: using a cocktail shaker does look cool too. It’ll impress your friends, family, and even that special someone in your life.
Style points are a thing!
Now, let’s get to the comparison.
Cocktail Set Comparison
We’re going to compare what we consider to be the best Cocktail Shaker Sets available on Amazon right now.
This comparison will include:
- What you get in each Cocktail Shaker Set.
- Price and value for money.
- Reviews from people who have actually bought and used the Cocktail Shaker Set.
The Cocktail Sets We’ll Be Comparing
So, what Cocktail Sets will we be comparing? Great question! Let’s take a look at the contenders:
X-Cosrack 18 Piece Cocktail Set
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Autumndeer 10 Piece Cocktail Set
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AYAOQIANG 12 Piece Cocktail Set
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Ratel 9 Piece Cocktail Set
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Kitchen Joy 12 Piece Cocktail Set
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Now that we know what we’re comparing, let’s take a look at our first comparison: the items that come with the cocktail set.
Which Cocktail Set has the most and/or best Equipment?
So what does each Cocktail Shaker Set have in terms of equipment? Here’s how the comparison breaks down (scroll to see the complete comparison):
| Item | Cocktail Shaker | Jigger | Bottle Opener | Strainer | Muddler / Pestle / Mixer Ball | Ice Tongs | Bar Spoon | Liquor Pourers | Wine Corkscrew | Straws | Storage Tray / Stand | Recipe Book | |
| Cocktail Set | X Cosrack | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| Kitchen Joy | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✘ | ✘ | ✔ (ebook) | |
| Autumndeer | ✔ | ✔ | ✘ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✘ | ✔ | ✘ | |
| AYAOQIANG | ✔ | ✔ | ✘ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✘ | ✔ | ✘ | |
| Ratel | ✔ | ✔ | ✘ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✘ | ✘ | ✘ | ✔ |
Key Takeaways
So as we can tell by the comparison table above:
- X Cosrack is the only Cocktail Set that contains all 12 items. This isn’t much of a surprise, considering it’s the most expensive set on the list at £35.00.
- The Kitchen Joy cocktail set has 10 of the 12 items, missing out on straws and a stand. Not bad considering the set is £11 cheaper at £24.99.
- The Autumndeer cocktail set has 9 of the 12 items, missing out on a bottle opener, straws and a recipe book. At £17 cheaper than dearest cocktail set in this comparison (the X Cosrack), costing just £18.99 this represents good value for money. Why? Because you’re basically getting all of the essentials for a cocktail set and just missing out on “nice to have’s”.
- AYAOQIANG has the exact same items has the Autumndeer set – so you’re getting the essentials. However, AYAOQIANG is the more expensive option out of the two at £22.99.
- The Ratel Cocktail Set only has 8 out of the 12 items, missing out a bottle opener, a wine corkscrew, straws and a stand. This cocktail set is also the cheapest set in the comparison, more than half of the price of X Cosrack cocktail set at £14.82.
What do you need in a Cocktail Set?
The main question to ask yourself when buying a cocktail shaker set based on the items listed above is: do I need everything in that set?
I mean, I’d bet that pretty much everyone has a bottle opener of some description, right? Most people will have a wine corkscrew too. And are straws really necessary?
Also, a free cocktail book? Who needs that when you’ve got quick & easy cocktail recipes at ThatCocktail, am I right? 😀
When you look at it from that point of view, it changes things. A Cocktail Set that has all the things but is more expensive than a set that has all of the essential equipment isn’t always the better choice.
You could say, it’s never the best choice.
What we recommend based on Cocktail Set Equipment
We would recommend the Autumndeer set. Why?
- It’s under £20 and is a good price.
- You get all of the essential cocktail-making items included.
- You also get a really nice stand to display it on – a stand that I think looks the best out of the cocktail sets listed.
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Now that we’ve compared these cocktails sets based on the cocktail equipment you get in sets, let’s take compare the sets for value for money.
Which Cocktail Set is the Best Value For Money?
In terms of price, the Cocktail Sets break down like this:
| Cocktail Set | Price |
| X Cosrack | £35.99 |
| Kitchen Joy | £24.99 |
| AYAOQIANG | £22.99 |
| Autumndeer | £18.99 |
| Ratel | £14.82 |
As you can see, there’s quite a range in price between the cocktail shaker sets.
So which is the best value for money? Well that would depend on your criteria and what you need from a cocktail set.
If you just want a good, but basic cocktail set that’ll get the job done then there’s absolutely nothing wrong with the Ratel set at £14.82.
In terms of essential equipment, it’s all there – you even get a cocktail recipe book.
The only thing you’re really missing out on is a stand.
However, I’d go with Autumndeer for value for money.
You get all the essentials and a cool-looking stand (IMO the best looking stand out of the bunch) for around £4 more.
You just miss out on a cocktail book (I have ThatCocktail for my recipes).
The Worst Value for Money
Since I’ve covered what Shaker set is the best value for money, it’s only fair that I tell you what we think the worst value for money out of the options is.
The X Cosrack cocktail set is expensive at £35.99.
Yes you get all the equipment you could ever hope for, but the other cheaper sets contain all the essential equipment you really need anyway.
Is it worth an extra £11 from the next most expensive set? I don’t think so.
At £24.99 the Kitchen Joy set is also expensive for what it is.
With this cocktail shaker set, you don’t even get a stand for your money and the cocktail recipe book you receive is digital, rather than physical.
This isn’t necessarily a bad thing and you might prefer to have a digital book over a physical one, but how can you justify the price over the next option on the list?
AYAOQIANG is £2 cheaper and whilst doesn’t have a cocktail book, it does have a stand.
The same with the option after that (Autumndeer).
Value for Money Summary
To summarise, the best cocktail shaker set on a budget is:
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The best cocktail set based on value for money:
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The cocktail set that’s the worst value for money is:
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Now that I’ve sorted out which is the best cocktail shaker set according to value you for money, let’s compare Amazon reviews.
Which Cocktail Set is the Best According to Amazon Reviews?
A great marker for how good a product is, is actual customer reviews.
Let’s take a look at how these cocktail shaker sets fair with customer reviews.
Note: this table is ordered firstly by the average rating and then by the number of reviews.
| Cocktail Set | Average Rating | Number of Reviews |
| Ratel | 4.7 out of 5 | 785 |
| X Cosrack | 4.7 out of 5 | 225 |
| AYAOQIANG | 4.6 out of 5 | 1,835 |
| Autumndeer | 4.6 out of 5 | 268 |
| Kitchen Joy | 4.4 out of 5 | 144 |
As you can see, the cheapest cocktail shaker set in this comparison also works out at the best rated.
One reviewer says:
“Great selection of tools all u need for making cocktails quite lightweight but still strong would definitely recommend this to someone looking for a cocktail making set.”
Another:
“Great all rounder! The lack of pubs and want of something different led me to buy this cocktail making kit. Have put it to use already and very impressed with the quality. Lovely set with everything you might need. Worth a go if you fancy giving cocktail making a try! Enjoy!“
Judging by the reviews and ratings, I’d say the Ratel cocktail shaker set is a serious contender here.
Let’s take a look at our overall verdict.
Overall Verdict
So which Cocktail Shaker Set do we recommend?
We’re caught between two and the final decision comes down to what you want from your cocktail shaker set.
The two are:
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…and…
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Why these two?
I think reading the rest of the comparison you’ll already have a great idea why I’ve narrowed down the list to these two cocktail shaker sets.
But let me recap.
- The Ratel Cocktail Shaker Set comes at a great price and has the best Amazon reviews out of the bunch.
- The Autumndeer Shaker Set also comes at a great price, but unlike the Ratel set, comes with a cool stand to store all the equipment in.
So let me put it this way:
- If you don’t care about a stand, buy the Ratel set.
- If you don’t mind spending £4 more and would quite like a stand to beautifully store your set, but the Autumndeer set.
Looking to Make Some Cocktails?
You’ve got the cocktail shaker set you want. Great! How about some cocktails to use it for?
Now you’re talking!
Check out our cocktail recipe hub. There you’ll find over 100 cocktail recipes for you to try – pretty cool, right?
Better yet, why not search our cocktail collection? You can search by:
- A cocktail name. For example, Long Island Iced Tea.
- By alcohol. For example, Vodka.
- By mixer. For example, Orange Juice.
- Or a combination. For example, Vodka Orange Juice.
Super cool, right?
Happy mixing guys!
