Shaker Bottles – which ones really work?
I have been using these things for years, and I’ve bought more than a few that really didn’t work. I’ll be using this site as a way to sift through the mixer bottles out there, try them out, and record my results. They differ in a variety of ways, and I hope to cover them all:
- Material of construction – there’s a kind of plastic that has been revealed to have negative health consequences over time. Does your shaker bottle use it?
- How well does it seal? If it is a snap-on, does it hold up over time? If it screws on, do the threads hold up to repeated screwing?
- What is the mixer? A screen? it is help into place, or does it move around the bottle?
- How difficult is it to clean? Is it dishwasher safe?
- How much does it cost? Where can I get it?
- What if I lose a piece? Can I get a replacement?
That’s just off the top of my head. I am sure that as I move through the different bottles, more will occur to me.
In addition to taking a look at the bottles themselves, we are going to try more than a few blender bottles recipes as well. There are hundreds of variations on the old “protein powder and milk” meals out there. I’d like to build a real index here – not just quick meals, but a real variety of breakfasts, lunches and dinners – not to mention desserts – all made with shaker bottles.
I’m also going to be taking a look at preparing these meals in advance. Usually, if I mix up some powder in my bottle, by the time I am ready to drink it, it has congealed, and I have a bottle of jello. Not my intention. Taking the other route and putting the powder into the bottle while keeping the liquid separate is another option, but it eliminates a lot of the convenience that is the entire point of using a shaker bottle to start with.
Some of the major brands of bottles we’ll be looking at:
And many more. Check back in just a few days and we’ll have a shopping link set up – so you can buy the shaker bottle we think is best!
Zyliss Quick Blend Shaker Bottle
The Zyliss Quick Blend Shaker Bottle
Zyliss is a hugely popular brand, with a large selection of kitchen gadgets, one of which is this shaker bottle.
They use the familiar star shaped divider or sieve to mix, which they call an “emulcifier ring”.
The bottle works as well as you would expect, mixing a wide variety of liquids and solids with no problem.
- material or construction – plastic, rubbery, non-breakable
- standard measurement marking on the side.
- screw-on top
- opening in cap for drinking
- dishwasher safe
- 10 oz capacity
As with all shakers of this type, you can’t really expect to make smoothies, or grind up anything with any real solidity – or can you?
Take a look at the video below, where they demonstrate a unique and very useful attachment for this bottle…
Wow. that is slick. Slicker than calf slobbers, as my grandpa used to say. They don’t give you any information on which blenders will mate up with this shaker bottle, but it shouldn’t be hard to find out. I have one on order, and as soon as it comes in, we’ll do a little test with our Osterizer Blender and make us up a smoothie.