Customer Reviews

Nambé Twist 10-Inch Cocktail Shaker

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Nambe products are synonymous with the highest quality in materials and design, which is why they are frequently given as wedding gifts. I was shocked to read that three out of six reviews of the Nambe Twist Cocktail Shaker were negative. Before I address the four gripes--too heavy, too hard to remove the top, it leaks, and it doesn't look as nice in reality as it does in the product shots--a bit about me: I collect cocktail shakers, there's no one fussier about quality than I am, and I like to think I have excellent taste in objets d'art, which is what the Nambe Twist shaker is.

As for the design, whether you like it or not is subjective, but if you like what you see in the photo, you will like what you receive, because it looks identical.

The shaker is indeed weighty--it is made of an aluminum alloy mined in New Mexico--but I'm not strong and have small hands and I've never had a problem shaking and pouring from it. Neither has my girlfriend, who is 5'4" tall and has even smaller hands. To me, the weight, the solidity, of this beautiful shaker is wonderfully tactile and part of the reason this shaker has a high price.

As for leaking, this is the only shaker I've seen that comes with a thin rubber gasket around the rim for a tight seal that doesn't leak--at least mine never has. All my other cocktail shakers leak, including a Faberge crystal shaker that cost twice as much as the Nambe. The reason they leak is because there is no way to get a leak-proof seal without the gasket. Waterproof flashlights and other outdoor equipment work on the same principle.

The tops of virtually all cocktail shakers are difficult to remove after shaking because you have metal jammed against metal or glass to create as tight a seal as is possible without a rubber gasket. The Nambe shaker top is actually easier to remove than most because the gasket has just enough give to work the top off. But you do have to work it slightly. I have never had trouble removing the top quickly and easily. Many of the tops of my other shakers are extremely difficult to pry off.

You can buy a perfectly usable cocktail shaker for $10. When you exceed the $100 price point, you ought to know what you are buying. It sounds like some reviewers of this beautiful shaker didn't. Nambe objects are heavy. Even their martini glasses are heavy. Most people like the weighty feel of a Nambe glass, bowl, vase, or shaker. But it's no secret that weightiness is a distinguishing characteristic of Nambe products.

The reason for the weightiness is the aluminum alloy used in many Nambe products. This metal scratches easily but retains a high-gloss shine that retains its beauty even with wear. The metal is extremely conductive of heat and cold. If you stick the shaker in the freezer for 10 minutes, it will turn ice cold. The virtue of this is that when you fill the shaker with ice and liquid and shake, very little of the ice melts into the drink, so it isn't diluted with water, yet it is truly ice cold, far colder than any other cocktail shaker can achieve. It makes drinking more enjoyable.

The Nambe Twist Cocktail Shaker is the most aesthetically pleasing, tactile, functional cocktail shaker currently available. It's the only one I've seen that doesn't leak because the rubber gasket creates a leak-proof seal. The shaker is indeed weighty, but the design is easy to grip, even for a woman of small stature. After shaking, the top does take a second or two to work off--but that is true of nearly all cocktail shakers--and the Nambe shaker top is easier to remove than most.

The Nambe name is synonymous with superb designs, workmanship, and quality materials. If you like the look of this shaker, and you have the dough and the inclination, buy it. You won't be disappointed.

I used this once to make what amounts to a $150 martini. Mine turned black inside after using pear vodka, gin and olive juice in it. I failed to immediately hand wash it, after I poured the drinks, but went to wash it the next morning. I found that some type of oxidation occurred inside the shaker that was impossible to clean off. I tried everything barkeepers helper, 0000 steel pads as recommended, stainless steel cleaner, without being able to get all the black film off. The bottom turned black. Barkeepers helper worked the best but there is still a black light layer of film on the bottom and near at the top edge where the stainer fits, that will not come off after 2 hours of scrubbing hard and even using wooden spoons and chopsticks to really get pressure inside the container. The inside sides also have black spots all over the sides.

The shinny metal polish used on the outside of this product should have been used on the inside as well instead of course metal that is extremely hard to clean and turned black one use.

Now, I use it as a piece of art on my mantel, and will buy another lighter shaker that I can really use, and which is simple to clean.

However, I do have to admit this shaker works really well, the shaker turns colder faster than any other shaker I have used in the past with ice, mine doesn't leak, but is really too heavy to use. It is very slippery when frosted outside and super heavy. You can accidentally kill someone if it slips out of your hand while shaking.

A little hint when making drinks with this baby. Throw the ice in it first. Then wait 1 minute. Then toss the ice which will have melted a lot, and produced a lot of water, but the result brings down the temperature of the shaker to near freezing extremely fast. Then refill it with ice and add your favorite alcohol assemble the strainer and top. Then shake it grabbing the top and bottom it will be so cold you may even need to use a towel around it, to keep your hand from freezing. Then immediately pour your drinks and hand wash the shaker immediately and dry it. And hopefully yours won't turn black. I'm going to show mine to the nambe company near Santa Fe, NM to see if they can figure out what happened.

I wanted to give this Nambe product another try, I bought it before to mix drinks but returned it due to its heaviness and the fact that the top didn't come off easily at all. I think Nambe may have changed the top this time around or the first one was a bad one.

The weight is the same. I'm the bartender of my house so I'm ok with the weight.

The top before would not come off. I had to wiggle the top, stick the bottom in between my legs and pull. Nothing would open it. On the new one, the top comes off very smoothly now.

Nambe metal is beautiful, so the product still looks amazing sitting next to the Nambe Twist martini glasses on top of the bar.

The best tasting drinks are made in this shaker. The core of the martini shaker is a solid piece of metal. Once ice is added the frost starts to freeze the inner shell immediately. The drinks taste cold and delicious and not as watered down due to the inside of the shaker remaining cool.

I saw this in a catalog a year or so ago. I finally broke down and ordered it when I stumbled across it on Amazon. What a spectacular piece. The "twist" design is dramatic. The shaker has very substantial weight and keeps the temperature inside a long time. Was a great conversation piece at my party. This is the shaker you want if
making a "statement" is your game.

I'll agree with the lid being a challenge to get on and off. But worse, mine leaks like a sieve.

I bought this as a gift for my fiancé, as he loved to mix drinks. Overall I think it is pretty as a piece of decor, but less practical for actual cocktail-mixing. The item is fairly heavy, and gets very, very cold when you mix a drink with ice.

I received this shaker as a birthday gift a while back and I was beyond thrilled. It's absolutely gorgeous! I love showing it off at parties and my guests always comment on it. I didn't know that I could get this excited about a cocktail shaker, but this one is worth it! I've bought several for gifts and my friends are always thrilled to receive it.

So i was having a diner party and a friend of a friend brought this weird hippie guy wearing a toga and saddles with him. At first i found him a bit preachy and thought he needed a shave, but next thing you know, he takes my Nambé Twist 10-Inch Cocktail Shaker fillsa the thing with nothing but water, and voila out he pours out wine! it was amazing!