Customer Reviews

Pinzon 8-Piece Stainless-Steel Barware Set

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(8)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I bought this set because of the low price, and regret my decision, as it's a bit of a letdown. What irks me the most about this set is its humblest and most frequently employed component, the bottle opener. Pinzon's opener looks pretty but just doesn't work, owing to its diminutive size and an ornamental doo-dad that gets in the way. You would think the product designers over at Pinzon would have tested this most important tool. Perhaps the QA team only drinks metric beer or something?

My next complaint concerns the bar knife. I'm a simple man, and don't know much about bar knives, so perhaps it is wrong of me to assume they are supposed to be sharp enough to cut things. I was hoping this one would be sharp enough to slice lemons and pierce olives. I'm sorry to report this set's knife is not up to either task. I've yet to figure out what it is useful for.

As for the rest of the set, I don't have much to say. The ice bucket and tongs are okay, although a little small. No complaints about the stirring rod and double jigger. I've yet to use the strainer. The whole thing fits into a cramped stand, which sometimes can be a little annoying to manage. I'm glad it's dishwasher safe.

This set would be okay for someone who rarely drinks, yet wants to have the basics handy for very occasional entertaining. However, I'd encourage even the halfway serious home bartender to invest in higher quality equipment.

Length:: 3:19 Mins

Despite the nicely weighted, stainless steel handles and generally solid construction, this set loses points for a thin, small ice bucket and useless bar knife. It does get points for visual appeal, the feel of the handles, and the organizer stand to keep everything within easy reach. Five out of the six tools work well. Watch the video for the problems I encountered.

The packaging alone was awsome, a nice presentation, which was appreciated as it was a gift. the quality is as good as it gets, and the style of all the pieces is cooler than the run of the mill barware. All for a price that made it a nice bargain

I received the Pinzon 8-Piece stainless-steel barware set manufactured in China for reviewing purposes. As a chef who specialized in catering, I have tended bar for many functions. As such, I tend to look at kitchen and bar items from a professional point of view. This barware set is no exception.

The barware set was delivered in a thick brown cardboard box which doubled as the product's protective packaging. The box works well for shipping, but may be a concern if giving this set as a gift. Every piece was packaged with the utensils secured to a layer of cardboard using two twist ties each. Expect to spend some time and effort to remove the set from the package and set it up.

The uninsulated bucket, measuring 4-3/4" tall and 5-1/2" in diameter at the top, holds about a quart of ice. I can't see this bucket holding enough ice to adequately serve a small group. The lack of insulation allows the ice to melt in a short time. The ice may melt before being used; expect to refill the bucket often. The tongs for the ice are thin compared to the rest of the utensils, but adequately handle the ice.

The utensil stand seems flimsy compared to the rest of the set, but stores and organizes the utensils nicely. However, a tab on the base made no sense to me or my other half for the first week of use. Instructions provided in the package state "Please visit www.amazon.com/pinzon for care instructions." This link is a product promotion page showcasing many available Pinzon items on Amazon; real instructions either don't exist or are hidden. I finally figured out what the tab is for though; it holds the tongs, by slipping them in to rest on their side.

The stir stick, bar knife, bottle opener, strainer, and double jigger are sturdily constructed and has a nice weight and feel. The bottle opener works, but isn't effectively design for use. Opening the bottles quickly enough for several people is a challenge. The bar knife struck me as useless right out of the package. Trying to keep an open mind, I gave it a try anyway only to validate my suspicions. The knife can barely saw through the rind of a lime, and if it does requires a ridiculous amount of effort.

I wouldn't use this set professionally, but it is not intended to. The bottle opener's design sacrifices effectiveness for aesthetics. Plus the ice bucket and bar knife don't measure up to my expectations. I won't be keeping this set, and don't recommend anyone looking for a serious bar set to purchase this one. However, it may make a nice gift for a person with a lightly used home bar.

PROS:
Looks pretty

CONS:
Small ice bucket not insulated
Useless bar knife
Nonexistent care instructions

I don't mix cocktails very often, so I am rating this mostly based on its looks. I like having nice things in my kitchen and stainless steel dominates. This set is extremely good looking and I love the fact that you can store tools in the compact bucket.

Unfortunately all the complaints that other reviewers have posted here are true. The knife cannot cut, the bottle opener is difficult to use and the ice bucket is not insulated. However, for someone like me who only uses bar tools occasionally it's practical enough and has a very reasonable price. And did I mention the esthetical value?

This stainless steel set is dishwasher safe and looks great. The handles are weighted so it doesn't feel cheap when you are using them. The ice bucket is nice and it holds more than enough ice for a cocktail party for family gatherings. The strainer works, and fits on top of my shaker that I got at Target just fine. I love the double jigger since it has a handle and I don't have to worry about spilling alcohol on my hands when I am pouring.

The knife will cut fruit for cocktails, but it is not super sharp and requires some effort. The bottle opener opened a bottle of Michelob Ultra with no problems.

The set looks a bit cluttered on the stand when displayed, but it is nice to be able to keep them all organized.

This is a very nice looking set, and if you want something ascetically pleasing, this works.

In conclusion, this is a high quality barware set that anyone can appreciate. Great for personal use, and makes great gifts.

I [...] was so surprised at the quality of it when it arrived. Its everything it promises in the pictures and description. If I ever get the chance to pick it up at a price like that again I am going to order several to stash in the closet as wedding / birthday gifts for friends.

Meh... I bought this based primarily on others' good reviews. The tools have a nice heavy feel to them, but the stand is very flimsy, and the bucket is tiny.

As seen on the picture, the stand has a round base and a central support to which all tools attach; when I've recieved mine, the central support was slightly bent so that it was not 100% vertical, I corrected the problem by bending it. It felt that one more "correcton" (God forbids if needed in the future) will cause the central support to break off of the base.

The ice bucket is very very small and has a single-wall construction.

It is an OK set for $21. However, I saw a significantly better quality set at a Crate&Barrel store for 3x the price though...

This is a pretty cute, cunctional bar set, but I do have a few complaints about it. One, it doesn't come with a shaker... which seems like an essential for any bar set. Two, the included tool stand appears to only work when it's sitting IN the ice bucket, which is frankly mystifying... it tips over immediately if it's not in the ice bucket, because it's very topheavy. The third issue is that it doesn't come with a pamphlet or anything, not even a picture, that explains how the tools are supposed to sit in the stand, which resulted in my fiddling around with it trying to get it to stand upright until I struck upon putting it in the ice bucket.

The tools themseves are quite nice quality, and I'll probably just store them in a drawer.

I don't feel it is worth the $30 price, the bottle opener and the knife aren't good for much but looks, the bucket is too tiny and with no insulating properties or lid, the ice will melt very fast. The tongs are ok, the stirer is nice but the spingy metal thing that I am guessing is the whisk is weird looking and I feel would scratch whatever it is used in, it looks like it is to fit onto something but I can't figure out what? The box is plain and there are no instructions or even graphics to show how this thing is to look so it would not be good for a gift even if the rest of the set were nicer, the jigger is nice and is balanced. This is just an OK set for someone that wouldn't be using this much.