Cocktail shakers, decanters, bar carts and the tools for a proper home bar.
A well-equipped home bar does not require a large space. A cocktail shaker set, a quality jigger, a decanter for display and a bar cart to organize everything covers most home entertaining needs. The guides here cover cocktail shakers, whiskey decanters, electric wine openers, bar carts and cocktail smoker kits by the specs and build quality that determine how long they hold up.
6 guides in this section
Bar glasses affect drink aeration, temperature retention, visual presentation and drinking experience. Glass type (rocks, highball, coupe, wine, pint), capacity in ounces, wall thickness, crystal versus standard glass construction and whether the set is dishwasher safe determine which bar glasses match the drinks being served.
4 picks · 5 sourcesUpdated September 28, 2026
A cocktail shaker set with strainer, jigger and bar spoon covers the three techniques that build most cocktails: shaking, straining and stirring without ice dilution.
4 picks · 5 sourcesUpdated September 27, 2026
A cocktail smoker kit infuses drinks with wood smoke in under 60 seconds using a hand-held pipe and a butane torch, adding a smoked flavor to Old Fashioneds, Negronis and whiskey neat pours.
4 picks · 4 sourcesUpdated September 27, 2026
An electric wine opener removes a cork in under 10 seconds with a single button press and ejects it from the corkscrew with a second press, removing the manual effort and hand strength required by traditional lever corkscrews.
4 picks · 4 sourcesUpdated September 27, 2026
A rolling bar cart stores spirits, glassware and bar tools on two shelves and moves to wherever guests are, serving as a dedicated display surface that keeps everything organized and accessible during parties.
4 picks · 4 sourcesUpdated September 27, 2026
A whiskey decanter displays the spirit at room temperature in glass rather than a bottle, and the wide-mouth stopper allows aeration on pouring, but whiskey does not improve in a decanter the way wine does in one.
4 picks · 5 sourcesUpdated September 27, 2026
