Compare
Tin-on-Tin vs Tin-on-Glass
The two ways to build a Boston shaker: two metal tins, or a tin and a mixing glass.
Which should you use?
Buy tin-on-tin. Two metal tins are lighter, chill the drink a little faster, seal more reliably and cannot break. A glass lets you watch the drink and doubles as a mixing glass, but it is heavier, slower to chill and the one part of a bar kit that can shatter in your hand when a seal is struck open.
| Dimension | Tin-on-tin | Tin-on-glass |
|---|---|---|
| Chilling | Fast; metal conducts cold into the drink and frosts on the outside | Slower at first; the glass itself has to cool |
| Seal | Reliable once the knack is learnt; opens with a firm strike | Good, but must be tapped open, not struck |
| Seeing the drink | No | Yes |
| Breakage | None | Possible, and dangerous when it happens |
| Weight | Light | Noticeably heavier to shake |
Using one in place of the other
The drink is the same either way. Switching from glass to tin means you can strike the seal harder; switching from tin to glass means you must not.
In the recipes on this site
Every shaken recipe on the site works with either. The choice changes how you shake, not what you can make.