Stuck... not shaken OR stirred!

February 15, 2005 5:48 PM

How do I pull apart the two pieces of my brand new and very gimlet-stuck martini shaker? I've tried hot water, cold water, tepid water, soap, and good ol'-fashioned brute force, all to no avail. Please help!
posted by Succa to food & drink (11 comments total)

Try hot AND cold water. I'm thinking stick the bottom/base in a bowl of very cold water in your sink. Hang the top over the side and run hot water just over the top. Top should expand, bottom should contract. Not much, but maybe enough between them. Then twist to break the seal.
posted by Man O' Straw at 6:01 PM on February 15, 2005

Flow a little light mineral oil, like baby oil, trombone slide oil, or Liquid Wrench into the seam. Wash thoroughly afterwards.
posted by ZenMasterThis at 6:06 PM on February 15, 2005

Perhaps it's a screw top?
posted by Neiltupper at 6:08 PM on February 15, 2005

Put it in a pot with water and boil it.
posted by lobstah at 6:43 PM on February 15, 2005

The shakers that close by friction can be next to impossible to get open sometimes. My next one is definitely going to be a screw-top.

Mine was once so stuck that I had to put the main body in a vise, attach locking pliers to the very top (the narrow part, where the cap goes on) and use the extra leverage to force it off.

Maybe I should have tried mineral oil.
posted by mr_roboto at 6:52 PM on February 15, 2005

Freeze it, then tap with a metal spoon or something along the lip?
posted by stavrosthewonderchicken at 6:57 PM on February 15, 2005

This has happened to me too. A neighbor opened it for me, but I don't know how. Would you be so kind as to post what works for you after you've tried all of these good tips?
posted by Juicylicious at 7:07 PM on February 15, 2005

I haven't any suggestions, but this story illustrates why professional bartenders don't use those kinds of shakers. They are popular in kitchen stores, but the pros normally use one of the following.The best kind of shaker is a clear, clean pint glass with a stainless shaker bottom inserted securely into it. Glass is a better insulator than stainless, so you can shake for quite some time without freezing your fingers (handy if you're mixing six or eight in a row). The second best is a screw-top stainless shaker., which at least will come apart. I once saw a bartender hurl a full, stuck friction-type shaker at his bar back, a tender lad of 17 who had innocently bought it to start his bartending career. They just ain't no good.
posted by Miko at 7:13 PM on February 15, 2005

Did you try laying it on its side (on a countertop, a table, whatever) and rolling it back and forth? Do it in kind of a jiggly motion, sort of fast. It should only take a few backs and forths.

I have a similar contraption and when it gets stuck, nothing else sets the inner glass part free like the lateral jiggly technique.
posted by contessa at 7:25 PM on February 15, 2005

And the winner is.....contessa! After a good 6-7 minutes of rolling, twisting, and squealing from the hand-pain, it finally popped open. Thanks all.
posted by Succa at 7:44 PM on February 15, 2005

(I should note that I soaked it in soap and hot water for a long time beforehand, which may have helped things along)
posted by Succa at 7:53 PM on February 15, 2005