Ice cream sticks

First, look at the jaws. Tongs with serrated or toothed tips hold a smooth, wet cube firmly, while tongs with flat jaws let it slip. At 18 cm, they are long enough to reach the bottom of a full bucket without getting your sleeve wet, and springy enough to squeeze with one hand.

Next, it comes down to material and appearance. Stainless steel is neutral, does not discolor, and suits almost any bar. Copper adds warmth and matches the rest of a copper bar set, but develops a darker patina over time. The clip version is practical if the tongs keep getting lost, because they hang from the bucket instead of sinking into it. Check out the matching ice buckets to make it a set.

Work from top to bottom. Pick up the top block, do not leave the tongs standing upright in the ice, and put them back on the edge or in the clip. Ice that you lower into the glass from a height of a few centimeters splashes less than ice that you drop into it.

For an old fashioned you use one large block, so tongs are practically essential: such a block does not fit in a scoop and slips out of your hand. For a gin and tonic you fill the glass to the brim with cubes, because a full glass melts more slowly than a half-filled glass and therefore dilutes your drink less. If you make large blocks yourself, check out the ice cube molds.

The stainless steel tongs are dishwasher safe and come out spotless as long as they do not rest against aluminium. Do rinse them after an evening with citrus, because acid leaves dull patches on stainless steel over time.

Copper needs more attention. Wash it by hand in lukewarm suds and dry it immediately, otherwise it tarnishes. Tongs that have darkened can be brought back to a shine with a little lemon juice and salt, but plenty of bars leave that patina exactly as it is, because it makes the bar look older than it is.

Looking for the rest of the tools? Check out the cocktail shakers, which also include jiggers, strainers, and bar spoons. If you first want to know which tools you really need to get started, the bar tools page lists everything. And if you're looking for the glass that the ice goes into, you'll find the heavy, low models under old fashioned glasses.