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See why.The Best Smart Cocktail Devices
These gadgets are meant to take the guesswork and effort out of crafting cocktails. Are any of them worth the price?
By Published Mar. 7, 2023
Our winning smart scale and app, the Perfect Drink Pro, is currently out of stock. We are in contact with the manufacturer and will update this story when the winner is available again.
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See Everything We Tested
What You Need To Know
Smart cocktail devices are all the rage, but some are more trouble than they’re worth. We think most people should skip the pricey, bulky automatic machines that use concentrated capsules. The drinks they produce are mostly dull and unappetizing. If you’re interested in learning more about crafting cocktails and want the guidance of a reliable app to do the measuring for you, we recommend the Perfect Drink Pro Smart Scale & Recipe App. The scale accurately weighs each cocktail component, and the app guides you through cocktail-making step by step. We were impressed with the number of recipes available and found both the app and the scale generally easy to use.
What You Need to Know
There are two types of smart cocktail devices on the market. Some are automatic machines that work similarly to Keurig or Nespresso coffee makers. They use prepackaged capsules that contain concentrated juices, bitters, and other flavorings necessary to make specific cocktails. Barcodes on the sides of the capsules direct the machines to mix with corresponding spirits and water drawn from separate bottles through a system of pumps and tubes. These machines allow you to customize the strength of your drink, from nonalcoholic to “strong.”
There are also smart scales or “coasters,” which work in conjunction with their respective cocktail recipe apps on a phone or tablet via Bluetooth. These devices walk you through cocktail recipes step by step by indicating how much of each ingredient to pour and lighting up when you’ve added the right amount. One model includes a Bluetooth-enabled mixing tumbler that wirelessly mixes the cocktail using a motorized paddle.
We were interested in whether either type of device could simplify the process of making excellent cocktails. For the most part we weren’t impressed, but we did find one model to recommend.
What to Look For
- Fully Customizable Ingredients: The best cocktails are made with fresh ingredients, so we think you should only pay for devices that will help you use and mix those ingredients properly. If you want your drinks to be delicious, avoid packaged capsules (more on this in a minute). Our favorite smart scale worked with whatever ingredients we had on hand and didn’t limit us with expensive capsules. The scale also allowed us to use more liquors than the small handful installed on the automated machines. If we wanted to use a higher-quality spirit for a special occasion, we could just reach for it instead of having to remove and replace the bottles on the automatic machines.
- Simple Controls and Displays: We preferred uncluttered displays that only listed a few words or ...
Everything We Tested
Recommended
- Performance: 2.5 stars out of 3.
- Controls: 2.5 stars out of 3.
- Setup/Cleaning: 3 stars out of 3.
This scale was accurate, reliable, and durable. It was easy to connect to multiple tablets and phones via Bluetooth, and it communicated accurately and efficiently with its accompanying app. The app itself was organized and generally easy to use, with hundreds of customizable cocktail recipes. The app and the scale displays were both a smidge busy during the drink-making process, but we easily grew accustomed to using them together. We think it’s a good resource for people who want to try new cocktail recipes or ingredients without searching online or fussily measuring small amounts by volume. The scale has a capacity of 13 pounds and can be used to measure other ingredients outside of cocktail-making.
Not Recommended
- Performance: 1 stars out of 3.
- Controls: 2.5 stars out of 3.
- Setup/Cleaning: 2 stars out of 3.
Though this machine’s drinks were a touch more flavorful and balanced than those from other models, they were still far worse than those made with fresh ingredients. We liked that we could simply attach liquor bottles to this machine rather than decant them into other machines’ required bottles. Its controls were also usually easy to interpret and use. But when we inserted capsules and closed the lid to lock them in place, the capsule housing often felt so flimsy and fragile that we thought it might break. It housed five spirit bottles and allowed us to make a few more drinks than its competitors, but the machine was taller and bulkier as a result. Although it’s the best of the automatic machines we tested, we were mostly unimpressed and can’t recommend it (especially for the price).
- Performance: 1 stars out of 3.
- Controls: 2.5 stars out of 3.
- Setup/Cleaning: 1.5 stars out of 3.
This compact Bartesian model has more responsive controls and is made with sturdier materials than its larger counterpart. It only has ports for two bottles of liquor, which made setup slightly faster but limited the number of drinks we could make. Its proprietary glass bottles were also difficult to install and detach. As with all the machines that use capsules, this model’s drinks were unappealing and not worth the cost or space needed to store it.
- Performance: 1 stars out of 3.
- Controls: 2 stars out of 3.
- Setup/Cleaning: 1.5 stars out of 3.
The flimsy plastic used to make this machine made it feel cheap. Its touch-screen display, which faced straight up, was hard to view, and it didn’t always work properly when we tried to change settings or make drinks. Its generic glass bottles were easy to fill, but they were difficult to install and made a mess when we removed them. Most important, its capsule-based cocktails were either unappealingly sweet or dull and flat. All in all, it was not worth its price.
- Performance: 0.5 stars out of 3.
- Controls: 0.5 stars out of 3.
- Setup/Cleaning: 1.5 stars out of 3.
This “smart” coaster is designed to glow with multicolored lights that guide users through the cocktail crafting process. It didn’t work. We had trouble connecting it to our devices via Bluetooth, which led to frequent mistakes mid-pour when the signal was dropped. Its accompanying app was also poorly designed It was difficult to find drink recipes, and it took too long to load. Even when the coaster seemed to be working, we still had trouble accurately pouring the correct ingredient amounts because the flashing lights and app interface were both difficult to follow. The coaster was also inaccurate when tested with laboratory weights. The included mixing cup whirred constantly while in use, spraying liquid everywhere as we poured. The first coaster we tested stopped working completely after a couple weeks. We tested an additional copy, which was plagued by the same glitches.
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The mission of America’s Test Kitchen Reviews is to find the best equipment and ingredients for the home cook through rigorous, hands-on testing.
Chase Brightwell
Chase is an associate editor for ATK Reviews. He's an epidemiologist-turned-equipment tester and biscuit enthusiast.
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