The Best Syrup/Honey Dispensers

This dispenser’s spring-loaded spout cover worked like a charm. Pushing the lever let us open it any amount from a sliver to fully open, so we could pour neatly and precisely while controlling the flow. Releasing the lever let it slide smoothly and shut completely for no-drip handling. It was easy to fill and clean, too. One quibble: The glass jar isn’t microwave-safe, so we had to heat syrup in a separate vessel and then transfer it. On the plus side, the ridged glass jar stayed comfortable to hold as we replaced the lid, even when the syrup was fairly hot.

This pricey dispenser has a spring-loaded spout cover that opens smoothly. Too bad it doesn’t actually work to control the flow of syrup: It was either fully open or closed, and the rate of the flow was up to your pouring arm, not the dispenser. The results? Initially messy pouring and a steep and sticky learning curve. And if the cover wasn’t fully open, the syrup would flow back onto the lid, causing drips and mess. Attractive and solidly built, with a wide opening for filling and cleaning, this is basically a covered pitcher.

Unlike the other models, this attractive vessel dispenses syrup from the bottom of the container, which sits in a glass base that can be filled with warm water to help keep honey or syrup soft and flowing. It works beautifully, dispensing neatly and precisely—until it’s time to refill, an awkward, messy process that one disappointed tester called “a real deal breaker.” The chrome-painted plastic lid and dispensing plug felt flimsy and cheap, and the dispenser can’t go in the microwave or dishwasher.

This dispenser has no metal parts, so you can pop the whole thing into the microwave, and its thick plastic walls held heat for a long time. We liked its large capacity, too. But the flimsy plastic spout cover never closed properly, and testers were surprised by how much syrup unexpectedly gushed out, drenching pancakes and splashing outside our paper circles with abandon. Unless you are a big fan of Jackson Pollock, pass this one by.

With a too-tight spring-loaded lever and a sharp-edged handle, this dispenser was uncomfortable for most testers and offered no help with control, since its spout cover had only two positions—fully open or closed. When we did try to use it to limit flow, some syrup flowed back onto the lid, making a sticky, drippy mess. The small spout opening meant that thicker honey emerged at a maddening trickle. You can put the glass portion in the microwave, but the thinness of the glass made the jar too hot to handle, and potholders slipped off its tapered shape as we tried to screw on the lid. The lid itself felt lightweight, and threading it onto the jar usually took a few tries.