Muddler Efesto 25cm Lumian, 18/10 Stainless Steel

A muddler’s length is chosen on the deepest glass you work in, not the most common one. A 19cm or 21cm muddler is fine in an old fashioned glass, but in a 400ml highball it barely reaches: the fingers end up on the rim or in the drink, which is awkward and not something to do in front of a guest.

At the other end, a 35cm muddler solves the depth and becomes unwieldy in a short glass, where the long handle knocks about. The Efesto sits in the middle: it reaches into a tall tumbler and a shaker tin without the hand going into the liquid, and stays easy to handle in a rocks glass. That is why the middle size is usually the one that stays in the hand.

It is the alloy of professional cutlery: non-porous, it does not absorb or hold odours, and it takes the acidity of lime and lemon without clouding. On a tool that crushes fresh fruit dozens of times a day, that is the most concrete advantage over wood, which has to be dried carefully and over the years takes on the smell of what it has pressed.

Against polymer, the gain is rigidity: no flex, no edge wearing round, and the dishwasher does not warp it.

Specifications

• Material: 18/10 stainless steel
• Length: 25cm
• Weight: 250g (declared)
• Head: toothed
• Shape: slender, with a shaped grip
• Dishwasher safe: yes

The movement is always the same: press towards the bottom and turn a quarter turn, two or three times. On lime and sugar you can keep going, because the aim is to break the cells and release the oils in the peel, which is the job the toothed head is for. On mint, press once and gently: a torn leaf releases chlorophyll, and with chlorophyll comes bitterness. It is the difference between a fresh Mojito and a dark green one that tastes of grass, and it depends on the hand, not the muddler.

A heavy steel muddler in a thin glass can chip or break it. That is not a fault of the tool, it is physics: a glass base a few millimetres thick is not designed to take a metal body coming down hard. Use the Efesto with the controlled pressure its weight allows, and with thin glassware keep a wooden or polymer muddler alongside.

Metal suits lime, sugar, ginger and firm fruit, where pressure is needed and mass helps. It does not suit leaves, which want a light press, or delicate glasses. On a busy bar the answer is not to choose: it is to have two, one in steel for the heavy work and one in wood or polymer for mint and thin glass. Together they cost less than an average bottle, and you stop compromising on every drink.

The Efesto goes in the dishwasher with no special care: it is bare steel, with no plating to cloud. Rinse it straight after muddling citrus all the same, not for the steel but for the pulp, which dries in the grooves of the grip and is harder to shift later.

FAQ

How long is the Efesto muddler? 25cm, the middle size between a 19cm short muddler and a 35cm long one.

What steel is the Efesto made from? 18/10 stainless, the alloy of professional cutlery: non-porous and resistant to citrus acids.

Does it work for mint? Yes, with one gentle press. Bars making a lot of Mojitos keep a wooden muddler alongside too.

Could it break a glass? On thin glassware, yes, if you strike instead of pressing and turning.

Is it dishwasher safe? Yes, it is uncoated steel: no special care.

Dispatched from Rome, Italy. To compare lengths and materials, see the muddler guide.