The Akira stainless steel mixing glass in brief
The Akira is Lumian’s stainless steel stirring vessel. It holds 750ml, stands 14cm tall, has a 9 x 9cm base and weighs 225g. It has two steel walls, with an air gap between them that insulates. The rim has a pouring lip. The finish is silver.
Why a stainless steel mixing glass instead of glass
Glass chips. One knock against the sink tap or the edge of the ice well during the rush, and the stirring glass has to go, because a chip on the rim ends up in the drink. A stainless steel mixing glass does not have that problem: it falls, at worst it dents, and it goes back into service.
The second reason is weight. Two hundred and twenty-five grams against the half kilo of a thick glass mixing glass: in cocktail bars that stir dozens of drinks a night, the wrist feels it. And steel goes to events and outside bars without worrying about transport.
At home it is the stirring vessel for anyone who wants to make a Negroni or a Manhattan as at the bar, without keeping fragile glass in the tool drawer.
How the double wall works
In a mixing glass the ice should chill the liquid, not the room. With a single wall, the hand holding the vessel passes heat to the drink and the ice melts faster; with two walls and air between them, the exchange stops at the outside. Lumian puts it this way: the insulation of the two walls holds the temperature during preparation. In practice dilution depends on stirring time, which the bartender decides.
The double wall has a second, visible effect: the outside stays dry and does not fog with condensation. The stainless steel mixing glass does not wet the bar top and does not slip through the fingers when lifted to pour.
The technique is the same as with glass. Fill with ice, add the ingredients, stir with the bar spoon, strain with a strainer resting on the rim. The pouring lip sends the liquid into the glass in a single stream.
Specifications
- Capacity: 750ml
- Height: 14cm
- Base: 9 x 9cm
- Weight: 225g
- Material: stainless steel, double wall
- Finish: silver
- Pouring: lip on the rim
- Dishwasher safe: not stated by the maker, hand wash
- MPN: Lumian L0489
- EAN: 8051511373444
- Pack quantity: 1
What to use with the Akira
Lumian pairs it with the Mercury Hawthorne strainer, whose spring adapts to the rim, or with a julep strainer. For glass, and the sight of the drink turning in front of the guest, there is the 700ml Ariake mixing glass, also by Lumian. All the models are in the mixing glass category.
It makes sense to keep several identical stainless steel mixing glasses, one per station: they stack under the counter with no risk of breaking each other.
The more you buy, the less you pay: 4 pieces -5%, 6 -7%, 8 -10%, on the same item.
Care
Hot water and mild detergent at the end of service. Dry straight away with a cloth, inside and out, so the polished steel dries without limescale marks. The maker does not state that it is dishwasher safe: hand washing is the careful choice, which also keeps water out from between the two walls if the rim takes a knock.
FAQ
How much does the Akira hold? 750ml. It is 14cm tall and weighs 225g.
Why a double wall? It insulates the drink from the hand and the air of the room, and the outside stays free of condensation.
Will it break if dropped? It is stainless steel: it does not chip like glass.
Which strainer fits on it? A spring Hawthorne such as the Lumian Mercury, or a julep strainer.
Dispatched from Rome, Italy.
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