Stirred, not shaken, as James Bond would say. Of course, agent 007 drank martini, but we advise you to drink strictly coffee- and not alcohol. Let’s face it, stirrers aren’t that essential when it comes to brewing high-quality coffee, but they are a nice accessory.
What are Coffee Stirrers?
Simply put, they are small sticks used to mix coffee cream, sugar, and everything else one can put in his or her coffee. Some people like to fiddle with them, others don’t even notice them, but one thing is sure- coffee stirrers are an indispensable part of barista’s arsenal.
What are Coffee Stirrers Made of?
There are many types of coffee stirrers- for instance, metal coffee stirrers, wood coffee stirrers, etc. We’ll help you choose the right one for your brewing kit. Practically you can use any kind of material to make a coffee stirrer, provided that the material is heat-resistant and safe to use.
Moreover, all the products mentioned here can be used as stir sticks for cocktails, to mention only one potential use.
Some people just think that manual work is too much of a hustle- these customers will most certainly find electric coffee stirrers useful.
Different Types Of Coffee Stirrers
Various types of material can be used to make coffee stirrers. Most importantly, plastic, wood, metal are all used to make both one-use and reusable coffee stirrers. While the reusable option is seemingly much more “environment-friendly” and cool, it is possible to recycle most of the one-use coffee stirrers.
Metal Coffee Stirrers
As a rule, buying this type of product is a long-term solution. Stirrers made from metal are usually more expensive, flamboyant, and good-looking. Some people go so far as to make custom metal drink stirrers, which is needless to say, the best option if you want to maximize your creativity and amaze your guest with shiny pieces of barista equipment.
What metal are coffee stirrers made from? Usually, they are made from food-grade stainless steel. You can rarely find some other type of metal used for making metal coffee sticks, and if you do, be sure it’s food grade and safe for human use.
Wood Coffee Stirrers
Even a superficial reading of our product review will make it obvious that most wood coffee stirrers are not reusable. I mean, you’re practically expected to throw them away after use, as they change color the first time you use them. Most importantly, it would be extremely hard to clean and wash wood coffee stirrers, as manufacturers didn’t make them resistant enough.
Can you recycle wood coffee stirrers? Sure thing, it’s just important to find the right facility that can make use of this type of material. The most important thing is that the wood used to make coffee sticks shouldn’t be treated chemically or painted. Luckily most wood coffee sticks are not painted and don’t contain any kind of chemicals, which is why they can be recycled.
Are wooden coffee stirrers compostable? Yes, provided that you make sure that there are no chemicals or paint. Simply make wood scraps out of coffee sticks you don’t want to use anymore, and put them in the compost bin.
Plastic Coffee Stirrers
We’ve already mentioned that there are both one-use and reusable plastic sticks for coffee. If you buy the reusable option, you’ll have to wash them nicely and thoroughly each time they are used.
“One-time” stirrers made from plastic are a good thing if you have a cafe or restaurant. On the other hand, if you really want to make a name for yourself, it might be a good option to buy a bunch of reusable stirrers, and add a bit of style to your service.
Are plastic coffee stirrers safe?
When looking for the best plastic coffee stirrer, you’d want to look for BPA-free plastic. Bisphenol- A (BPA) is a dangerous organic component found in plastic products, proved to be linked with various sorts of diseases. So when you’re looking for nice plastic coffee stirrers, buy only BPA-free products. However, you always have to be aware that plastic might also contain other dangerous chemicals.
Can you recycle plastic coffee stirrers? Polypropylene (type 5 plastic)- the material most plastic coffee sticks are made from- is recyclable. However, recycling facilities might not accept plastic stirrers, as they are small, long, and hollow, which makes them particularly hard to process in standard recycling machines.
There is a solution though- you can simply put the stirrers you want to recycle in a plastic (polypropylene) container, and send them to the facility. The same process works with plastic straws. However, ecologists warn us that most of the time more energy is needed to recycle polypropylene than to produce it in the first place.
In other words, not buying one-use plastic stirrers may be a good solution, at least if you want to keep it “green”.
To Use Electric Coffee Stirrers Or Not?
There are actually no specific coffee stirrers that have an electric mechanism built-in. However, there are milk frothers which are suitable to be used also as coffee stirrers- this would usually be the most expensive option (not that expensive).
In my opinion, electric coffee stirrers are really unnecessary- you would complicate the things, and coffee stirring isn’t that demanding or anything.
Diversity Of Use And Different Types Of Coffee Stirrers
While most products on our list are heavily advertised and are allegedly suitable also for cocktails, iced coffees, dense, thick juices, not all are equally diverse. For example, using a plastic coffee stirrer for very dense drinks is maybe not a good idea, because these products are rather fragile.
Of course, if you have thousands of them you don’t have to worry, but if you bought just a few custom plastic coffee stirrers, you would want to keep them and use them over a wider timespan.
List of 10 Best Coffee Stirrers:
 | Sticks by Kivwi – Coffee Stirrers |
| Check On Amazon |
 | Crystalware – Plastic Stir Straw |
| Check On Amazon |
 | Creative Converting 24 Count - Wavy Plastic Stirrers |
| Check On Amazon |
 | Tennis Racquet Cocktail Stirrers - Tikizone |
| Check On Amazon |
 | Bamboo Stir - Stick by Tweeted Coffee |
| Check On Amazon |
 | JSDOIN Stainless Steel - Coffee Beverage Stirrers |
| Check On Amazon |
 | Beverage Stirrers - Homestia |
| Check On Amazon |
 | Small Round Stainless Steel Swizzle - Purefold |
| Check On Amazon |
 | APHSE Electric - Milk Frother and Stirrer |
| Check On Amazon |
 | Plastic Snowflake - Royer Corporation |
| Check On Amazon |
1. No products found. – Coffee Stirrers
These are high-quality stirrers with great experiences from customers, and with really good reviews and comments.
Kivwi sticks are made of wood, but they do not leave wood or splinters in beverages.
Also, this type of stirrers is a more economical option than plastic ones and bamboo ones. Kivwi stirring sticks are extra thick, which sets them apart from other wooden coffee stirrers.
There are 500 of them in just one package, which means that you’ll practically forget the last time you bought them- just be sure to replenish them as soon as you can!
As only natural birch wood was used to make Kivwi products, they can be recycled.
- 100% natural product
- Birch wood
- 30% more thick than the competition
- Non-reusable
- You’ll always have to buy new ones
2. No products found. – Plastic Stir Straw
It’s funny that a plastic product is made by a company that’s called Crystalware! Although these are some of the most popular coffee stirrers on the market, they are not that good.
This is why we’ve decided to include it here- to show you why even the best plastic sticks for coffee are far below both wooden and metal coffee stirrers.
In hot beverages (coffee, tea, hot chocolate), these stirrers bend and the plastic is weak. The use of this in cold beverages, such as cocktails, is really recommended. The ability to sip and use it as straw is great to take a little taste of your drink.
Sure thing Crystalware plastic stir straws are extremely cheap. 2000 of them for only 5 bucks!
- Extremely cheap
- Hard to recycle
- Bad quality of plastic- will bend
3. No products found. - Wavy Plastic Stirrers
These plastic sticks are as cute as it gets! Plastic wavy stirrers are great for all types of drinks, cold or warm. It’s BPA free which is a nice thing to see- remember that you’re only supposed to look for Bisphenol-A- free plastic.
You’ll receive a package of 24 plastic wavy stirrers, in 4 different colors (white, blue, green and red). The coffee sticks are approximately 7 inches long.
They are great, but in cold and drinks with ice cubes, you can find it hard to stir and some may break.
- Cute-looking
- They come in all sorts of colors
- BPA-free polypropylene
- May break when faced with iced coffee
4. No products found. - Tikizone
Another creative solution for mixing your coffee- this time, beautiful coffee sticks come in the form of tennis racquets.
Creative little tennis racquets made just to stir your favorite drink and beverage, made in a lot of colors (red, orange, yellow and blue.
Not cheap, recommended for home use, considering that there are only 20 of them in a package.
There’s one flaw though- the stirrer you see on Amazon might not be the same as the one you’ll receive- one customer warned us about this.
This might be an isolated incident, but keep this in mind. Also, note that the manufacturer didn’t specify if their stirrers are BPA-free.
- Nice-little tennis racquets
- A lot of colors
- Maybe not BPA-free which is a big problem
- May not look as good as the picture on Amazon
5. No products found. - Stick by Tweeted Coffee
This product is a little different than the others because it is best used when grounds are being brewed. It is great for coffee that is served in a glass. Beautiful looks, great finish, light color, easily cleaned up.
Not so cheap, many complain about the price, and not getting anything special for this money.
The manufacturer recommends this product to be used with French Press makers- thanks to special bamboo, you won’t scratch or crack the Bodum press or any other kind of glass carafe.
This stirrer is completely biodegradable, it can be washed and cleaned- best by handwash. As you’re using it, it might change the color a bit but this is all fine.
- Biodegradable
- Made from high-quality bamboo
- Some customers find it too expensive
6. No products found. - Coffee Beverage Stirrers
With this product, we’re entering the area of high-quality reusable stainless steel coffee stirrers. JSDOIN products are made from 304 stainless steel, which is safe for human use and won’t affect your health.
You can wash JSDOIN stir sticks in a dishwasher, or by hand, whatever may be your choice.
It is multifunctional- although these metal coffee stirrers are primarily used for caffeine beverages, they can also be used with cocktails and other beverages.
Finally, JSDOIN stirrers have special rectangular paddles that will mix the drinks perfectly.
- Made from high-quality stainless steel
- Efficient rectangular paddles
- Practically perfect ratings from customers
7. No products found. - Homestia
I have to be honest, these are the most beautiful-looking metal coffee stirrers. They come in a wide variety of shapes- there are skull-shaped stir stick tips, pineapple, etc.
Otherwise, they are classic metal stir sticks- non-corrosive, durable, and made from stainless steel.
Needless to say, it’s BPA-free, and will serve a lot of needs- you can, of course, use it to make your coffees more classy, for hot cocoa, fruit juice, even whiskey, and hot tea.
The stirring tip is round and won’t cause any nasty scratches or cracks.
Customers are absolutely amazed by this product, but some mention that they are a bit fragile.
- Creative and beautiful
- A lot of different shapes
- Might be fragile
8. No products found. - Purefold
These are rather standard stainless steel swizzles-stirrers. They look like small tennis racquets, but you put the racquet part in your hand.
This is an elegant piece of equipment, sleek and neat.
Maybe it’s a bit expensive product, costing about 7 bucks for only 4 pieces- but you’ll get 4 reusable sticks for stir, and honestly, that should be enough.
There are practically no negative reviews of this product- these metal stirrers will do what they are supposed to do.
- Classic-standard looks
- Very good customer reviews
9. No products found. - Milk Frother and Stirrer
This is the only electric coffee stirrer on our list. To be frank, this is actually milk frother, but you can also use it to nicely mix your drink. Yes, you will look a bit weird if you take out this thing and start stirring your drink, but who cares.
Besides looking a bit eccentric, using this as a coffee stirrer will also be a bit expensive- 10 bucks for only one stirrer.
It’s nice and metallic and will do the job just right if we are to believe what the customers say to us.
- Electrical stirrers are always more efficient
- Good customer reviews
- Perhaps not necessary- manual stirrers are good on their own
10. No products found. - Royer Corporation
Perfect gifts for Christmas- these little snowflakes are made in the USA, which means that you’ll support American laborers.
The product’s description is a bit misleading. These snowflakes are made from plastic, but the description later says that the stirrer is “crystal”.
This is what some customers noticed and found a bit unfair.
The rest is completely fine. These are perhaps not the cheapest product on our list- for practically the same amount of money you can get almost thousands of standard plastic coffee stirrers.
- Beautiful-looking snowflakes
- Product’s description is a bit misleading
Best Coffee Stirrers FAQ:
How long are coffee stirrers?
There are many different lengths of coffee stirrers, but usually, they are somewhere around 6”. The rule of the thumb is- the longer the better. There are many types of glasses, and you don’t want to have a stirrer that falls right into the glass.
How are wooden coffee stirrers made?
We’ve mentioned that they are usually made from birch wood. The same facilities that are used for making matchsticks and other cheap wooden products are most possibly also used to make wood coffee stirrers.
How to make flavored coffee stirrers?
This is a nice idea, but you’ll have to find a way to make something that won’t melt as soon as you put it into your coffee. You can maybe stir your drink with a flavored lollypop. If you want to make your own, you can make candy-like sticks that are solid, but “meltable”. Also, freezing some natural fruit juice might be an interesting option, at least if you drink iced coffee. In hot coffee, frozen juice will melt quite fast.
What to do with coffee stirrers?
Simply put them in your drink and mix! It’s not really rocket science. If you’ve chosen the electric alternative, you’ll have even fewer tasks to do. Simply put the electric coffee stirrer in your beverage and turn on!
Why are coffee stirrers hollow?
These would be the standard stirrers/straws. Some of the products we’ve mentioned here are hollow, so you can also use them as straws. Mostly, these are plastic coffee stirrers, and as you should know by now, they are hard to recycle. So if you come across, hollow coffee stirrers, you’d have to take into consideration that you won’t be able to recycle them.
Why do coffee stirrers have holes?
To allow for the free flow of liquid. As mentioned, some stirrers are rather fragile, and having holes means that the stirrers won’t break as easily.
Conclusion
As Bob Marley would say: Stir it up! Take your coffee presentation to the next level by buying a nice set of coffee stirrers. I have tried to mention all relevant types of coffee stirrers, and find the best products on the market.
I have to say that metal stirrers are perhaps the best option. But we have to be careful not to overestimate the ecological value of these products- while plastic coffee stirrers are really non-environmentally friendly, metal sticks for coffee also have to be made, and often the metal industry processes are rather “dirty” for the environment.
However, when you buy metal coffee stirrers, provided that you take good care of them- you won’t ever have to buy another stirrer.
Best Coffee Stirrer
In my opinion, Beverage Stirrers by Homestia are the best coffee stirrers on our list! Not only are they durable and robust, but also quite beautiful.
No products found.
Best Wood Coffee Stirrer
It’s a bit harder to choose the best product in this category, as most wooden stir sticks for coffee are all the same. However, we still think that Kivwi wood coffee stirrers are the best. You’ll get a lot of them for a really small price- you can always recycle them, and most customers are absolutely satisfied with their purchase.
No products found.
Top Rated Coffee Stirrers:
No products found.