Good Question: Best Honey Dispenser?

We've been drinking gallons of lemon-ginger-honey tea to ward off winter colds, and so we can sympathize with reader Hildy, who is looking for a better honey dispenser.

Do you have any good ideas about how to store and dispense honey? The honey bear squeeze bottles make it easy to squeeze out a bit for tea, but I often buy honey in different or larger jars, and it's not easy to dispense into those tiny plastic bear jars. Is there a good squeeze bottle that you can recommend? Or what about honey pots? Do they work?

Hildy, we would love some good ideas for this as well. Honey is one thing we don't often buy in bulk because of this very issue: transfer and cleanup are so sticky.

Honey can, however, be warmed until it is much more liquid and runny. We suggest warming honey in the microwave on low power, or by submerging the jar in a pan of gently simmering water. When it is very liquid, use a funnel to pour the honey from jar to jar, or into a more convenient dispenser.

We don't have a perfect dispenser either, but here are a few that look intriguing.

• Honey & Syrup Dispenser (pictured above). $15.95 at Chef's Catalog. This dispenser looks intriguing because it comes with a little dish to catch any leftover drips. We like how the honey pours out from the bottom instead of the top, too. Plus it's rather cute.

• Honey Jar, $38 at Barbara Dunshee's Etsy shop. This handmade pot is pretty and could be used with a honey wand. Frankly, we find these setups a little more sticky, but more charming than a squeeze bottle.

• Satin Steel and Glass Syrup/Honey Dispenser, $35 at Amazon. This is a very practical dispenser that gets good reviews at Amazon for being dripless and easy to clean up.

Any more honey storage and dispensing ideas for Hildy?

(Images: Chef's Catalog and Honeybee Harvest)

Comments (10)

What about containers that are less likely to spill or leak, for those of us who keep honey in our desks at work?

Lightly oil a funnel and pour it into the bear. Much less stickiness. Works for measuring cups, too.

I like the bottom pourer, though... my bear spends a lot of time on his head gathering those last drops.

Consider raw, never-heated honey. It's creamy instead of runny, so you can use a spoon without making a mess. If you ever need to liquefy it to drizzle over a dish, you can put a little into a bowl and microwave a few seconds.

Trader Joe's! The spout is already on the bottom and it has a suction on the spout so when you release the bottle it sucks the honey back in. It comes in a large size, I think 24oz. I use honey everyday of my life and TJ's bottle lasts at least two months.

I love raw honey, but keep in mind that microwaving raw honey undoes all the health benefits of eating raw in the first place! That's straight from the bee keeper I get my honey from.

I really like the honey and syrup dispenser...

I second the Trader Joe's honey container! I'm a big honey user and this is the only container that NEVER leaks or even TRIES to. I've used those honey pots which are HUGE messes and the bears, but the bears leak when you turn them on the heads.

TJ's, TJ's, TJ's!

Powdered honey exists though I have not used it. Though I do use an Asian product that it powdered honey and powdered ginger together. These would convenient for drawer storage. There are also "honey straws", which are single servings of honey in a straw (duh). but these are pricey and not very green.

I've started reading food blogs recently, and I keep seeing Trader Joe's pop up. Unfortunately, it looks like all the stores are on the East and West side of the US, and none in the middle. Anyone know where a Texan might be able to get some of these products to try?

Also, it looks like that first honey dispenser is available from Amazon for a bit less: http://www.amazon.com/No-Drip-Syrup-Honey-Dispenser/dp/B0010EG70W/ref=pd_bbs_sr_3?ie=UTF8&s=home-garden&qid=1231280137&sr=8-3

For me, I will still go with the honey in bear bottle. It is still my favorite and almost everyone I know will say the same thing. Just select the design that suits you. Carefully inspect the bottle's quality and if it will spill easily.

In my opinion, it doesn't matter if it is a honey in bear bottle, in honey jar, in satin steel, in glass container, or etc. If the task of pouring my raw orange blossom honey on my food and drinks is done right without any mess, then it is already fine with me.