Maybe it's just the food styling and the deliciously frosty-looking drinks inside, but we are really drawn to these new drink dispensers from Pottery Barn.
These dispensers hold a healthy 2.5 gallons of water, juice, sparkling coolers, sangria, or whatever else you'd like to serve as picnic season gets underway.
We like the shape and size of these; Pottery Barn says the design was based on the distinctive curve of vintage hurricane lamps. Even though we usually prefer glass for this sort of thing, acrylic is lighter than glass, so they're easier to carry to the beach or park, and they're also good for those no-glass-allowed public spots.
They also come in several subtle colors: green, turquoise, and orange. We do find the price a little hefty - $59 apiece. But watch as the season moves along; these will probably go on sale by the middle of the summer.
• Pottery Barn Acrylic Drink Dispenser, $59
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They really are nice looking and the photo set ups make them very appealing - the last one, lemonaid on a log, has my mouth watering.
Boy if we weren't thirsty before, we are now.
Any word on the BPA content?
Whew that is pricey for an acrylic container.
I wish I had known about these before I bought a (pretty expensive) glass one. Every time I use it, I am so nervous about it sliding off of the table (it needs to be darn near off the edge already for the spout to be positioned correctly). It's especially nervewracking when we're outside on the patio.
Right now at Home Goods and Crate and Barrel, they are selling dispenser jars. They don't look as neat as these, but they made of glass and a little less expensive.
I don't understand why the spout is so high. There is going to be a bunch of liquid in the bottom that will require some maneuvering to get out.
these are pretty, but don't seem that practical for an actual picnic (vs. a cookout on a deck, for which a pitcher will do). no easy way to carry them, the lids look like they don't screw on (though perhaps i'm mistaken). i find that my cooler with spout is pretty hard to use on a picnic in the park, because it really needs to be set up on top of something. pretty, though.
I've always been curious as to how one cleans the spout from drink to drink?
They are beautiful, but a gallon of water weighs 8.3 pounds (approximately ---don't go all scientific on me). When filled, one of these would weigh about 20 pounds and I don't see any handles. I don't need that kind of trouble on a picnic, or even in my backyard. I might use one in my house, on a holiday.
I like the look of these and if they but the high spout does put one off. I just reuse a 5 gallon water cooler jug and bought a $10 dispenser for parties. I have also found plug in water coolers on craigslist for as little as $25 so you don't have to water down the drink with ice in the jug.
Consider these acrylic versions of the traditional glass containers used by Mexican cafes to serve Aqua Frescas. Less than $30 and no spout to worry about cleaning...just use a large stainless ladle!
http://www.mexgrocer.com/50409-87319.html
The spigot/spout can be unscrewed and removed for cleaning (don't lose the rubber washer!)
I never EVER drink anything that came through one of these spigots unless it's my own, or I absolutely know it has been cleaned.
The vast majority of people have no idea that you're supposed to remove the spigot to clean it, and they get moldy within a day.
I just bought a couple of these type of drink dispensers at WalMart for 6 bucks. They have cute colors too. I'm too cheap to pay that much.
They are beautiful, but I'm really hesitant to buy more plastics to store beverages that might sit out in the heat. I've been trying to deplasticize our lives as much as i can.
Costco has drink dispensers (nice glass one, but it is heavy) - for $30-$40 usually. Worth checking out!
And, my old standy - Big Lots! :)
I used the ones from Costco recently - one for strawberry lemonade and one for regular lemonade, both of which I made and there was lots of pulp. The strawberry one clogged immediately - we had to use a ladle - and the lemonade one was eventually pouring extremely slowly because of pulp in the spout. Since lemonade is such a summer beverage, it's hard to figure why they make the spouts so small and easily cloggable. I am tempted by the acrylic but that spout looks like the same problem waiting to happen. Also the mold thing is horrifying.