A shaker looks like the simplest branded item there is. It is also the one most likely to end a relationship with a brand, because it fails inside somebody’s bag.

Ask whether the lid was tested

Filled, closed, inverted — a real test with a real result.

If the answer is the word ‘leakproof’, you have your answer.

Look at the mouth, not the colour

A hand and a brush have to reach the base, or it starts to smell.

Narrow shoulders are where residue hides and programmes die.

Choose the mixer on purpose

Ball for thick powders, agitator for quiet rooms, mesh in between.

And insist the ball is stainless, not plated.

Match the print to the wall

Plastic flexes; rigid processes crack at the fold lines.

Steel should be engraved, full stop.

Then enjoy the colourway

Seasonal drops, club editions, welcome bottles — safely secondary to all four decisions above.