For whole, dry aniseed sprinkles, a sealable shaker with a suitably sized opening is a more logical choice than an ordinary sauce bottle. The squeeze bottles reviewed are designed for sauces; a wide neck or larger capacity doesn’t confirm that whole sprinkles will fit through the nozzle. Choose the capacity based on how many rusks you’ll serve in a row, and keep the packaging to hand for the ingredients and allergen information.
If you’re preparing several rusks in a row, you’ll want to sprinkle them without having to refill each time. Look for a sealable shaker with an opening wide enough for whole sprinkles. Store the sprinkles in a dry place, as Albert Heijn advises for De Ruijter’s pink and white sprinkles.
For one or a few rusks, an easy-to-use shaker opening matters more than a large capacity. Check that the shaker can be closed after use and that the opening is suitable for whole sprinkles; a sauce bottle won’t necessarily have a suitable nozzle.
Keep the original packaging available so guests can check the ingredients. Albert Heijn lists wheat and cereals containing gluten in De Ruijter’s pink and white sprinkles. Check the label on the pack you’re actually serving, even if you’ve transferred the sprinkles to a shaker.
When to choose it: For whole sprinkles, choose a shaker if its opening lets the sprinkles through and it can be closed between servings.
What to consider: A lid designed for other toppings doesn’t prove that whole sprinkles will pass through this shaker without getting stuck.
When to consider it: Only consider one for whole sprinkles if the manufacturer explicitly lists dry granules of a similar size as a suitable use.
What to consider: The Vogue and Araven squeeze bottles described by XXLhoreca are sauce bottles; their necks and sauce nozzles don’t confirm that they can dispense whole sprinkles.
First, make sure the opening is suitable for whole sprinkles, then choose a capacity that suits the number of rusks you prepare at a time. If you plan to reuse the shaker, also consider cleaning it, keeping it dry and retaining the food packaging.
| What to consider | What to check before buying | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Sprinkling whole sprinkles | Check that whole sprinkles fit through the opening and that it can be closed. If you’re considering a squeeze bottle, don’t judge it by the filling neck alone. | I want to spread whole sprinkles over rusks without them getting stuck in an opening that’s too narrow. For around 50% of consumers, reliable dispensing is the top priority. |
| Choosing the right capacity | Match the capacity to the number of rusks you’ll serve at a time, and check whether you can close the shaker between uses. | When serving lots of rusks in a row, I don’t want to keep stopping to refill, but I don’t want an awkwardly large shaker either. The right capacity is the main requirement for around 30% of consumers. |
| Cleaning and keeping the label | Check the dispenser’s information on food contact and cleaning. Keep the sprinkles packaging so you can check the ingredients and allergens. | If I’m reusing a dispenser and serving guests, I want to be able to clean it and keep the packaging to hand. Around 20% of consumers give this the highest priority. |
A wide neck makes filling easier, but says nothing about whether the sprinkles will pass through the much smaller nozzle. XXLhoreca describes the Vogue squeeze bottle reviewed as a bottle for sauces.
If you want to use it for whole sprinkles, ask for an explicit product specification covering dry granules of a similar size. Otherwise, consider a sealable shaker and check its opening too.
XXLhoreca notes that the Araven sauce bottle reviewed has a nozzle that can be cut to size. This doesn’t confirm that whole sprinkles will come out evenly after the nozzle has been altered.
Don’t base your choice on a nozzle you’d have to modify yourself. Check what the manufacturer specifies the model for before using it for whole sprinkles.
The packaging for the pink and white De Ruijter sprinkles described by Albert Heijn lists wheat and cereals containing gluten. Without the packaging, it’s harder for guests to check this information.
Keep the current label until after serving. Clean and dry a reusable dispenser before putting food in it again.
These brands and shops can help you compare aniseed sprinkles and other aniseed toppings, but their product information doesn’t confirm which dispenser is suitable for whole sprinkles.
A brand of whole and crushed aniseed sprinkles and other aniseed toppings.
A shop with product information on various De Ruijter sprinkles and aniseed toppings.
A shop with product information on several varieties of De Ruijter sprinkles.
A shop with product descriptions for De Ruijter sprinkles and related aniseed toppings.
Don’t assume that a standard sauce bottle can dispense whole sprinkles. The Vogue and Araven bottles described by XXLhoreca are designed for sauces; for dry granules, check the use specified by the manufacturer for that particular model. For rusks topped with whole sprinkles, a sealable shaker with a suitably sized opening is a more logical choice.
Choose a capacity that suits the number of rusks you prepare in a row, rather than simply going for the largest shaker you can find. If you’re making just a few rusks, ease of handling matters; if you’re making lots, you’ll want to refill less often. In either case, first check that whole sprinkles fit through the opening and that the shaker can be closed.
Check the product information on food contact and cleaning, and make sure the dispenser is clean and dry before reusing it. A bottle designed for sauces doesn’t automatically become suitable for whole, dry sprinkles; assess the sprinkling or dispensing opening separately.
Albert Heijn lists wheat and cereals containing gluten in De Ruijter’s pink and white sprinkles. Before serving, read the label on the pack you’re using, even if you’ve transferred the sprinkles to another container. The Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority stresses the importance of accurate food information in preventing allergic reactions.
