Review: Ikea DROPPAR Oil & Vinegar Set

My quest for an oil dispenser for cooking has finally come to an end. Or has it?

Ikea DROPPAR Oil & Vinegar Set in the box

Configuration
x1 - Ikea DROPPAR, 3-piece oil & vinegar set:  US$ 9.99 (CA$ 12.99)

Video
In 33 seconds: Ikea DROPPAR Oil & Vinegar Set

Assembly
Does cutting a few pieces of tape on the box, taking the DROPPAR bottle and rack set out of the box, and then washing them count? I think it should. The box appeared to consist of a cardboard shell with a clear plastic shell going over top.

While washing the DROPPAR set, I noticed what appeared to be lacquer on the rack where the bottles sat. I believe, and I could be wrong, that there was something on the exterior of the stainless steel lids as well -- exterior side of threads. It didn't look like anything was on the interior where the contents of the bottle would come into contact with. However, I'm still at a loss as to why brushed stainless steel would require lacquer or a surface coating. Less shiny, duller, bare stainless steel would have been much more preferable to me.

Under the cap of an Ikea DROPPAR Oil & Vinegar bottle

Stability
I haven't had any tipping incidents yet with the Ikea DROPPAR oil and vinegar set, but the entire set is fairly slender with a narrow footprint and relatively tall height. No cap or fully seal-able lid was found with the set either. This could make tipping incidents a bit more of a mess than it should.

Expandability / Customizability
Goes well with other kitchen items?

How was it?
Anyway, the bottles appeared to work fine when first tested with water. I used a measuring cup and found that each could hold about 170 ml  -- product page on the website said 6 ounces. Assuming US fluid ounces, the stated volume appeared reasonably accurate. Water came out at a reasonable rate for me, not too fast or slow.

They were used for canola oil for cooking. For that, they poured oil at what I found to be a very controlled rate. This was a significant improvement compared to pouring straight from the 2 liter-ish bottle or from a wide-mouthed measuring cup. I used both bottles for canola oil. Each one appeared to last about a week before requiring a refill. Refilling was very simple since I had a small funnel handy.

The DROPPAR set I purchased may have been a newer design because the one on display at the store seemed to have a slightly different design. There was a small hole on the top of the display model's steel lid -- I'm guessing for venting air to allow the contents to flow. This hole was not visible on either bottle that I purchased. What I did find was a short, plastic tube on the inside of the lid.

I found the rack to be unnecessary. It ended up on a shelf somewhere and will probably end up in the garbage or with a scrapper before the bottles do. Being allowed to buy the bottles separately would have been nice. The rack also didn't seem very well finished. I found the interior and bottom edges to be on the thin or rougher side.

And because the bottles didn't come with lids, I decided to go out and buy a plastic container for them. That turned out to be an expensive trip -- and mistake. While a cheaper option would have sufficed, I decided on a CA$ 21 Oxo POP container. Ya, that was overdoing it, and I eventually settled on making my own caps using paper towel and string. The container took up a lot of space on the counter, and a few layers of paper towel looked good enough for a 1 to 2 week turnover rate given the small opening. Total cost of each cap was 10 minutes of time and maybe 5 cents worth of materials. Woops.

Conclusion
The DROPPAR bottles have worked out so far. They were attractive and worked. However, the rack turned out to be extraneous. I also think that I found some lacquer or surface coating on some stainless steel surfaces that I didn't care for.