Tired of trying to pour your soy sauce out of a container that isn’t meant for pouring? A soy sauce dispenser is great if you cook or eat a lot of Asian food. And the best soy sauce dispensers don’t just pour your soy sauce in a controlled way, they also look great on your table and accentuate the atmosphere.
Of course finding the best soy sauce dispenser isn’t rocket science, but there are a lot of choices and if you don’t want to end up buying something crappy, then take a minute to read my real reviews and get yourself something that is safe and will last, hopefully a lifetime.
I’ve only listed four glass dispensers and a few porcelain ones as I feel the rest are just the same, or don’t have the quality these do. No need to waste our time listing or reading a list of reviews for a bunch of bad products.
Things to Look For
Make sure that the item you’re buying is BPA and dishwasher safe. You want food grade materials and I highly suggest using either glass or porcelain so no plastic leeches out into your sauces. Yes, this can happen.
It will change the taste not to mention the chemicals you’ll ingest. They may be trace amounts, but if you have a lot of plastic ware in your home, these traces add up over time.
Plus glass and porcelain are much better for the environment and are sustainable resources. And they just look a LOT better! So spend the extra few cents and get something that safe and durable.
Having a plastic top isn’t as bad as the liquid isn’t sitting it the spout. But a stainless steel spout is preferable if the higher price tag doesn’t bother you.
Sizes
A quick note to mention, most containers for soy sauce are around 5 to 6 ounces. That’s the size you see in any Chinese or Japanese restaurants you go to.
Anything bigger is most likely designed for olive oil or vinegar, which is also fine. They’re just bigger.
But if you want the “standard” soy sauce dispenser, then don’t get anything above 6 ounces or smaller than 4 ounces.
Brands
There really aren’t any brands that I would say are so amazing that you should only buy them. Oxo and Purelite stand out, but I wouldn’t necessarily state they are the only brands to know.
In fact, nine out or ten soy sauce dispensers are really “no-name” brands. It’s kind of like a ketchup bottle. What brand of bottle would you buy?
OXO Good Grips Soy Sauce Dispenser
This is definitely my number one pick as it has everything I am looking for in a dispenser. First off, this is drip proof. If you’ve ever tried pouring soy sauce, you know if it’s the thinner variety then it’s easy to have it running down the bottle you’re holding.
This dispenser doesn’t do that. It controls the pour whether it is a thinner variety of soy sauce or a really thick one.
And it has two pour speeds. If you just tilt it a bit, then it will drip out. Perfect for those who want a few drops on their sushi or deep fried shrimp.
Or tip it over completely and you’ll get a steady yet slight pour. Perfect for pouring into a side dish or over rice.
This is a glass dispenser that looks good, is thick enough not to break and can take a lot of wear and tear.
The lid is plastic and all of the accents are stainless steel which look good in any kitchen. And this is completely dishwasher safe.
What I like: The two different controlled pours are what really sell this for me. That and it’s BPA free and dishwasher safe. I also like that I can get a 5 ounce or 12 ounce bottle.
What I don’t like: There is no way to seal this closed, so if you tip it, it will spill. I also wish this came in completely stainless steel. Or at least in a variety of colors. But white is the only option.
Restaurant Style Soy Sauce Dispensers
This is what I remember on the tables of all the Asian restaurants I went to in NYC. Same color caps even. These bottles are made specifically for soy sauce and are time tested.
They’re durable and frills free and perfect if you have a restaurant yourself, or are just looking for a solid soy sauce dispenser that won’t leak when you pour from it.
It also has a ridged base so it doesn’t slip or leave ring marks on your table. Nice little add there.
In fact, my next pick is the Kikkiman dispenser, and I choose this as the number two pick because this is the same size as a Kikkiman bottle, but has a more durable spout and seal.
Of course this is dishwasher safe and super easy to break down in order to clean. It only has three parts to it.
You can use this for practically any oil or sauce. Although if I were to use something for olive oil I’d go a bit bigger. These are only five ounces.
There is a red cap and green cap choice in case you have two different soy sauces on your table. I use one for a low sodium option for a friend of mine, and the red cap is for the good stuff!
What I like: Really tough dispenser that should last a lifetime. The cap is plastic, but strong enough and doesn’t leak.
What I don’t like: I wish this had a stainless steel cap option. I’d use it for a variety of sauces. Other than that, I love these.
Kikkoman Soy Sauce and Dispensers
This is a “pack” so if you have a big family or use a LOT of soy sauce, this can save you some money. And doesn’t everyone like to save?
This kit comes with two five ounce soy sauce dispensers along with a half gallon (64 fluid ounces) of Kikkonan‘s soy sauce. A good brand of sauce and super common in shops in Asia and so much better than something like a LaChoy soy sauce knock off. I lived in Taiwan for twenty years and traveled all over Asia. This is the major brand you see.
And don’t worry, soy sauce can last for years when it’s properly sealed, so this shouldn’t go bad if it is a bit much.
The included dispensers are the usual restaurant style you see and similar to my number two choice. But the dispensers are not as well made as my number two pick, and annoyingly or maybe you like it, each bottle has the Kikkoman label. Personally for me I don’t like that in my kitchen. But that’s a personal preference.
It also comes with a mini spatula, why I have absolutely no idea. Seriously! But okay, it’s free.
The it really is a good deal at around $25, and should last quite a while. Great for a restaurant start up that wants to save on gear. And if you want a cheaper option, you can get just the two filled dispensers without the half gallon jug here for around $12.
What I like: One purchase and you’re set for a long time.
What I don’t like: The name on the dispensers. It’s my house, not a restaurant.
Soy Sauce Dispenser Glass Cruet Bottle
Although these are typically marketed as an olive oil dispenser, they work really well for a thicker soy sauce, and they look amazing.
They’re made from lead free and BPA free borosilicate glass and a completely stainless steel lid. They also come with little tops for the spout so you never need to worry about your soy sauce drying out. What you do need to worry about is loosing them (the caps), they’re really small!
The design is very different than all of the dispensers I’ve written about so far. It’s clever in the way that the actual bottle mouth is very wide, so it’s easy to refill. The spout actually sits in the glass giving it an elegant appearance.
Just a warning that this is 8 ounces rather than the typical 5 ounce bottles. That means it may be a bit big on your table. But I use a lot of soy sauce, so for me personally I don’t mind.
The company also produces a 17 ounce version which is great since you can use the bigger one for olive oil, the smaller for soy sauce and you have a nice matching set.
What I like: This is a nice looking item. It works well, is cleverly designed and easy to clean and use. I really like this dispenser.
What I don’t like: It’s a bit pricier than anything I have listed thus far. It’s around $15, which is more than the Kikkoman option without any sauce. But still worth it in my opinion.
The Best Porcelain Soy Sauce Dispenser
I wanted to include a few porcelain options since I love taking pictures of my food, especially when I make sushi, and these are really pretty soy sauce dispensers to look at.
The one problem with these though is they usually don’t have pour control, so you need to be careful when you use them. They are also a lot more fragile than the thick glass ones. But like I said, they are much prettier to look at.
One other note, since these are much more traditional and ornamental than the above, they are also more geared to your own unique taste as far as aesthetics. What colors or shapes work for me may not work for you.
If you don’t see something you love below, then check out this list here and see what’s available. Also I won’t be reviewing each and every piece, but rather adding a few select pictures and comments.
Just be sure they stay within the size range I wrote about above. Or not, lol.
Cabilock Ceramic Dispensers
This company has a lot of Japanese porcelain table wares and a variety of choices can be found here. They have everything from teapots, sake cups and dispensers. A definite place to browse some nice porcelain and pottery food ware.
Happy Sales Porcelain Soy Dispenser
This is a really pretty dispenser that is the perfect size for soy sauce and made specifically for it in Japan. This is porcelain and fired in a kiln. Each of these are slightly unique, as with all porcelain containers, so be aware it may not be exactly what you get.
The company produces a lot of porcelain wear for dinning and even drinking sake. You can check out their store here if you’d like to browse their inventory.
A few more pictures from their inventory.
HEMOTON Ceramics Soy Sauce Dispenser
This is a much more traditional type of soy sauce decanter. I love this style and it also photographs well. This is a clay kind of dispenser.