Deciding on the right coffee stirrers types and styles involves more than just choosing between plastic and wooden coffee stirrers. It means matching a product to its setting. While you're more likely to find wooden coffee stirrers in diners, upscale gourmet shops might decide to indulge their customers with chocolate covered coffee stirrers-and perhaps even the handmade variety.

Following are some handy tips and resources for learning about the varying coffee stirrers types and styles:

1. Consider what style serves best as a coffee stirrer for restaurants.

2. Find out how many different varieties of gourmet coffee stirrers are available for restaurants and offices.

3. Discover what is most appealing about different types of handmade coffee sticks.

4. Choose the most appropriate style coffee stirrer for your office.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Know the most popular restaurant coffee stirrers

Coffee stirrers are no different than other restaurant small wares - certain types and styles seem to be more popular than others.

I recommend: As the product list on Instawares shows, most restaurants seem to prefer the 5-inch coffee stirrer, in plastic or wood. As the Webstaurant Store product list shows, most of the 7-inch coffee stirrers are made of wood and come individually wrapped in bulk packages. Chef2Chef offers more unique wood coffee stirrers, the contoured variety made of bamboo.

Indulge your staff or patrons with coffee sticks made of chocolate

Also known as chocolate spoons, this particular type of coffee stirrer is special because the chocolate coating melts into the hot liquid its stirred into.

I recommend: Both Gourmet Coffee Express and Apex Gift Foods sell chocolate spoons-Gourmet's come in six flavors while those from Apex come in four.

Discover different types of handmade coffee stirrers

The handmade versions offer a larger variety of coffee stirrers-both in type of chocolate used and in design.

I recommend: At Tipnut, you'll learn that handmade chocolate spoons are made of white, milk and dark chocolate and also contain different chocolate flavorings. All Free Crafts shows a different decoration for handmade coffee stirrers. As Chocolate Candy Mall demonstrates, some chocolate spoons are made of heavy duty plastic bases, have wedding designs and are wrapped in cellophane. Garnishes for spoons on the Daily Tiffin Blogspot range from sparkling sugar to mini marshmallows.

Find the right type of office coffee stirrers

You'll discover even more types of coffee stirrers when you move beyond the restaurant and handmade chocolate versions to find out what kind of coffee stirrer is most popular in offices.

I recommend: ToiletPaperWorld's stirrers are made of birchwood and are square in shape. B2B Free Zone sells at least three different types of wooden coffee stirrers. Cooks Direct sells wooden coffee stirrers to office in the 5- and 7-inch styles. The 5-inch wooden coffee stirrers at Reliable Paper are biodegradable and made of birchwood.

Coffee stirrers come in many different varieties depending on your needs. If you're looking to buy coffee stirrers for the home or office, it may not matter much what sort of stirrer it is so long as it's functional. If you need restaurant coffee stirrers or want to treat and impress clients, gourmet coffee stirrers or wooden coffee stirrers may be what you're looking for.

Go online to find the coffee stirrer that's right for your needs:

1. Office coffee stirrers. Keep employees happy with a fresh supply of coffee sticks.

2. Restaurant coffee stirrers. Buy in bulk so your regular coffee drinkers can keep stirring their daily cups.

3. Specialty coffee stirrers. For special occasions or for something unique, buy coffee stirrers of different shapes, sizes, or flavors.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Buy bulk coffee stirrers

If you need a large supply of coffee stirrers that are functional but cheap, go for plastic over wood coffee stirrers. Buy plastic stirrers by the thousands for mere dollars and keep your supply in stock.

I recommend: Buy stirrers by the tens of thousands from Instawares. For the cheapest bulk goods, try out their white and red plastic stir sticks, perfect for use as office coffee stirrers. For higher quality stirrers, see their coffee stir stix. Also see CoffeeForLess.com for cheap bulk coffee stirrer sipstix.

Use wooden coffee stirrers for more durability and a different style

Depending on the style you choose, wooden coffee stirrers may remain relatively cheap to buy in bulk compared with plastic coffee stirrers. You may also find wood coffee stirrers in a variety of sizes and styles.

I recommend: For simple wooden coffee stirrers, purchase a case from Reliable Paper. See Instawares for wrapped wooden coffee stirrers for a product your customer will know is sterile and protected from outside germs.

Find specialty coffee stirrers for special customers or occasions

If you want to go beyond the normal selection of coffee stirrers, find something a little different. Use specialty coffee stirrers to impress or entertain clients or guests, or as a treat for your employees.

I recommend: Cohas Coffee Company sells Rock Candy Demitasse Sticks, coffee stirrers made of a wooden stick surrounded by crystallized sugar that melts into your coffee as you stir. Also check out their Rock Candy Swizzle Sticks.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  When buying coffee stirrers in bulk, look for deals on free shipping. You can usually find deals on bulk stirrers if you purchase above a certain minimum total price. Purchasing more stirrers at once will save you from having to return to your coffee stirrer vendor again in the near future.

Coffee stirrers are a necessary item if you serve coffee in your business or office. Whether you need restaurant coffee stirrers or office coffee stirrers, saving money is an important consideration when making purchases. Even though they are a basic type of item, they are as important as the coffee or equipment you purchase when it comes to customer satisfaction.

When you're ready to buy coffee stirrers, there are a few ways to explore saving money. Some ideas to consider are buying in bulk, purchasing less expensive wooden coffee stirrers, and purchasing your coffee stirrer supplies all in one place. There are many types of coffee stirrers available, such as wood coffee stirrers and gourmet coffee stirrers, but they can all be had at a significant price reduction if you know what to do.

1. Buy from coffee stirrer vendors who give savings for bulk purchases.

2. Explore cheaper alternatives such as plastic or wooden coffee stirrers.

3. Gather all of your coffee stirrer supplies at one location to save on shipping.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Purchase from coffee stirrer retailers that offer savings for bulk purchases

Purchasing your coffee stirrers in bulk quantities not only saves you money, but it also saves time spent on placing additional orders as well as shipping costs. With bulk purchasing power, you always know you have enough stock on hand and don't have to worry about running out during your busiest times.

I recommend: Mansfield Paper Company offers coffee stirrers in bulk quantities, such as 1,000 at a time. Coffee For Less offers plastic stirrers in bulk quantities.

Learn about less expensive options, such as wooden coffee stirrers

Coffee stirrers come in many different styles, but wooden and plastic coffee stirrers are generally more affordable. Pricing can run as low as $48 for a case, whereas gourmet coffee stirrers can cost around $7 for as few as ten sticks.

I recommend: Restock It has a variety of coffee stirrers, including cheaper wooden sticks. Reliable Paper sells wooden coffee stirrers by the case, for low-cost savings as well as bulk savings.

Purchase coffee stirrer supplies, coffee, and miscellaneous items at one convenient location

Receiving all of your coffee stirrer supplies together such as coffee, equipment, and cups can give you significant savings on shipping and freight charges -- not to mention the time you save by using one vendor for all of your needs. This also allows you to form a better relationship with your vendor.

I recommend: Everything Coffee & Tea has coffee stirrers, coffee, tea, and miscellaneous paper products all in one place. Instawares has coffee stirrers, cups, and coffee equipment all in one location.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Be sure you are well stocked in wholesale coffee sticks to prevent unnecessary trips to retail stores.