Cappuccino glasses

Capacity is often where things go wrong. A classic cappuccino is 15 to 18 cl. In a 33 or 42 cl glass, the foam sinks and the coffee quickly goes lukewarm. If you really want to serve cappuccino, go for 20 to 25 cl. Consider the Nachtmann Noblesse Barista at 23.5 cl or the Bormioli Rocco Easy Bar at 22 cl. Most people use the larger Pasabahce and La Rochère glasses, at 30 to 42 cl, for tea and lattes in practice.

Then there’s the handle. Without one, you hold the glass near the rim at the top, which works fine as long as the sides don’t get too hot. With a handle, like on the RCR Caffè and La Rochère Flore, your fingers stay away from the hot glass and you can pour hotter drinks.

Or you can choose double-walled glass. There’s air between the two layers. This keeps the coffee warm for longer, and you can hold the outside comfortably.

First rinse the glass with hot water, and pour it out just before serving. A cold glass draws so much heat from a single espresso that the first sip is already lukewarm. Let the espresso flow directly into the glass. Steam the milk to about sixty-five degrees and pour it in one smooth motion, bringing the pitcher closer to the surface at the end.

Aim for about one part espresso to two parts milk, with roughly an inch of foam on top. If it doesn't look right, you'll see it immediately in the glass, as the layers show clearly against the sides.

If you're adding a shot of liquor to the coffee, then you do want a handle. The best-known example is the carajillo, and among the coffee cocktails you'll find more variations that work perfectly well in this format.

Most single-wall coffee glasses are made of tempered glass. They can withstand sudden temperature changes of more than a hundred degrees. Still, it's best not to pour boiling water into a glass that has just come out of cold rinse water. Pasabahce also makes a tempered glass version designed specifically for the hospitality industry.

Double-wall glasses can usually go in the dishwasher. Sometimes water gets between the walls through a tiny hole, and you see condensation. If that happens, leave the glass upside down to dry for a day; it's often gone afterward. If in doubt, wash them by hand.

Coffee residue on the inside is brown and greasy. Dish soap alone won't remove it, but a baking soda solution or a coffee machine cleaning tablet will.

If you’d like a taller glass that shows off the layers even better, take a look at latte macchiato glasses. Cups, mugs, and espresso glasses are all in the coffee glasses. If you mainly serve tea, you’ll find what you need in the tea glasses. For coffee with whiskey or liqueur, we have Irish coffee glasses on stems. And if you want to keep your coffee warm without the glass getting hot, there are double-walled glasses.