J-Line Anna

Ten centilitres between the two sizes sounds like little, but in use they part ways. The low 25 cl one is a tumbler you take in your fist: pleasant for water at the table, for juice at breakfast and for a whisky with a cube of ice. The tall 35 cl one sits closer to a longdrink glass, high enough for three or four ice cubes with tonic or cola on top. Take both sizes and the table falls into place by itself: low next to the plate, tall for longer drinking. Count on two glasses per person for an evening in which you pour water and soft drinks side by side.

Fill the low one to a couple of centimetres below the rim, so you can pick it up without spilling. The tall one asks for ice first and drink after, so the cubes do not stay floating and the drink cools straight away. For a gin and tonic the tall one is the logical choice, with a slice of lemon along the wall. If you want something shorter, an Old Fashioned fits in the low glass with one large block of ice.

Anna is pressed soda-lime glass, with a sturdier wall than a thin-walled crystal glass and therefore better able to take the daily knocks in a full dishwasher rack. Place the glasses upside down with space between them, so they drain properly and the rims do not tap together. With hard water, rinse aid helps against dull deposits, because limescale settles in the small irregularities of the wall.

To see what else J-Line makes, take a look at the J-Line collection. If you want more choice in the same shape, you will find it under water glasses and longdrink glasses. For a thick-walled version with a heavier base, the tumblers are the starting point. If you often mix your own, a jigger belongs with it, to measure instead of guess.