Carafes

The first question is what the carafe is for. For water on the table you want a straight shape with a narrow base, which takes up little room and fits easily in the fridge door; the Bacchus sizes from 0.25 to 1 litre are the standard there. For house wine by the quarter or half litre, take the same shape in a smaller size, ideally with a line marking where the measure sits. For wine that needs to breathe, choose a wide, flat base instead, because the amount of wine touching air decides how quickly it opens up.

Then look at the neck and the stopper. A carafe without a stopper is meant for use within an hour or two, while a carafe with a ground or airtight stopper keeps spirits good for weeks and stops the aroma seeping into the sideboard. The whisky models of 70 to 96 cl fall into that group. Finally, look at the weight: cut crystal is heavier and better looking, but a light hospitality carafe can be poured full with one hand, and that counts when you are serving a table of ten.

Do not fill a water carafe all the way, because you are then guaranteed to pour over the rim. About two-thirds full is the safe limit. Pour in one smooth motion and tilt the carafe back slightly at the end so the last drop follows the stream instead of running down the outside. With a spout, this happens naturally; with a straight neck, you have to learn the technique.

Pour wine slowly and along the side of the bottle when it has sediment, but use a splashing stream when you want to open up a young, closed wine. Half an hour in the carafe does more for a full-bodied red wine than an hour of swirling it in the glass. Pour whisky from a carafe neat or over a large ice cube in a low glass, as with an old fashioned. For a large carafe with fruit and wine, you can find the proportions in sangria.

A carafe is harder to keep clean than a glass, simply because you cannot get a cloth inside it. Rinse it with lukewarm water straight after use, because dried wine sticks to the glass and leaves a brown film. If it is already there, fill the carafe with warm water, a dash of vinegar and a handful of rice grains, and swirl gently until the film comes loose.

Drying is the real problem. A carafe put away upright holds moisture and starts to smell musty, which ruins the next wine immediately. Stand it upside down on a drying rack, or lay it at an angle with the opening down until it is completely dry. Only close a stoppered carafe once you are sure there is no moisture left inside, and keep cut crystal out of the dishwasher if the stopper is cork or metal.

If you want a decanter specifically designed to aerate wine, take a look at the wine decanters, where you’ll find the wide models. For the heavy models with a stopper for the sideboard, go to the whiskey decanter. If you’re looking for a pitcher with a handle for water or juice on the table, you’ll find those under water pitchers. The matching items are just one click away: wine glasses for matching goblets and wine stoppers to seal an opened bottle airtight. If you’re still not sure which size you need, the questions below will help you find your way.