La Rochere Kube

The size decides what will fit. The 5 cl mini is meant for a single bite: a spoonful of ceviche, a pea foam, a cube of smoked salmon with crème fraîche. The 10 cl leaves room for a small starter you finish with a little spoon, or for a layered dessert where you want the build-up to show through the wall. Because the walls are thick and the shape square, the dishes stand steady on a tray, which helps when serving. Reckon on three to four bites per guest at drinks, so one set of six covers about two people.

Fill the dishes to just below the rim, because the top edge should stay visible as a frame around the dish. Cold works better than hot: the thick wall holds cold for a long time but gives off heat quickly. Put them in the fridge half an hour before serving if you are working with cream or jelly. They are usable outside the kitchen too, for instance for a shot or for a miniature Sgroppino to finish the meal.

Kube is machine-pressed soda-lime glass without lead, made to be used every day. The dishes are dishwasher safe on a normal programme and handle the heat well thanks to their thick wall. Watch the sharp corners when loading: they knock easily against cutlery and then a small edge chips off. Place them separately, opening downwards so they drain.

To see more from this French house, take a look at the La Rochère collection. For more choice in the same use, the amuse-bouche glasses are ready and waiting, and for the non-glass versions the amuse-bouche dishes. If you are serving a layered dessert, the dessert glasses give more height. And if you are putting out a whole row of bites, a tray carries far more comfortably than a plate.