Pitchers

The first question is capacity. Below a litre you are in carafe territory: fine for water on a laid table, too small for a group. Between one and one and a half litres is the usual size for home use and for table service. From two litres upwards you enter the hospitality format, and then it is worth checking whether the filled weight is still comfortable to lift, because a good two kilos on a single handle is more than it looks.

Then look at the spout and the handle. A proper pouring lip lets the last centilitres run out without dripping; a jug with nothing more than a pulled rim rarely manages that. A closed handle with room for four fingers pours more steadily than an open grip. And mind the wall thickness: thick-walled jugs keep cold drinks at temperature noticeably longer, even once the ice has melted.

For beer, there is one rule: chill the pitcher first. A lukewarm pitcher takes the chill out of the first glass, and then the rest is already warmer than you want. Pour into the glass at an angle until it is halfway full, then straighten the glass for the head.

For mixed drinks, the pitcher is pure convenience. A sangria can be made a few hours ahead in the pitcher so the fruit releases its flavor, and ice and something fizzy should only be added at the last moment. A rum punch can be scaled up by multiplying the ratio per person and stirring everything in the pitcher instead of shaking it glass by glass. Add ice to the glass for both, not to the pitcher, because ice in the pitcher will dilute everything throughout the evening.

A jug with a narrow neck will not come clean with an ordinary brush. Fruit residue and layers of sugar settle just under the shoulder, exactly where your fingers cannot reach, and that is also where cloudy deposits form. So rinse it out with lukewarm water straight after use, before the sugar has a chance to dry on.

Most jugs only fit in the dishwasher lying down, and then water stays behind in the hollow base. Stand them upside down on a rack after the programme and let them drain. Polycarbonate models tolerate lower temperatures than glass but survive a fall, and outdoors or by the pool that is the better trade-off.

If you're looking for something that stays on a set table instead of being passed around, you'll want the water pitchers and the carafes. For the glasses you pour the contents of the pitcher into, look under beer glasses or long drink glasses. And if you want to mix in advance instead of just pouring, you'll need different tools: alongside the cocktail shakers you'll also find the measuring cups you need to scale up a recipe.