Arcoroc Arcadie

Choose by capacity, because the shape is the same throughout. The 9 cl is a juice glass or an amuse-bouche glass for something small beforehand. The 16 cl is the classic size for water with a meal and for a glass of milk at breakfast. The 24 cl is the safest all-rounder if you only take one size: big enough for a soft drink, small enough not to feel bulky. At 35 and 40 cl you move into long drink territory, with room for a full layer of ice. A mixed cupboard with 16, 24 and 40 cl covers just about every situation.

For water at the table, fill a tumbler to about two centimetres below the rim so it is still easy to pass around. If ice goes in, fill the glass right up with ice first and pour only afterwards, because a half-filled layer of ice melts away faster. The 40 cl is the size in which a cuba libre works: ice to the top, rum, cola and a lime wedge squeezed in. A mojito works in the same size, with crushed ice instead of cubes.

Arcadie is made of tempered glass. After forming, the wall is cooled rapidly, which builds tension into the material and makes the glass more resistant to knocks and to sudden changes in temperature. That means you can pour hot water into it and it will survive years of dishwasher cycles. If such a glass does break, it falls apart into blunt granules rather than sharp shards.

If you want to see other models from the same brand, take a look at Arcoroc. If you are simply after a good water glass and not a whole range, the water glasses are the quickest starting point. If your glasses need to fit inside each other to save space, have a look at the stacking glasses, because Arcadie is not stackable and so will not nest. For pouring at the table, a water jug belongs with it, so you do not have to keep passing the bottle around.