Arcoroc Brio

The choice comes down to two things: how much you pour and how long the bubbles need to last. The flute of 9.5 cl is the small welcome size, with which you get well over twice as many glasses out of a single bottle compared with a generous pour. The flute of 16 cl is the ordinary table size and its narrow shape holds the foam longest. The coupe of 20 cl is wide and shallow, so the bubbles leave it faster, but it is the classic glass for shaken cocktails served without ice. Together the two shapes cover almost every occasion.

Always pour sparkling wine at an angle down the side of the glass and only set the glass upright when it is half full; this keeps the foam below the rim and reduces the loss of carbonation. Fill a flute to about three-quarters full and no higher, because the top few centimeters are precisely where the aroma gathers. Use the 20 cl coupe for a French 75 with gin and sparkling wine, or for a Bellini with peach. A mimosa with orange juice can also be served in either glass.

Stemmed glasses almost never break because of the dishwasher itself, but because of the way they stand in it. Place them well apart, do not let the stems lean against anything and choose a glassware programme at a low temperature. When drying a flute, always hold it at the bottom and never twist the bowl while keeping the foot still, because that is exactly where the stem snaps. Afterwards, let the glasses air upright rather than upside down on a tea towel.

The rest of this manufacturer's range can be found at Arcoroc. If you want to compare the shapes side by side, take a look at the champagne glasses, or go directly to the champagne flute glasses and the champagne coupe glasses. For recipes that go with these glasses, see the overview of cocktails, where you can see which glass goes with each drink.