Double-walled coffee glasses

Start with the size, because it follows the coffee. Espresso asks for 6.5 to 8.5 cl, and more room is a waste because the crema then spreads over too large a surface. A cappuccino sits between 16.5 and 24 cl, the larger size being meant for the Italian ratio with a thick layer of milk foam. Latte macchiato needs a tall, narrow glass of around 34 cl, otherwise you will not see the layering of milk, coffee and foam. For ordinary coffee or tea you are well served between 30 and 40 cl.

Then look at the shape. A glass with a handle is pleasant if you sit with it for a while, but most double-walled models do not need one, precisely because the outer wall stays cool. A stainless steel saucer is practical behind the bar because it does not break. If you are after the classic cup without an insulating layer, look at the cappuccino glasses or the latte macchiato glasses.

There is no need to preheat a double-walled glass with boiling water, because the insulating layer already does that job. Pour straight in and the crema stays intact and the layers sit as they should. It also saves you half a minute of waiting. For latte macchiato, pour the foamed milk into the glass first, let it settle for half a minute and then pour the espresso slowly down the side, so it stays suspended between the milk and the foam.

Cold, these glasses work just as well. Iced coffee and cold brew stay cold longer and the outside barely mists up, so you get no wet rings on the table. With coffee cocktails the insulation works in your favour too: a carajillo stays at temperature, with an irish coffee you can hold the glass without burning yourself, and for an espresso tonic these glasses seem almost purpose-made.

The gap between the walls is sealed, so no water gets in and the glasses are dishwasher safe. Do choose a short programme at a low temperature, because thermal shock is the main cause of cracking in thin-walled glass. Place them apart in the basket, as knocking against other crockery is the second risk.

Do not pour boiling water into a glass straight from the fridge and do not hold a hot glass under the cold tap. Coffee staining comes off with a little soda or a splash of vinegar in warm water. Leave abrasives and hard brushes alone, because scratches in the inner wall show up all the more clearly through the outer wall.

Looking for coffee glasses without an insulating layer? The full range is at coffee glasses, from small espresso glasses to tall mugs with a handle. The other double-walled items, including teapots, bowls, oil bottle holders and milk jugs, are at double-walled glasses. To see the whole series these glasses come from, tea glasses and tumblers included, look at Luigi Bormioli Thermic Glass. And if you are after a glass for cold coffee cocktails, the espresso martini glasses in the menu alongside are the place to start.