Glass set

The first question is not which set, but for how many people. Six glasses of each type is the standard for a household that has guests at the table now and then. If you regularly set for eight, take two sets of six rather than one set of eight, because that keeps a spare in hand the moment one breaks. An eighteen-piece package usually consists of six wine glasses, six champagne glasses and six tumblers, exactly the basis you need to serve a dinner from beginning to end.

Then look at capacity. Wine glasses in sets run from 35 to 60 cl, tumblers from 24 to 38 cl and long drink glasses from 33 to 44 cl. RCR and Bormioli Rocco generally supply in sixes from a continuing series, while Zwiesel Glas and Schott Zwiesel more often put together complete gift sets with a carafe. If you want to be able to reorder later, choose a series that is also sold individually, because occasional sets in gift packaging often are not.

A set table follows a fixed order: the water glass is above the knife on the right, followed by the white wine glass, then the red wine glass, and finally the champagne glass slightly farther back. If you clear each glass as soon as its corresponding course is over, the table stays orderly instead of becoming cluttered.

With a set intended for a single drink, things are different. A whisky set with a decanter and tumblers is meant to remain on the table after dinner: you pour the bottle into the decanter so the label is no longer relevant, and everyone can help themselves to another pour. A mixed tumbler set is best appreciated when you use the same glasses to serve water, soft drinks, and an old fashioned Those who buy a set for mixing keep it simple: a 33 cl tumbler holds a negroni just as well as a gin and tonic.

Glasses from a set almost never break all at once. They disappear one by one, and usually in the dishwasher. So never let stems rest against each other, and use the glass programme, which is shorter and runs at a lower temperature. Lead-free crystal glass, which most sets are made of these days, is thinner and clearer than toughened glass, but it does not take a sudden change of temperature: an ice-cold glass under a hot tap is the classic way to lose one.

Store the glasses upright with the bowl uppermost, so the rim rests on nothing and no dust settles inside. Polish limescale streaks away with a lint-free cloth while the glass is still warm, because drying cold is exactly what leaves streaks behind.

If you prefer individual glasses rather than a complete set, you can browse by type. The wine glasses are grouped together, as are the water glasses and the tumbler glasses, which you can use for both water and spirits. If you want to expand a whisky set or replace only the decanter, take a look at the whisky decanters. And if the set is intended as the basis for a home bar, you still need some tools: shakers, strainers, jiggers, and measuring cups can be found under cocktail shakers, which also includes complete bar sets.