Carafes

First, think about what you want to put in it. For water on the table, a straight shape with a narrow base works best. It takes up little space and fits in the fridge door. The Bacchus, from 0.25 to 1 liter, is the classic model for this. If you serve house wine by the quarter or half liter, choose the same shape in a smaller size, ideally with a mark at the right level. If the wine needs to breathe, you’ll want a wide, flat base instead. The more wine comes into contact with air, the faster it opens up.

Next, consider the neck and stopper. Without a stopper, a carafe is meant to be emptied within an hour or two. With a cut-glass or airtight stopper, whisky, rum, or liqueur will keep for weeks, and you won’t smell the drink in the sideboard. The 70 to 96 cl whisky models belong to this group. The final point is weight. Cut crystal is heavier and looks beautiful. A lightweight hospitality carafe can be poured with one hand when full, and you’ll notice the difference when serving a table of ten.

Never fill a water pitcher to the brim, or you’ll have trouble pouring. About two-thirds full is safe. Pour in one smooth motion, then turn the pitcher back slightly at the end. That way, the last drop goes in too instead of running down the outside. A spout does this naturally. With a straight neck, you’ll need a little practice.

If the bottle has sediment, pour the wine slowly down the side. A young, closed wine, on the other hand, can be poured in with a splashing stream to help it open up. For a full-bodied red wine, half an hour in a decanter does more good than an hour of swirling in the glass. Drink whisky from a decanter neat or over a large ice cube in a low glass, just like in an old fashioned. If you’re making a large pitcher of fruit and wine, the proportions for sangria.

Keeping a decanter clean is harder than cleaning a glass, because you can’t reach inside with a cloth. Rinse it with lukewarm water immediately after use. Dried wine sticks to the glass and leaves brown residue. If that does happen, fill it with warm water, a splash of vinegar, and a handful of rice grains. Swirl gently until the residue comes loose.

Drying is where things often go wrong. If you put a decanter away upright, moisture stays inside and it starts to smell musty. You’ll notice it straight away in the next wine. Instead, place it upside down on a drying rack, or angle it with the opening facing down until it’s completely dry. Only put the stopper back on when there’s no moisture left inside. Cut crystal with a cork or metal stopper should not go in the dishwasher.

If you're looking for a decanter specifically designed to aerate wine, take a look at the wine decanters. That's where you'll find the wide models. You'll find heavy decanters with stoppers for the sideboard under whiskey decanters. If you'd prefer a pitcher with a handle for water or juice, you'll find what you need with the water pitchers. And you'll find everything else you need nearby. The wine glasses section has matching glasses, and wine stoppers seal an opened bottle airtight. Still unsure about the size? The questions below can help.