RCR Laurus

Start with the wine glasses, because that is where the difference lies. The 28 cl gives a glass of red wine enough wall to swirl against without filling it too far. The 23 cl is more compact and suits white wine better, which you keep cold in smaller servings. If you mainly drink full-bodied reds, you are better served by a bowl from the red wine glasses category.

With the tumblers you choose by use. The 25 cl is a water glass you can wrap one hand around, the 33 cl has the heavy base you want for whisky. The 16 cl flute is small and therefore holds the bubbles together longer; the 6 cl shot glass is the standard size for a nip.

Fill a 28 cl wine glass about a third full. That looks meagre, but it is exactly the amount at which the aromas gather in the upper half of the bowl. With the flute you do the opposite: pour in two goes down the side, so the fizz does not escape all at once.

The 33 cl tumbler is the glass for an Old Fashioned over one large block of ice. The flute lends itself to a Mimosa: pour the orange juice first and then top up gently with the sparkling wine.

Laurus is made from Luxion, the lead-free crystal glass by RCR. Here the clarity comes from minerals other than lead, which keeps the glass hard enough for the dishwasher and stops it from going milky the way old-fashioned lead crystal can.

Place the glasses loosely in the basket, because most damage comes from knocks during the cycle and not from the water itself.

If you want to compare within the same brand against series that do have engraving or relief, take a look at the brand page of RCR. If you are specifically after the taller models for mixed drinks, the wider selection is under the long drink glasses. For the small measures there is the shot glasses category, and anyone looking only for the sparkling side will find the narrow models under the champagne flute glasses.