Arcoroc Salto

Stackability is the reason this range stands in hospitality: the glasses nest without jamming, so a cupboard or a crate holds far more of them. At home the same thing works in a narrow kitchen cabinet. As for size: the 32 cl tumbler is the all-rounder for water, soft drinks and canned beer. The 35 cl long drink glass is narrower and taller, pleasant with heavily carbonated mixers. The 50 cl is the terrace size, with room for half a litre plus ice. The 6.5 cl shot glass is roomier than a standard shot, so it suits a spirit served over ice. For colour, see the coloured glasses.

For mixed drinks, fill the glass right up with ice first. It feels excessive, but it keeps the drink colder and dilutes less than a half-filled glass does. A cuba libre belongs in the 35 cl, with rum, cola and a squeezed lime wedge. The 50 cl glass takes the sweeter summer drinks with juice, such as a sex on the beach, which needs room for ice, orange juice and a garnish. Never fill the 6.5 cl shot glass to the rim, or you will spill it as you hand it over.

A Salto goes through dozens of wash cycles a week in hospitality. It can, because the glass is tempered: the outer layer is under compression, so a scratch or a knock does not immediately turn into a crack. It also copes better with sudden temperature differences, such as cold water in a freshly rinsed glass. What tempered glass does not tolerate is a shock to the rim. So never let the glasses rattle against each other in the rack, and do not stack more than four high.

If you want another model from the same brand, the rest sits at Arcoroc. For taller glasses there is the long drink glasses category, for lower ones the tumbler glasses, and for a short drink the shot glasses. If you are looking for glassware that has to stand up to professional use, the overview of hospitality glasses is the quickest starting point. That is also where the crates and mats are that make moving glassware easier.