J-Line Loupe

Look at what you pour most often. Thirty centilitres is on the generous side for water and just right for wine, because you fill to about a third and keep room for the aroma. The 36 cl of the soft drink glass is emphatically meant for ice: fill the glass half with cubes and you still have a normal serving of drink left. If you want more height for a longdrink, look at the longdrink glasses; if you are after a sturdier, lower glass for every day, those are under the tumblers. To lay a table for six, keep about eight of each size, because a water glass often leaves the table twice per meal.

For water and soft drinks the order is the same: ice first, then pour, otherwise it splashes over the rim. A gin and tonic fits nicely in the 36 cl soft drink glass, provided you use enough ice to keep the tonic cold to the last sip. A mojito works in this size too, although you then bruise the mint at the bottom before the ice goes in. Fill the 30 cl wine glass to just under halfway, so there is air above the wine and you can swirl the glass without spilling.

Loupe is machine-made soda-lime glass: clear, slightly thicker than crystal and therefore less sensitive to knocks. All three sizes may go in the dishwasher. Place them separately in the rack rather than against each other, because rim damage almost always comes from contact during the cycle. White veils after washing come from hard water and not from the glass itself; a dose of rinse aid solves that. When in doubt choose a lower-temperature programme, as that keeps the glass clear longest.

The other series from the brand are gathered on the page of J-Line. For the complete category by size, go to the water glasses and the wine glasses, where the larger bowls are too. If you prefer colour on the table instead of clear glass, the full range by shade is under the coloured glasses, from smoke grey to amber.