Water pitchers

Start with the number of people. A jug of 1 to 1.2 litres, the size of the RCR Adagio and the Schott Zwiesel Bistro, fills four to six glasses and stays manageable with one hand. For a long table or a terrace, 1.4 to 2.8 litres is more practical, although a full 2.8 litre jug weighs a good three kilos and needs two hands to pour.

Then look at the spout and the ice lip. A pronounced spout prevents dripping onto the tablecloth, and an ice lip holds back ice cubes and mint leaves while you pour. The 1.5 litre Schott Zwiesel Bistro has such a lip; many sleek design jugs deliberately do not.

A lid is handy outdoors and in the fridge. The Borgonovo Igloo Quadra has one, which makes it suitable for juice and fruit-infused water you leave to steep overnight.

Finally, mind the handle. An applied handle gives more grip; an integrated grip such as on the La Rochère Abeille looks calmer but asks for a firmer hand.

Fill the jug to about two fingers below the rim, so you can lift it without spilling. Pour from a low height and tilt back in one movement, because dripping is almost always caused by tilting back too slowly.

Water with slices of lemon, cucumber or mint infuses in half an hour at room temperature and keeps for a day in the fridge. Use whole slices rather than pressed juice, so the water stays clear instead of cloudy.

A glass jug is also the logical choice for mixed drinks you make in larger quantities. Sangria is the classic example, and for alcohol-free company there are usable recipes under mocktails. Put the jug in the fridge for an hour beforehand rather than adding loose ice cubes, because that dilutes the flavour far more slowly.

Most jugs here are made of machine-blown soda-lime glass or pressed glass, materials that stand up to daily use. Borgonovo and Pasabahce supply tempered glass that also copes with temperature changes, which is welcome when you pour cold water into a jug just out of hot washing-up water. Crystal glass from Nachtmann and Zwiesel Glas looks more refined but is more sensitive to sudden knocks.

Always place a jug upright in the dishwasher and not upside down over a prong, because then water stays sitting in the base. Limescale marks on the inside disappear with vinegar and warm water. Stubborn deposits come away with a handful of rice and a dash of water, swirled around until the wall is clean again. Jugs with a metal lid should be washed by hand.

If you want the matching glasses to go with it, look at the water glasses or at the stackable models under tumbler glasses. For wine you want to let breathe, the decanters are the ones, and for water or house wine on the table the smaller carafes. If you serve beer, sangria or iced tea in larger quantities, the pitchers are better built for it, with a sturdier handle, a wider spout and usually thicker glass that can take a full load of ice.