Zalto Carafe No75

The middle carafe of the three, 248 millimetres tall and holding 820 millilitres.

Zalto Glas is a family glassworks in Austria's Kremstal, where every piece is mouth-blown by hand and made without lead, the bowls angled to 24, 48 and 72 degrees after the tilt of the earth. The No 75 is the size that covers most tables: enough for a bottle poured in two goes, or for a half bottle with air to spare, without the bulk of the largest carafe. Like its siblings it is mouth-blown and left entirely plain, which is what makes it practical. It pours accurately, stores upright without taking a shelf to itself, cleans without a brush and drains by being turned upside down onto a tea towel. The straightforward form also suits the refrigerator, either for a white wine or to bring a decanted red back down when the room has warmed it past where it should be.

Use it for white or red wine, or simply for water on the table. Hand-wash in warm water without detergent and dry with a lint-free cloth.