Jugs, carafes & decanters

Jugs, carafes and decanters for serving water, wine and mixed drinks at the table.

  • A carafe serves, a decanter aerates - different jobs
  • Check it pours cleanly without dribbling down the outside
  • Wide-based decanters give young reds more air

Showing 1–24 of 71 results

Showing 1–24 of 71 results

A carafe serves; a decanter also aerates. If the point is getting a litre of water or the house red onto a table, a carafe or jug does it. If the point is opening up a young red before it is poured, a decanter with a wide base gives the wine more contact with air and does something a carafe does not.

Common questions

What is the difference between a carafe and a decanter?

A carafe is for serving - it gets wine or water to the table in one vessel. A decanter has a wide base that exposes more of the wine to air, which softens a young tannic red. Any decanter can serve; not every carafe will aerate.

How do you clean a decanter properly?

Warm water and a decanter brush, or cleaning beads for a narrow neck. Avoid washing-up liquid - the residue is very hard to rinse out of a narrow vessel and it will taint the next bottle. Drain upside down on a stand.

Are lined carafes needed to serve wine?

If you are selling wine by the carafe in the UK, yes - it has to be a stated measure, so the carafe needs a 50cl or 1 litre line or be a certified capacity.

Have a look at

Champagne flutesWine glasses