What is a carafe?
A carafe is a cross between a bottle and a pitcher. Generally made of glass, carafes are similar to decanters, but instead of wine, they are intended for holding juice, milk, or water. Also, unlike decanters, which are generally short with a bowl-like base, carafes tend to be taller and more cylindrical and they don’t typically come equipped with stoppers. In lieu of a stopper, some carafes will come outfitted with a single drinking glass that can be turned overtop the neck of the decanter to prevent spills when not in use. Carafes can be used anywhere in the home, but it is most common to find them used on a breakfast table, dinner table, or nightstand (the latter being an excellent place for the aforementioned overturned glass set). Most carafes are also made of clear glass, but it is possible to locate colored glass carafes. Esteemed vintage glassmaker, Blenko, for instance, produced numerous vibrantly-colored glass carafes.
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Lead image by Nicole LaMotte
