Pitchers can be useful all year long — for holding juice on a breakfast buffet or keeping water handy at the dinner table — but they really come into their own in the summer, for outdoor entertaining.
Because “who wants to go back and forth to the kitchen to get water?” asked Young Huh, an interior designer in New York.
And even better, she added, with a pitcher, “you can make sangria and other special drinks without having to mix each one individually.”
But shopping for a pitcher requires more than just thinking about the quantity of sangria you want it to hold.
Why? “A pitcher is usually a little taller than other things on the table,” Ms. Huh said, so it tends to attract more attention than other tableware.
“It gives you the opportunity for an accent piece or focal point,” she said. “It’s your chance to dress up your table to suit whatever mood you like.”
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Should it be simple or extravagant? That depends on your vision for the table, Ms. Huh said: “Do you like a modern, minimalist table or do you prefer a very colorful table with lots of flowers and candles?” The pitcher should fit in with everything else on the table.
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Which is better, a clear or opaque material? Opaque pitchers can be appealingly sculptural, but “if you have a variety of drinks, it’s nice to have clear pitchers,” Ms. Huh said, so it’s easy to see what’s inside.
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Does it feel good to use? “The handle should be comfortable,” Ms. Huh said. “If you have a really skinny, fragile handle, it can be annoying when people are serving themselves.”
Costa Nova Beja Rimmed Pitcher
Simple white stoneware pitcher with a dark-blue rim
$55 at Pottery Barn: 888-779-5176 or potterybarn.com
Splatterware Pitchers
Glazed earthenware pitchers with blue-on-blue splatter finish
$50 to $100 each at March: 415-931-7433 or marchsf.com
Chiaroscuro High Jug
Sculptural black porcelain jug from Ichendorf
$75 at Jung Lee: 212-257-5655 or jungleeny.com
Brass Water Beakers
Brass-plated stainless-steel water beaker by Mary Jurek
$160 at Bergdorf Goodman: 888-774-2424 or bergdorfgoodman.com
Ridge Kitchen Pitcher
Handblown glass pitcher by Visibility
$40 at Areaware: 800-783-5683 or areaware.com
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