Equipment guide

Buy the solution to the problem — not the most impressive gadget.

Wine fridges, glasses, decanters, preservation systems and the rest — organised by the problem they solve, not by how impressive they look on a kitchen worktop.

Useful equipment, without turning the table into a gadget drawer.

A good corkscrew and one decent glass will get you surprisingly far. Spend more when the problem genuinely needs solving — heat, oxidation, sediment or a bottle worth protecting.

Back to the practical guide

Wine decanter vs aerator

A decanter is a separate vessel that lets you pour wine away from sediment and control how long it spends exposed to air. An aerator introduces air during pouring, usually more quickly and with less control over subsequent contact.

Choose a decanter when sediment separation or gradual tasting matters. A pouring aerator can be convenient for a young wine, but it is not a universal upgrade and does not replace careful decanting of a mature bottle. Try a small comparison before treating the whole bottle.