Buying Small 9cl Glasses: Picardie Noir, Gigogne Noir and Clear

Start with the job, not the color

At 9cl, a glass is small enough for a liqueur, an espresso, a dessert verrine or a child's water. That range of uses is exactly why the choice is not just about looks. The three options here differ in set size, color and price, and those differences decide how often you will actually reach for them.

All three are tempered glass, so they share the same basic durability story. The real decision is whether you want a clear glass that disappears into any table setting or a black glass that makes a deliberate statement, and whether a four-piece or six-piece set fits your household.

What the catalog confirms about each set

• Le Picardie® Noir brillant - Verre 9cl - (Lot de 4): Le Picardie Noir brillant comes as a lot of 4 glasses in 9cl, with a black color tinted in the mass and a tempered shock-resistant glass. The four-piece set and the colored-through glass make it a good match if you want a small, dark glass for after-dinner drinks without buying a large service.

  

• Le Gigogne - Noir brillant - Verre 9cl - (Lot de 4): Le Gigogne Noir brillant is also a lot of 4 in 9cl, with rounded lines, a black color and tempered shock-resistant glass. It offers the same set size and color direction as the Picardie Noir, but with a rounder shape that changes how the glass feels in hand.

  

• Le Picardie - Verre transparent 9cl - (Lot de 6): Le Picardie transparent 9cl comes as a lot of 6, in clear tempered glass, and the catalog lists it as suitable for water, coffee, tea, cocktails, verrines and desserts. The six-piece clear set is the most flexible for mixed use and the easiest to match with existing clear glassware.

Clear vs black: what changes at the table

• Clear Picardie 9cl: You see the drink, the color of a liqueur or the layers of a dessert. It blends with any table setting and is the safer choice if you are buying one set for many uses.
• Picardie Noir 9cl: The black tint is in the mass, so the glass stays black rather than fading. It makes a strong visual contrast with light tables and works well for evening drinks, but it hides the color of what you pour.
• Gigogne Noir 9cl: Same black color direction, but the rounded shape gives a softer, more nostalgic look. Choose it if the shape matters more to you than the straight Picardie profile.

Set size and price: the practical tie-breaker

The clear Picardie set gives you six glasses for a catalog price of USD 5.99, compared with USD 9.10 for the four-piece Picardie Noir and USD 7.50 for the four-piece Gigogne Noir. If you need enough small glasses for a family table or for batch prepping desserts, the six-piece clear set is the straightforward value choice.

The black sets make more sense when you are buying for a specific moment: aperitifs, digestifs or a styled dinner table. Four glasses is often enough for a couple or a small gathering, and you are paying for the color treatment rather than for extra pieces.

Where 9cl works well and where it runs out

• Good for liqueur and spirits: A 9cl glass is a sensible small pour for a digestif or a tasting-size serve.
• Good for coffee and tea: The clear Picardie set is listed for coffee and tea, so it can double as a small cup at the end of a meal.
• Good for desserts and verrines: The clear set is explicitly listed for desserts and verrines, where seeing the layers is part of the appeal.
• Limited for water at meals: If you drink a full glass of water with dinner, 9cl will need frequent refills. Step up to a larger tumbler for the main table and keep the 9cl glasses for smaller serves.

Common questions about buying 9cl glasses

Can I use the black 9cl glasses for coffee?

The catalog describes the black Picardie and Gigogne as 9cl glasses with a black color, but it does not list coffee or tea among their stated uses. The clear Picardie set is the one explicitly listed for coffee and tea, so it is the safer choice for hot drinks.

Are the black glasses actually black all the way through?

The Picardie Noir listing states the color is tinted in the mass, which means the black is part of the glass rather than a surface coating. The Gigogne Noir listing describes a black color but does not use the same wording, so treat that detail as confirmed only for the Picardie Noir.

Which set is better for a gift?

The black sets feel more gift-like because of the color, and the four-piece format is easy to wrap and store. The clear six-piece set is the more practical gift for someone setting up a first kitchen.