We washed six place settings (one side plate, one dinner plate, one pudding bowl, one dessert plate for each setting, plus one large serving platter and three serving dishes), cutlery (eight pieces for each place setting), six champagne, red wine and white wine glasses, a roasting tin, four saucepans, four serving spoons, a carving knife and fork, six coffee cups and saucers and a cafétière, both by hand and using a Bosch SMS 6032 dishwasher to compare use of water and detergents and the end results. BNC
Dessert plate (with chocolates), £22.50, and matching jardinière (with silver sweets), £29.50; both by Paloma Picasso, from Villeroy & Boch at Liberty. BNC
Nicolo watched as Caroline spooned the last bit of tiramisu from her dessert plate. BNC