I’m often asked about durable alternatives to plastic glasses, so I figured it was time to share my Faves and Finds from my days of selling restaurant-quality break-resistant glassware.
Topping my list? There are several brands that I like, but the standouts for everyday use are Duralex Tempered Glassware
Now don’t be fooled — glass drinkware will never be truly “unbreakable” like high-end plastic glasses, but certain types of real glassware — tempered and annealed — are specifically made to meet the demands of busy restaurants. Not surprisingly, these remarkably sturdy glass drinkware brands also work beautifully in busy homes. So if you like the convenience and safety of plastic, but don’t like the idea of using plastic glasses day-to-day, break-resistant glassware is an ideal choice.
Glass treatments such as annealing, tempering and even infusing with titanium molecules during production create very tough, break-resistant glassware that withstands everyday knocks, bumps, spills and even drops. That means it survives being tipped over on tables, shuffled about in the sink and clanked in the dishwasher — situations where regular glasses and stemware often meet their demise.
If you’re looking for durable glass stemware like wine glasses, as well as martinis and champagne flutes, you’re in luck, too. The titanium-infused Tritan collection by Schott-Zwiesel
Review - Best “Unbreakable” and Break Resistant Glassware
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Durability -- Very durable by glass standards, but don't throw it on the tile floor!
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Styling & Finish - Gorgeous styles and finishes, many have a fine crystal look and feel
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Dishwasher-Safe - Made for restaurants and hotels, so it's all great in the dishwasher
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Price - $$ to $$$ - Very reasonable, stemware can be pricey but Amazon generally has great deals
I found these unbreakable glasses to be amazing http://eminencewine.com. Also they are not made of Tritan, so they are 100% bpa, lead, and chemical free.
I choose healthy living!
I’ll check them out! Thanks! But FYI, Tritan plastic is BPA-free, it’s polycarbonate plastic that contains BPA
I like the minimalist shape of the Schott Zwiesel, but how does it compare to the Picardie Duralex if dropped on a wooden floor?
Hi Geoff,
Picardie is tougher in my reviews. Both ultimately broke on my ceramic tile floor, but Picardie made it through a few drops. Schott-Zwiesel broke on the first drop. It’s resistant to tabletop and sink tipping, but for drops, Picardie is tougher.
Cheers!
Krista
Are the duralex glasses also good for stacking? My husband always stacks our current glasses, especially when coming out of the hot DW. Then they cool an shrink ever so slightly causing them to get stuck together and chips on the rim! I need to replace with something better. I also have my eye on the Pottery Barn cafe glasses. Any reviews on those?
Sorry for the delay in answering! My comments weren’t auto-notifying me – fixed now. I know this is late, but for anyone else with the same question, yes — Duralex stacks — and also yes, they’ll shrink a bit as they cool and that’s exactly what causes stuck glasses. This is actually a HUGE problem in restaurants and why most won’t stack glasses until cool. If you wait until they’re cool before stacking you won’t have the stuck issue. When you do — just run the bottom glass under hot water and it should expand to release the stuck glass.
I’ll check out Pottery Barn’s current collections. I generally like their products, but not every drinkware collection they carry is tempered (or annealed — another method that makes them more durable). If you want chip resistance, you definitely want the tempered glasses like Duralex.
Again! So sorry for the delay in responding, but hopefully this will help someone.
Cheers,
Krista