I happen to be very clumsy. I've been living with my hubby for about 2 years now and have broken at least 3 glasses. Every time I wash the dishes, I'm a bit nervous that I will end up breaking another drinking glass. Not only is it terrible that I just destroyed something of his, glass is a real pain to clean up.
In my parents' house, we used mugs for everything. We used mugs to drink tea, coffee, juice, milk, soda, etc. We used mugs to eat cereal and ice cream. It was a great multi-purpose vessel and it wasn't nearly as scary as glass should one break. I could try to encourage the use of mugs for everything in our household, but I've always found it so wonderful and charming to drink juice and water out of a glass. Maybe it's because my parents never got into drinking out of glasses.
That is not to say that my parents didn't have glasses to drink out of. They have some nice ones that came as a set and yes, I've broken some so the set is no longer complete. They also have some very beautiful crystal glasses and yes, I think I've broken at least one of those too. However, these glasses generally were only used on special occasions. I think we did use the tumblers regularly, but after I (and probably my parents) realized that I can't be trusted around them without eventually destroying one, mugs just seemed like a safer choice.
So now that I'm slowing outfitting my newly formed household, I am on the hunt for unbreakable stuff! Or at the very least, less breakable stuff! I made sure to buy a Corelle set of dinnerware for us, dreaming that the stuff will last as long as my mother's set. I think my mother's Corelle stuff may be as old as, if not older than, me! I also got some Anchor Hocking glass containers, feeling that tempered glass is sturdier than regular glass containers. Pyrex is also a favorite of mine. Generally, when it comes to cooking and leftovers and dinnerware, I think I'm set and I know what I want.
However, drinkware is an entirely different story. Yes, we do have mugs - lots of them, in fact. Our Corelle dinnerware set came with a set of mugs. So we're set when it comes to mugs, but how about drinking glasses and barware? Let's first talk about drinking glasses.
My hubby told me about his mother's indestructible glasses. These glasses were, apparently, super sturdy and refused to break. Enchanted by these fabled glasses, I wanted a set of my own and went online to search for some. Most items that came up in my search for "indestructible drinking glass" were made of plastic. I specifically don't want plastic. It just doesn't feel classy or homey to be drinking from plastic in your grown-up home. I want a sippy cup for adults that doesn't look like a sippy cup. Eventually, I came across a couple of viable options.
The first option is by a brand called Duralex:
http://www.duralexusa.com/Picardie-Tumblers-cat1.html?parentId=0
These are reputed to be shock resistant, good for hot and cold drinks, impact and chip resistant, microwave and dishwasher safe and made to resist sudden extreme temperature changes. Can you ask for more from a glass?
The second option is to get barware made of titanium crystal:
http://www.schott-zwiesel.com/en/tritan1_e.htm
It's crystal, but more durable, so it's good for clumsy adults like me. I don't think these are as durable as a Duralex glass for everyday drinking purposes, but they look very classy. If you have the money, you can buy an entire matching set of barware and tumblers. However, is it worth it to buy drinking glasses from here?
I think if I want my glasses to survive me and my future kids, I should opt for Duralex. I do really like these and would love to get a set. The great thing for me would be less fear of washing glasses. Lol! Like my Corelle dinnerware, I can see Duralex glasses lasting a lifetime.
However, I also crave a good set of wine glasses. Again, I'm always afraid of breaking one of our wine glasses. If we could get some that are a bit more durable, there's a chance that we won't have to replace them as often.
I'm all about durability and I don't mind paying more for it. Things that last a lifetime means less money spent over the years to replace them and less waste generated throwing away stuff that broke. Plus, I have very fond memories of my mother's indestructible dinnerware and cookware. I didn't appreciate the stuff growing up, but seeing the stuff when I visit, I get all sentimental and nostalgic. I wouldn't mind passing that kind of experience to my own children some day.
3 comments:
Jen, the "indestructible" glasses we had were Duralex. They are good but they will smash when dropped on a driveway (ask Ari) or on ceramic tile (ask E). They don't break on wood or linoleum. I have a set and like them very much. I got them at Williams Sonoma.
Kira
Ah yes, I do know about the driveway story. Whenever Ari thinks of those glasses, he thinks of that story. :-)
Your clumsiness is totally forgivable, Jenhu. I'm quite accident-prone myself. But that doesn't stop me from buying stuff made of glass. Events that require us to use our recycled glass drinkware and serving pieces come about every now and then, so we have no choice but to be extra careful with handling them. But of course, I would love to have indestructible stuff too. I mean, who doesn't? Good luck with your search!
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