The Perfect Casual Drinking Glasses

Unbreakable, microwave and dishwasher proof glasses, that hold well in hand - the Duralex Picardie Glasses do it all.

Over the years, and as children grow and break their way around the house, the average household goes through a large number of sets of glasses. There always are some that seem to just fit the hand better, and which you go back time and time again, even though you only have a couple of glasses left in the set...  What are the attributes for these perfect glasses?

• Hold well in hand. Somehow, they are comfortable to hold, with just the right diameter where they are held in the hand, typically wider up top than below, and not too slick.

• Light. Truly heavy glasses rarely make the grade.

• Just the right volume. They are not so small that they require more than a glassful to satisfy your thirst, nor so big that they are too heavy or bulky for the job. For most people, it is typically 12 to 16 ounces - for children, 6 to 8 ounces.

• Dishwasher proof. We don't have to have to wash them by hand:-)

• Microwavable. The should be able to take some heat for hot beverages.

• Unbreakable. Or as close to it as possible - there is nothing like an incomplete set to make you feel unsatisfied every time you open the pantry...

• Stackable. So that it does not take too much room when you store it.

• Good looks. They should look good enough for you to be able to enjoy the beauty of the moment while you are relaxing with a glass of cold water in a hot Sunday afternoon.

The Duralex Picardie Glasses do very well on most counts. Their ergonomic shape, narrower at the bottom, wider at the top, makes them comfortable to hold. The highly tempered glass allows them to be reasonably light (they don't compare to aluminum or plastic though). They come in multiple volumes, ranging for 2 3/4oz to 16 1/4oz. They are dishwasher and microwave proof. While they are not unbreakable, they are very resistant to shock, and significantly improve the odds when dealing with a family of growing children:-) They are fairly stackable, although you can only have 3 to 4 in a stack. They also look very bistro, and you can imagine them on the table of a Mediterranean cafe, overseeing the beach...

  You can get them in any size at Amazon, or in sets of 4 sizes at William Sonoma. The smallest size is really small, maybe too small for juice glasses. We recommend the 8 oz glasses for children or juices, and the 12 and 16 oz glasses for adult refreshments. The Picardie Glasses are a 65+ year classic. Duralex, which makes them, went briefly into receivership a couple of years ago, during which time these tumbler sets were going for a lot of money on ebay. Now they are back - enjoy:-)