home and hearth magazine

There are many different styles of glassware for the well-dressed table.  Home and Hearth Magazine online recommends that you have a variety of drinking glasses if possible.  This is because the breakage factor of glassware is extremely high.  Regular dish washing and daily handling can reduce your complete set of drinking glasses down to a spotty few.  Use the drinking glasses that are the least expensive and most durable on a daily basis.  Fine glassware of higher quality should be reserved for your well-dressed table setting.

Glassware Types

For example, soda-lime glass is widely sold and is the most sturdy type of glassware for daily use.  This type of glass is also used for the glass food jars you see in grocery stores as well as glass dishes.  A key ingredient for all glass is silica or “sand” like you get from the beach. Therefore, glass is an eco-friendly drink ware option.

Lead crystal glassware is usually associated with fine drinking glasses. The distinctive features of lead crystal glassware are its brilliance, clarity and ability to reflect light which does not happen in basic soda-lime glass.  Some better quality glassware brands that immediately come to mind are Tiffany, Mikasa and Waterford.  What’s more, you’ll hear a bell-like “ping” tone  if you tap the edge of a lead crystal glass with a pencil.

Whether you are preparing for a casual gathering or a formal affair, you can always find glassware for the well-dressed table that will fit your dining needs.