How many times per day do you reach for a glass? Consider how drinking glasses, in various states of fullness, tend to scatter themselves about the house, forgotten until dish time. … Or how one of the first questions we ask guests is, “Can I get you something to drink?” The utility of a glass is obvious, which explains why a well-designed version — simple, functional, durable — quickly becomes a conversation piece.
We decided to take a glass-half-full approach to tracking down great tumblers and were pleasantly surprised by our finds. First up: Basic tumblers from OK — an online shop with two bricks-and-mortar locations in Los Angeles — that are microwaveable, stackable and dishwasher safe, and besides that, beautifully minimalist. Made in Italy out of tempered glass, they come in three sizes: mini (a delightfully squat variety resembling a Spanish wine glass, $4); medium ($5); and maxi ($6). They’re nice enough to keep out on a bar, shelf or hutch for ready access.
Our second pick: Simple Mexican tumblers from Spartan Shop, an Austin, Texas-based home goods store and e-commerce site. These 10-ounce glasses ($9 each) have a nice heft, as do Spartan’s actual Spanish wine glasses ($6 each). Both are ideal for entertaining — or just absent-mindedly leaving on a side table somewhere.
More info at www.okthestore.com and www.spartan-shop.com.
Pearson is a freelance writer.
Twitter @tislaurapearson