Glassware & Beverageware

A common starting par is 2 to 3 glasses of each type per seat: enough for the glasses on the tables, the ones in the dish machine and a reserve on the shelf. A 60-seat restaurant serving wine therefore stocks about 120 to 180 wine glasses, plus extra for high-volume types such as water and pint glasses. Busy bars with a single dish machine often go to 3 per seat. Recount monthly, since breakage typically runs a few percent of stock each month.

Tempered glass is heat-treated so it is several times stronger than regular glass and breaks into small, less sharp pieces, which is why it is used for high-volume tumblers and mugs. Regular (annealed) soda-lime glass is less expensive but chips and breaks more easily. Crystal glass, such as Spiegelau’s lead-free crystal, is thinner, clearer and rings when tapped, and is used for wine and premium beer service. Modern lead-free crystal is dishwasher safe.

Most glass breakage comes from thermal shock and contact, not from the machine itself. Let glasses reach room temperature before washing, and never fill a hot glass with ice or put a cold glass into very hot water. Use glass racks with the right compartment size so glasses do not touch, never stack glasses inside each other, and do not use glasses to scoop ice. A clean, scratch-free glass is also less likely to break, since scratches weaken it.

Shatter-resistant plastic drinkware is the safer choice anywhere broken glass is a hazard: pools, patios, hot tubs, outdoor events and stadiums. SAN plastic is clear and rigid and is used for tumblers and wine glasses; Tritan is a tougher, BPA-free plastic that resists clouding; polycarbonate is very strong but can cloud and scratch. Most commercial plastic drinkware is top-rack or commercial dishwasher safe. Glass is still preferred for indoor dining because it looks and feels premium.

A beer-clean glass has no film of grease, soap or rinse aid, so beer forms a steady head and leaves rings of lacing as it is drunk. Signs of a glass that is not beer-clean are bubbles clinging to the sides and a head that collapses quickly. Wash bar glasses separately from food dishes, use a glass-safe detergent, rinse well and air-dry upside down on a rack rather than towel-drying. A quick test is to wet the glass: water should sheet evenly, not bead.

Shipping is a flat $16.50 anywhere in Canada and free on orders over $199 before tax. Orders are processed in 2 to 3 business days (cut-off 10:00 AM MST, Monday to Friday) and Canadian transit takes 2 to 6 business days. We also ship to the United States, with duties and taxes shown at checkout. See the Shipping page for full details.