Drinking Glasses Are a Great Gift. Here Are 14 Truly Special Ones.
In this edition of The Gift, we dish on our favorite glassware for gifting. Plus: more ideas for a beautifully set table, a great deal on a 'holy grail' white T-shirt, and what to give a classroom helper.
A few years ago, I was fresh off a breakup, living in a new place of my own. Everything around me was new: I was in an unfamiliar part of town, my bangs were freshly shortened (as is the age-old tradition of any breakup), and I was even starting a brand-new job — this one, actually. All this newness was by design. I thought that surrounding myself with novelty would speed up the process of dealing with the change I was most trying to ignore.
I needed (or at least felt like buying) some new drinking glasses, and without thinking too much about it, I ordered a set of basic bistro-style cups, which came highly recommended by Wirecutter kitchen expert Michael Sullivan.
When they arrived, though, I realized I had accidentally veered from my perfect plan of new-things-only. In my hands were the exact same drinking glasses I had grown up with. I had somehow cosmically stumbled toward an ever-present fixture of my childhood home. I tucked the glasses into my barren cabinets, and my new apartment suddenly felt more familiar. And familiarity felt surprisingly good.
There is a quiet beauty in giving an elevated, everyday home item as a gift. Good glassware, for example, might delight your recipient in the gift-giving moment, maybe because it's unique, beautiful, or, as in my case, even a bit sentimental. But then? It just does its job, fading into the background of your recipient's life. Your giftee will hopefully use your present for years and years — and it can become a comforting fixture in their lives, just as these tumblers have been in mine.
To that end, here are some truly special glasses, mugs, and cups that we think would make great gifts: If it's whimsy you're after, gifts expert Mari Uyehara loves these unique tumblers: these fruit and animal ones are catching our eyes in particular — and they have a new set of dog offerings (which are going to be a problem for me, personally).
For impressing your coolest, most aesthetic friend, home-decor writer Ivy Elrod recommends these unique face vessels that are, as she puts it, 'nothing short of a true delight.' Each one is handcrafted, resulting in a one-of-a-kind, multi-colored, cheery, smiling face.
Kitchen editor Gabriella Gershenson loves these colored coupe glasses for jazzing up cocktails and sparkling wine. 'I bought a pair for my husband for our anniversary. The blue tint is luminescent, and they're thin and wonderfully delicate,' she says. And for injecting a splash of color into your everyday drinking glasses, I'm eyeing the shorter, multi-colored version of my prized Duralex glasses.
Your favorite beer aficionado might appreciate these glasses shaped like beer cans. They're simple, but something about drinking out of one might make you feel like you're grabbing dinner at your local brewery. And on a similar note, these Wirecutter-favorite Teku beer glasses are a nice way to class up your pizza-and-beer nights at home. (Or pizza-and-hop-water nights?)
For a bit of a splurge, gifts editor Hannah Morrill is eyeing a few Japanese Kimura Glass vessels that are striking in their simplicity: This martini glass is, in her words, 'perfection.' They make coupe glasses, too, which Hannah says would be a great gift 'for the couple who enjoys a drink together every night.' And this crumpled old-fashioned glass would be good for a certain unwinds-in-their-armchair type.
Let's not forget the morning joe: These porcelain tumblers look like crushed Solo cups — and when they're not busy moonlighting as a piece of home decor, would do well as a coffee cup by morning. This cheeky cup, the ceramic version of the classic New York City takeout coffee cup, doesn't look too shabby on display, either. I have one on my desk most days, and it somehow makes me feel sentimental for a place I've never lived.
Wirecutter's guide to the best drinking glasses→
Whether you're setting a candlelit table for a party, a date with your honey, or mac and cheese for one, our favorites make any occasion feel special.
From festive melamine and bamboo plates to classic enamelware, our favorite outdoor tableware pieces are perfect for taking dinner outside.
These durable enamelware tumblers are ideal for outdoor dining, but they're also great indoors — whether on a desk, at a well-set dining table, or by your bedside.
I'm a third-grade teacher. And I want to get something special and fun for my classroom TA as an end-of-the-year gift. He's been with my class since January and is so helpful, smart, and a joy to work with. I want to thank him with something fun for the summer, preferably something he can enjoy with his husband and their 8-year-old daughter. Thank you! — E.D.
From gifting expert Mari Uyehara:
For amusement, the storytelling card game Dixit is a fave of many Wirecutter staffers. I've played it with ages 7 to 77 years old many times over — and when we've tried it with kids' friends, we usually get a text from parents asking for the name of the game that their child is now evangelizing. My almost-8-year-old, crazy-smart niece is also a big fan of the Crazy Forts building set.
On the noshing front, my boyfriend's tween daughter loves their air-popping popcorn machine; pair it with this excellent movie night what-should-we-watch solver. Multiple subsets of my extended family have had a blast tasting and debating our way through this sampler of hard-to-find Japanese snacks. If you can tease out your TA's address and freezer-space situation, this gift pack of hulking chip ice cream sandwiches would make for some magical summer nights.
But if you're not sure of what's in their game room or kitchen, a Target or Dunkin' Donuts card is always a nice summer treat. And make sure you include a good-looking card telling him exactly what you valued about his work this year. As a teacher, I bet you already know how a little appreciation goes a very long way.
Our present-hunters are here to answer your questions. By completing this form, you agree that we may add your address to our list for the newsletter The Gift.
What I Cover
Haley Jo Lewis is the lead editor of newsletters and programming for Wirecutter. She brings experience from the Los Angeles Times and The Seattle Times. When she's not writing newsletters, you can find her cooking, scouring the estate sales of Los Angeles, and spending time on her beloved sectional couch.
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