Chef & Sommelier Open Up Tannic Wine Glass 55 Cl - 6 Pieces
Royal Leerdam Carre Wine Glass 28 Cl - 6 Pieces
Bormioli Rocco Uno Inalto Wine Glass 47 Cl - 6 Pieces
Lehmann Grand Blanc Wine Glass 54 Cl - 6 Pieces
How it's made
For mouth-blown glass, a glassblower takes a lump of molten glass from the furnace on a pipe, blows it into a mold or freely in the air to form a bowl, then draws the stem and base from a second lump. Each glass passes through ten to fifteen hands. With machine-made glass, a machine does the same thing in one motion: a drop of glass is blown into a mold and the stem is pressed or pulled into place. Thousands of glasses per hour, all identical.
Between the two is a third category: machine-blown glass with a pulled stem, where the stem is drawn out of the hot glass rather than attached. This creates a thinner stem and a seamless transition, and most good hospitality glasses are made this way.
How to spot the difference
Mouth-blown glass is thinner and lighter, and never quite symmetrical: hold two glasses from a set next to each other and you'll see a slight difference in height or in the bowl. The rim is paper-thin, and the bowl may contain tiny bubbles. Machine-made glass sometimes has a fine seam in the bowl or a noticeable transition where the stem meets the base, and every glass is identical.
The sound: mouth-blown crystal glass rings for a long time when you tap the rim. The weight: a 70 cl mouth-blown Burgundy glass weighs 100 grams, while a machine-made glass weighs 150 to 200.
Is it better?
For tasting, the rim does the work, and modern machine-made glasses from Zwiesel, Spiegelau and Chef & Sommelier have rims that are almost indistinguishable from mouth-blown ones. Mouth-blown glass feels lighter and more elegant, and that's part of the pleasure. However, it's more fragile and rarely does well in the dishwasher.
For everyday use and hospitality, machine-made glass is the better choice: stronger, uniform, available to buy more of, and affordable. Mouth-blown glass is for those who want to give a special bottle a special glass. Read our article about Tritan crystal glass and about crystal glass, and browse our wine glasses.
Both worlds
The Paradox Cristalin Galileo tasting glass is handmade crystal glass, 47 cl, sold in pairs. The Spiegelau Definition is machine-blown with a pulled stem and a rim indistinguishable from that of a mouth-blown glass. Find all series in the wine glasses collection.
Paradox Cristalin Galileo Tasting Wine Glass 47 cl, handmade (2 pieces)
Spiegelau Definition Wine Glass 55 cl (6 pieces)
Good to know
Can mouth-blown glass go in the dishwasher?
Often not, and if the manufacturer allows it, only in a holder on a short glass-wash cycle. Washing by hand in lukewarm water is safer.
Is handmade the same as mouth-blown?
Usually, yes. Handmade can also mean that the stem is attached by hand to a machine-blown bowl.
Why is mouth-blown glass so expensive?
Labor and waste: each glass takes fifteen minutes of handwork, and some of the production is rejected.
Frequently asked questions
What's the difference between mouth-blown and machine-made glass?
Mouth-blown glass is made by a glassblower and is thinner, lighter, and never completely uniform. Machine-made glass comes from a mold, is uniform, and is stronger. View our wine glasses.
How can you recognize mouth-blown glass?
By its low weight, thin rim, small differences between glasses in a set, and sometimes a bubble in the glass.
Is mouth-blown glass better for wine?
It doesn't taste different when the rim is thin. It feels lighter and more elegant, and is more fragile.
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