I wish I could tell you I was blissfully detached from material goods, but the truth is, I get a lot of joy from the pretty things that fill my home—and particularly my kitchen. Over the years, I’ve methodically replaced the discount dinnerware I’ve had since college, overhauled my collection of hopelessly dull knives, and lined my countertops with various functional trinkets (including a ridiculous number of salt cellars). Call me crazy, but I swear my weeknight dinners taste better when eaten off my favorite handmade porcelain plates, and cooking them is more fun when I get to grab utensils out of a colorful stoveside crock.
The one holdover from my college years I still hadn’t gotten around to swapping out was a set of glassware from [redacted]. They were a thoughtful gift from my parents, but half a decade of use had not been good to them—they were chipped at the rim and so cloudy the once-clear walls were verging on opaque. After using them for so long, I knew exactly what I wanted from my next set of glasses: they should be lightweight (my existing ones were needlessly heavy), stackable (a necessity for my small Brooklyn apartment), dishwasher-safe (no way am I handwashing my drinking glasses), and pretty enough to look at home on a dinner party table.
I held off on buying anything for the longest time because I had yet to come across a set of glassware that checked all of my boxes at a reasonable price—and then I walked into the Kinto store and laid eyes on the brand’s Cast line.
I was immediately drawn to these glasses’ thin walls and elegant shape, which features a taper that allows them to stack, and a flared lip that helps guide liquid smoothly into your mouth. They look high-end, which is why I was delighted to find out that each glass rings in under $10. The exact price varies depending on the size, of which there are four: 6, 8, 12, and 15-ounce. I’ve found that the 15-ounce “beer glass” is my ideal size for most beverages, whether that’s water or an iced matcha latte. I also picked up four of the 8-ounce “water glasses,” which I’ve been using for cocktails and wine.
Even after months of living with the Cast glasses, I still can’t stop singing their praises. Not only do they look great, but I’ve found them shockingly durable. I’m a known klutz, and I can’t count the number of times I’ve knocked one of these glasses over onto the counter or banged one against another cup while fishing it out of my (admittedly overstuffed) cabinet. Somehow, some way, not a single rim has chipped, and all eight of the glasses I own look as good as the day I unboxed them.
