The 10 Best Martini Glasses

Each of the four Mikasa Cheers glasses carries a different etched pattern, so guests can tell their drinks apart without charms or tags. The shape is the classic V on a slim stem, and the bowl is roomy, so a standard martini fills it about halfway. Mikasa sells it as lead-free glass, though the name on the box still says lead crystal. Care advice conflicts too, so wash it by hand. The thin glass can break with rough handling.

If you want a martini that stays cold to the last sip, the Riedel Vinum Martini holds about five ounces, close to the small size Difford's Guide recommends. Riedel, the Austrian glassmaker, makes it from thin machine-made crystal and says it's dishwasher safe. The small bowl also sloshes less in transit. Each box holds only two, so the cost per glass is high, and anyone who likes a big pour may find it small.

For crystal that can handle weeknight use, the Luigi Bormioli Crescendo pairs a thin, laser-cut rim with a stem the Italian maker reinforces with titanium. Luigi Bormioli says its lead-free crystal resists chips and stays clear through the dishwasher. The deep V bowl looks sharp and takes a generous pour. Those claims don't make it unbreakable, though, and a hard knock against the sink or faucet can still chip the rim.

With no stem to snag, the Libbey Cosmopolitan sits low on a thick glass base, so a bumped elbow is less likely to send a drink flying. The bowl keeps the familiar V outline, and Libbey rates the set for the dishwasher. It suits cosmos, small desserts and kitchens with crowded shelves, since it stores like a tumbler. Your hand wraps right around the drink, though, so it warms faster than one held by a stem.

For hosting a crowd, the Libbey Entertaining Essentials set brings six tall, slender V glasses in one box. Libbey makes them from plain, lead-free glass built for the dishwasher, so cleanup after a party is quick. The look is simple, with no etching or colored stems to clash with other barware. The rim is thicker than fine crystal, and this set has a shorter track record than Libbey's older lines.

A long, slender stem lets the Lenox Tuscany Classics glass turn a plain martini into an event. Lenox, the American china maker, runs a breakage-replacement program that sells a broken piece back at half its suggested price, which takes some sting out of an accident. The set is rated for the dishwasher. That height has a cost: the small foot makes the glass top-heavy, so it can tip on a crowded table and may not fit a low cabinet.

A coupe is the round, shallow glass many bartenders choose over a V, and the TRUE Coupe set costs little enough to try one on a whim. Its curved bowl spills less easily on the walk to the couch, and it works for Manhattans, daiquiris and sparkling wine too. TRUE rates the set of four for the dishwasher. The glass is plain and fairly light, and a few glasses can crack when packed tightly in a dishwasher or freezer drawer.

Espresso martinis need room for their foam, and the Vemacity Espresso Martini coupe gives it a wide, deep bowl. Each glass is blown by hand, so the rim stays thin, and the set comes in a gift box. Vemacity, a London brand, also pitches the glasses for champagne and margaritas. A classic stirred martini looks a bit lost in such a big bowl, and the maker asks for hand washing only.

Glass and a pool deck don't mix, which is where the Snowfox Insulated martini cup earns its place. It's stainless steel with a vacuum-sealed double wall, so the drink stays cold, the outside stays dry, and nothing shatters if it falls. The cone shape keeps the martini look without a stem. Its wide top and short base can tip on a soft surface, and the set of two has to be washed by hand.

For a bar cart that leans modern, the JoyJolt Carre swaps the cone for a twisted square bowl on a heavy square base. That solid base makes the glass hard to knock over, and JoyJolt says the pair survives the dishwasher. It comes in a gift box, which helps for a housewarming. The look is closer to a short rocks glass than a classic martini glass, so traditionalists may pass, and the set holds only two.