Is there one great way to store wine and cocktail glasses? We've researched to see the creative ways people store their fragile glassware and have the answers for you here. So let's take a look.
The main thing to think about when storing wine and cocktail glasses is preventing breakage and dust. This means you're either going to want to keep them on a safe shelf or cupboard or use a hanging system for stemmed glasses.
We're going to take a look at what this means for your glasses. We'll discuss how to best store cocktail glasses, what are the best places to store wine glasses, if you can store wine glasses in a drawer, and how to store wine glasses long-term if you don't need to use them regularly. So please, keep reading.
What's So Important About Proper Storage For Wine And Cocktail Glasses?
Beautiful stemware is an awesome thing to have if you love to entertain. But glasses are also fragile. They can scratch, chip, or even break. Wine glasses, in particular, are easy to break if they are stemmed. So you want to make sure they are stored somewhere safe.
The other element to take into consideration is household dust. Dust can be abrasive and is also just gross when you're ready to serve up some delicious Cabernet Sauvignon. Proper storage of your glassware can help cut down on any dust that might collect on the surface of your glassware. If you know housekeeping is not your thing, then consider keeping your glassware behind closed doors of a cupboard rather than on a hanging rack system.
Let's look at ways and the best places to store these types of glasses.
How Do You Store Cocktail Glasses?
Cocktail glasses come in a wide variety of sizes and shapes. There are stemmed martini glasses, low whiskey glasses, tall gin, and tonic highball glasses, shot glasses, and liquor glasses. The best way to store any glass is with the opening upside down. Many of these glasses don't have the stems of traditional wine glasses, which means you can't hang them. So they need to go inside of a cupboard or a sliding drawer.
Sliding Drawers And Cupboards
Pull-out drawers are a great way to store glasses because they are easy to access. When turned upside down, they are less likely to clink and rattle like they might if turned right side up. However, you never want to shut your drawer with too much force, or it could cause your glasses to jostle and potentially break or chip. Be sure and line the drawer with some type of grippy material to help things not slip and rattle.
Click here for this on Amazon.
Cupboards are your pretty standard way of storing glasses. If you have glass-fronted cabinets, it's always a great idea to store your most beautiful pieces inside of them. If your glasses are behind closed doors, then it's probably okay to store them right side up as dust will be less likely to fall inside of them.
Some glasses are made to be shown off. We love these crystal martini glasses here on Amazon.
Display Your Best Glassware On A Buffet Or Table
Maybe you have some gorgeous vintage highballs or a crystal decanter and glass set. There's no harm in showing off your gorgeous stemware by displaying it at your wet bar or on a special table in your dining room. It can add an extra design element to your room and give the whole space a super classy feeling.
This set of decanter and highballs even comes with its own wooden display tray. Click here for this on Amazon.
Where Do You Store Wine Glasses?
If you love stemmed wine glasses, you know how easily they can break if not stored properly. So, where is the best place to store them properly, so they don't break? We've found a few great options for you to consider.
On A Shelf
One of the easier ways to store them is to put them on a gorgeous shelf. Here, a wall unit of cubes is home to both bottles of wine and glasses. In this scenario, they are stored upright, but this does create the risk for dust settling into the glasses, which means more cleaning and washing them out before using them.
This shelving unit is safer than an open ending wall shelf where the glasses might be more easily knocked off.
Click here for this on Amazon.
In A Cupboard
Your standard kitchen cupboard is another spot that's a likely candidate for your wine glasses. It's also a safe place to keep them as cupboards have doors, and thus the risk of breakage is minimal. Cupboards also help keep dust out because they are closed. If you have lovely glass doors like in the image above, it's easy to see all of your beautiful glassware. However, wine glasses on the top shelf might be hard to reach.
On A Hanging Rack
Hanging racks are a bartender trick for storing stemmed glassware. The stem of your wine glass slides onto a system that allows it to hang upside down. Some hanging racks even come with storage above for wine bottles. They can be as small or large as you need for your situation. This unit holds about 12 glasses, but if filled all the way does minimize the use of the lower shelf.
Click here for this on Amazon.
On Or In A Buffet Table
Buffet tables are another handy way to get some additional storage. They often come with drawers and glass cabinets that allow you to serve serving pieces or other kitchenware that you may not use every day. Because they are out of the way of the high traffic in the kitchen, this type of storage location is an excellent way to minimize the breakage of good stemware.
Click here for this on Amazon.
How Do You Store Wine Glasses In A Drawer?
If you want to store your wine glasses in a drawer, you're going to want to make sure you use some type of no-stick lining. This lining provides a grippy surface that will help keep your glasses from moving. You want to prevent this so that your glasses don't chip or break. It's best to store your wine glasses upside down because if they are right side up, the movement of the drawer could cause them to fall.
Grip lining like this one on Amazon prevents movement.
How Do You Store Wine Glasses Long Term?
If you have wine glasses that you only use occasionally for big parties or special events, you may want to keep them in storage. Of course, before you stick your wine glasses in the basement or attic, you'll want to make sure they are well-protected. What's the best way to store them safely?
We recommend you box them up in either a cardboard box made specifically for glasses or a padded box like this one.
Click here for this on Amazon.
The way that each wine glass is separated from the one next to it prevents any smashing, chipping, or breaking when in storage. You can also stack these types of boxes on top of one another. Just be sure not to be something heavier than another box of wine glasses on top of it.
Pour Yourself A Glass
Now that you have a great idea of all the excellent ways to store your cocktail and wine glasses, it's time for a drink. Get out your glass from your perfect storage spot and pour yourself your favorite.
If you enjoyed this post here at KitchenSeer.com, please check out a few of our others below:
How to Store Glasses and Cups in The Kitchen
How To Convert A Closet Into A Pantry [In 6 Steps]
