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Stainless Steel Wine Goblets: A Practical Buyer's Guide
The problem with beautiful glassware
Most of us own at least one set of wine glasses we are slightly afraid of. They live on a high shelf, come out twice a year, and spend the whole evening being moved away from the edge of the table.
Glass is lovely and glass is fragile. Plastic cups solve the breakage problem but do not look like much on a set table.
Stainless steel goblets sit in the gap. These ones are listed as break resistant, and they add an etched baroque pattern over a black plated finish.
What you are getting
The set contains two goblets. Each is made from stainless steel, plated black, and etched around the bowl with a scrolling baroque design. Capacity is 17 fluid ounces per goblet. The listing gives the dimensions as 7.87 inches and 3.94 inches, and the photos show a goblet that is taller than it is wide, on a long stem.
The design is fixed. It is already on the goblets, no engraving service is offered, and there is no option to change the pattern. The set arrives as a finished pair with nothing to choose.
They are listed for adult use at home with cold drinks, and the themes given are birthday, wedding, Valentine's Day and Halloween. The dark finish and dense scrollwork suit a formal table and a Halloween table alike.
What break resistant means here
The listing gives break resistant as the special feature of this set and stainless steel as the material. It does not give a drop height or a test standard, so we do not add one.
A metal goblet behaves differently from a glass one when it is knocked over. That is the reason many people keep a steel pair for evenings when the good glasses stay on the shelf.
Steel can still dent, and a plated finish can scratch if it is cleaned with the wrong scourer. The listing suggests hand washing.
Who these suit
These goblets make the most sense for a few kinds of people.
If you often set a table on a deck or patio, a break resistant goblet is worth a look. Shoppers searching for the best unbreakable wine glasses should note that the listing says break resistant, not unbreakable.
If you host themed dinners, the look helps. A table set with etched black goblets reads medieval without many other props, and Halloween is one of the listed themes.
If you are buying a gift, a pair works for engagements, weddings, anniversaries and housewarmings.
If you plan to travel with them, wrap each goblet in a dish towel. The stems are long and thin, and the listing gives home as the recommended use.
Who they do not suit: anyone who wants to study the color and legs of a wine in the glass. Opaque metal rules that out. If you are a serious taster who assesses wine visually, keep a set of clear stems for that and use these for everything else.
How to choose between metal goblets
Capacity comes first. Each of these goblets is listed at 17 fluid ounces.
Finish is next. Plated finishes ask for gentler cleaning than bare brushed steel. These goblets are black plated with a mirror surface.
Then there is the pattern. Here the etching covers the bowl, and the lower bowl, stem and base are smooth polished metal that will show fingerprints.
Finally, think about how many you need. The set gives you two. If you regularly seat six, buy three sets so the table matches.
Looking after them
The listing suggests hand washing. Warm water, a drop of mild dish soap, a soft cloth or sponge, then a dry with a clean towel. Drying right away stops water spots forming.
Avoid steel wool, scouring pads and anything gritty on the plated finish.
Store the goblets upright and side by side.
Do not use them for hot drinks. Metal passes heat to your fingers, and the set is listed for cold drinks.
The short version
These are two 17 ounce stainless steel wine goblets, plated black and etched with a baroque scroll pattern on the bowl, sold exactly as shown. No engraving service is offered. The listing describes them as break resistant.
Buy them if you want a matching pair with a dark, formal look. Buy a second set if you host more than two guests. Hand wash, dry right away and store them upright.