Prevent glass cups from breaking when pouring hot water

Have you ever experienced a glass cup breaking when you just poured hot water into it? This incident often makes us surprised and worried about the potential for injury. Glass cups breaking due to drastic temperature changes is a common problem often faced in the kitchen.

In addition to being dangerous, this incident also makes us have to replace new glasses. Therefore, it is important for us to know how to prevent glass glasses from breaking so that our kitchen equipment is more durable and safe to use. This article will discuss some tips and tricks that you can try at home.
 

Why Glasses Can Break When Filled With Hot Water

Have you ever experienced a glass suddenly cracking or even breaking when hot water is poured into it? This phenomenon often occurs and makes us wonder, why does this happen? There are several factors that cause glass to break easily when exposed to sudden hot temperatures, including:
 

1. Temperature Difference (Thermal Shock)

• Uneven expansion: Glass has the property of expanding when exposed to heat. When you pour hot water into a glass, the inside of the glass expands faster than the outside. This drastic difference in expansion causes enormous stress on the glass structure, causing it to crack or break.
• Severity: The greater the temperature difference between the hot water and the glass, the greater the risk of the glass breaking. For example, pouring boiling water into a cold glass is riskier than pouring warm water.

 

2. Quality and Thickness of Glass

• Material quality: The quality of the glass material greatly affects its strength and resistance to temperature changes. Glasses made from low-quality materials tend to break more easily due to their less stable molecular structure.
• Glass thickness: Glass that is too thin will break more easily because it does not have enough strength to withstand the pressure caused by expansion.

 

Other Factors That Influence

• How to pour water: Pouring hot water directly into the center of the bottom of the glass is safer than pouring it down the side of the glass.
• Presence of microscopic cracks: Microscopic cracks that are invisible to the naked eye can become weak points in the glass and accelerate the process of glass cracking.
• Presence of foreign objects in the glass: Foreign objects such as metal spoons or ice cubes can accelerate the heat transfer process and increase the risk of the glass breaking.

 

Tips to Prevent Broken Glasses

By implementing these tips, you can minimize the risk of glass cups breaking when pouring hot water into them. Remember, prevention is better than cure. With a little extra care, you can enjoy your favorite hot beverages without worrying about the glass breaking.
 

Choose a Glass with Good Quality

Make sure to buy quality products that use heat-resistant glass material. Borosilicate glass is one of the best choices because it can adapt to hot temperatures without cracking.

This glass material is also more resistant to sudden temperature changes, so it can prevent the glass from breaking when hot water is poured into it.
 

How to Properly Warm a Glass

Before pouring hot water into the glass, fill it with a small amount of hot water first. This allows the glass surface to adapt to the hot temperature slowly, reducing the risk of cracking.

Also, boil water in a pot and let it cool for a few moments before pouring it into the glass, so that the water temperature is not too extreme.
 

Use Protective Equipment

To keep glass from breaking easily, use coasters or glass protectors that can help reduce heat and distribute heat evenly.

In addition, inserting a metal spoon or fork into the glass before pouring hot water is also an effective way to reduce heat and prevent the glass from breaking because metal objects are good conductors of heat.

Also Read: Unique and personal kitchen in a modern studio for work and play
 

Solution If the Glass Has Already Broken

Even though we try to prevent glass from breaking, accidents can still happen. If your glass has already broken, here are some steps you need to take:
 

1. Repair Steps

In fact, a broken glass cannot be repaired. Drinking from a cracked or broken glass is very dangerous because it can cause injuries from the glass fragments left behind. In addition, bacteria can grow in the cracks.
 

2. Avoid Using Broken Glasses

• Do not reuse: A broken glass, even if it is only a small crack, should not be reused.
• Dispose of properly: Throw broken glass in a tightly closed trash can to avoid accidents when throwing out the trash.

 

3. How to Handle Broken Glass

• Safety first: Before cleaning up broken glass, make sure the area is safe. Keep children and pets away from the area.
• Use a tool: Use a broom or a vacuum cleaner with a flat tip to collect large pieces of glass.
• Clean with care: For very small pieces of glass, use duct tape or plasticine to pick them up.
• Check carefully: After cleaning, double check the area to make sure there are no broken glass pieces left behind.
• Dispose of properly: Wrap all broken glass in paper or newspaper and throw it in a tightly closed trash can.

 

IKEA Drinking Glasses: The Perfect Choice for Your Hot Beverages

Glass cups breaking when pouring hot water is not just a trivial matter. In addition to being dangerous, this incident is also detrimental because we have to replace the new glass. However, by applying some simple tips, we can prevent this from happening.

Choose a quality glass, pour hot water slowly into the center of the glass, and avoid drastic temperature changes. That way, your glass will be more durable and long-lasting.

Explore our collection of drinking glasses now and find the one that suits your needs. With the right glass, enjoying hot drinks will be safer and more comfortable.

Let's upgrade your glass collection! Explore a wide selection of beautiful and functional glasses from IKEA .