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See why.Reusable Plastic Cups
Could we find a set of functional, durable, and stylish plastic cups to meet our outdoor drinking and dining needs?
By Carolyn GrilloPublished Sept. 14, 2021
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What You Need To Know
We love to enjoy food and drinks outdoors—at picnics, backyard barbecues, clambakes, and more. While we could use the glasses from our kitchens for these gatherings, many of them are breakable and too heavy to transport easily. Reusable plastic cups, which are sometimes marketed as “shatterproof cups,” are meant to survive an accidental tumble onto a hard patio or deck and provide a...
Everything We Tested
Highly Recommended
- Drinking Experience: 3 stars out of 3.
- Design: 3 stars out of 3.
- Durability and Cleanup: 3 stars out of 3.
Our favorite set of plastic cups has everything we were looking for, including thin rims that make the cups very pleasant to drink from. The textured exterior allowed us to grip the cups securely. After these cups were used, washed repeatedly, and deliberately dropped onto concrete, they retained only minor nicks and dents. A bonus: This is the least expensive set (per cup) in our lineup.
- Drinking Experience: 2.5 stars out of 3.
- Design: 3 stars out of 3.
- Durability and Cleanup: 3 stars out of 3.
Though their rims are slightly thicker than those on the cups of our winning set, these cups were still nice to drink from. They had the second-widest bases in our lineup, so each cup sat sturdily on all surfaces. Testers were able to securely hold the cups, thanks to the attractive water-like ripple pattern on the cups’ exteriors. When dropped repeatedly, these cups retained a similar amount of dings as the other cups in our lineup. Lastly, they are stackable for easy storage.
Recommended
- Drinking Experience: 3 stars out of 3.
- Design: 3 stars out of 3.
- Durability and Cleanup: 2 stars out of 3.
These beautiful gray-blue cups were moderately lightweight, and our testers enjoyed drinking from them. They were durable and had wide and sturdy bases, and their diamond-patterned exteriors made them easy to hold. The only drawback with these cups is that they’re not dishwasher-safe, so cleaning them requires more time and effort.
- Drinking Experience: 2 stars out of 3.
- Design: 3 stars out of 3.
- Durability and Cleanup: 3 stars out of 3.
These cups have a sturdy base, and they’re stackable. We also liked that they were dishwasher-safe for easy cleanup. However, our testers were conscious of their thick rims while drinking from them. Compared with thinner and more elegant cups, they felt slightly clunky. These cups are sold singly, so you’ll need to buy multiple cups in order to make a set.
- Drinking Experience: 2 stars out of 3.
- Design: 2.5 stars out of 3.
- Durability and Cleanup: 3 stars out of 3.
This set’s brightly colored pink cups, which are also available in turquoise, made it stand out from the rest. The cups were easy to hold because of their dotted pattern. However, these cups have smaller bases and thicker rims than those of our favored cups. While they didn’t fall over during testing, they were not as stable as those with wider bases. After we washed them and deliberately dropped them onto concrete, they retained only a few small scratches.
- Drinking Experience: 2.5 stars out of 3.
- Design: 2 stars out of 3.
- Durability and Cleanup: 3 stars out of 3.
These etched cups were durable and had the widest base of any cups in our lineup. This sturdiness was a plus, but they also weighed substantially more than the other cups. We think these are a better fit for an outdoor sit-down meal where you won’t need to hold your cup for extended periods. Lastly, these cups aren’t stackable, which means that they take up a fair amount of storage space. If you’re not interested in buying a set of six, you can also purchase them singly.
Recommended with reservations
- Drinking Experience: 3 stars out of 3.
- Design: 2 stars out of 3.
- Durability and Cleanup: 2 stars out of 3.
These inexpensive cups had the thinnest rims of all the cups in our lineup, so it was nice to drink from them. Their thin walls and tall sides reminded us of drinking glasses we would find in our own kitchens. Their wide bases felt sturdy on multiple surfaces. They were too tall to fit in the top rack of one of our testers’ dishwashers, so they had to run them through on their sides. Lastly, these cups aren’t stackable, so they take up precious storage space.
- Drinking Experience: 3 stars out of 3.
- Design: 1 stars out of 3.
- Durability and Cleanup: 3 stars out of 3.
The cups in this set had a lot of great traits, including their thin rims and their durability. Testers found two drawbacks: First, the stacked cups stuck together, so on several occasions our testers struggled to separate one cup from the others. Second, the base of these cups was smaller than that of most of the cups in our lineup. Therefore, they were less stable on uneven surfaces.
Reviews you can trust
Reviews you can trust
The mission of America’s Test Kitchen Reviews is to find the best equipment and ingredients for the home cook through rigorous, hands-on testing. We stand behind our winners so much that we even put our seal of approval on them.
Carolyn Grillo
Carolyn is a senior editor for ATK Reviews. She's a French-trained professional baker.
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Start Free TrialAbsolutely the best chicken ever, even the breast meat was moist! It's the only way I'll cook a whole chicken again. Simple, easy, quick, no mess - perfect every time. I've used both stainless steel and cast iron pans. great and easy technique for “roasted” chicken. I will say there were no pan juices, just fat in the skillet. Will add to the recipe rotation. Good for family and company dinners too. I've done this using a rimmed sheet pan instead of a skillet and put veggies and potatoes around the chicken for a one-pan meal. Broccoli gets nicely browned and yummy!
Absolutely the best chicken ever, even the breast meat was moist! It's the only way I'll cook a whole chicken again. Simple, easy, quick, no mess - perfect every time. I've used both stainless steel and cast iron pans. great and easy technique for “roasted” chicken. I will say there were no pan juices, just fat in the skillet. Will add to the recipe rotation. Good for family and company dinners too.
Amazed this recipe works out as well as it does. Would not have thought that the amount of time under the broiler would have produced a very juicy and favorable chicken with a very crispy crust. Used my 12" Lodge Cast Iron skillet (which can withstand 1000 degree temps to respond to those who wondered if it would work) and it turned out great. A "make again" as my family rates things. This is a great recipe, and I will definitely make it again. My butcher gladly butterflied the chicken for me, therefore I found it to be a fast and easy prep. I used my cast iron skillet- marvellous!
John, wasn't it just amazing chicken? So much better than your typical oven baked chicken and on par if not better than gas or even charcoal grilled. It gets that smokey charcoal tasted and overnight koshering definitely helps, something I do when time permits. First-time I've pierced a whole chicken minus the times I make jerk chicken on the grill. Yup, the cast iron was not an issue.