Posted by Chris Randle on 24th Jan 2022

Can you put glass in the freezer?

Everyone wants and certainly deserves a perfectly cool and soothing drink after a long and exhausting day. Often the trick in making the best cold drink might not be particularly in what's in the glass but might be the glass itself. Can you put glass in the freezer? - There are a couple of secrets for creating that perfect drink, but nevertheless, there are traditions to follow, steps to be taken, and rituals to be done. And all that starts with simply putting your drinking glass in a freezer. Then the magic happens and you have your lovely and refreshing drink in a chilled glass.

Using a flawlessly chilled glass can allow all the flavours of your drink to remain colder for longer. Frosted glass also adds a beautiful visual element to any drink.

If you are wondering how to chill your glassware for a cold drink without breaking your glass, keep on reading for the answers.

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Be Aware of the Glass Thermal Shock

Simply put, glass thermal shock is a term given to the process of cracking as a result of a sudden temperature change. It occurs when a glass experiences a rapid shift in temperature. If it goes from one extreme temperature to another a breaking is likely to occur. The rapid change causes stress on the glasses so it is always safest to let your glassware gradually come up or down to temperature. Before putting your glass in the freezer be sure it's at room temperature. Also the thinner the glass - the more resistant it is to thermal shock.

can you put glass in the freezer
Photo by Toni Cuenca from Pexels

Can You Put Glass in the Freezer?

Yes, you can definitely put glasses in the freezer. In reality, glass has no freezing point. It's solid and for that reason, technically can't be frozen. Still, if you want to chill a glass for your cocktail, a temperature of 32°F/0°C, or even a little colder should be enough.

Naturally, it's a matter of personal preference. Most people find their drinks more enjoyable when they are cold and the glasses are frosted. When you're serving your drink in a chilled glass the drink will be kept cold for a longer period of time.

Glassware should be put in the freezer for as long as possible if you want that frosted effect. A glass that sits inside the freezer for five minutes will not really be frosty. The optimal time frame for a good, frosted glass is from thirty minutes to an hour, or more. Time is of the essence to make sure that your glassware is cold inside and out.

Still, you need to take proper precautions to avoid breaking. As we mentioned above, be aware of the thermal shock and make sure the liquid is also cold when pouring into the frosted glass.

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How Do You Chill Your Glass Fast?

Sometimes you're short on time or have unexpected guests arriving at a moment's notice so you might want to use a few tips on how to chill your glass fast.

  • Place your drinking glass in the freezer for five minutes. This won't be enough for the glass to be frosted, however, it will be cold enough to serve your drink in.
  • Dampen paper towels and wrap the glasses before putting them in the freezer. This will ensure that the glass is chilled faster because the dry air removes the moisture from the paper towels.
  • Put a lot of ice in the glass and allow it to sit while you are preparing your drink. When you have your drink ready to serve, take out the ice and the water (the melted ice) and pour the drink into your glass.
  • If you have at your disposal a bucket of ice, fill the ice bucket with a lot of ice and place the glass upside down into it for at least 15 minutes. When you are ready to serve your drink, just take the glass out of the bucket and wipe it down.

Can You Put Glass Containers in the Freezer?

Particular types of glass jars and containers are safe to put in the freezer. But not all glass containers are freezer safe. When purchasing glass containers try to choose tempered glass or freezer-safe. This will ensure that your container will remain in one piece when you want to chill your food or drink.

Another thing to keep in mind is that the food you put in the jars or containers needs to be cooled down before storing it in the freezer. Never put a warm meal in the freezer. It's also important to leave a little space in the glass containers as frozen food tends to expand and that pressure can break the glass.

Can Crystal Glasses Be Put In the Freezer?

Crystal glasses are more fragile than regular glass. They are thinner and frailer. Because of their delicate nature, you should avoid putting crystalware in your freezer as they will likely break with the temperature. For crystal glasses, it's best to opt for the refrigerator or quick chill methods. Also, it’s important that the liquid is also cold, as temperature differences can easily shatter the crystal glass.

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Conclusion

Chilling your glass is not just about making the difference between your perfect gin and warm martini. It's about the important and powerful quality - hospitality.
It shows a great deal of effort and a certain amount of planning when you're serving guests. When you serve out your drink in beautiful frosted glassware, there is an instinctive sophisticated image associated with that.

FAQs

How Long Can You Put a Glass in the Freezer?
According to everything that we have said up to this point, you can leave an empty glass in the freezer for as long as you need. You should probably make sure that the glasses are not a subject of a sudden temperature change. However, an optimal 30 minutes to about an hour is just about enough for your glasses to get that frosty look. 

Does Glass Break in the Freezer?

When you put any object into a freezer or in this case, glass it disperses its heat into the cold air to lower its temperature and as an effect of that, it shrinks. Glass is an insulator and cannot promptly release the heat inside it. Because of that when there is a sudden or rapid temperature change, one side shrinks faster as it cools and the glass breaks. However, with open glassware like martini or gin glass kept at room temperature, this is unlikely to occur. When you deal with glassware that is open, all surfaces of the glass cool at the same time so they shrink together and don't break. As you can see there is a lot of physics behind it, but in a nutshell, glass breaks because of temperature imbalances.  

How Long Can You Put a Glass in the Freezer?

According to everything that we have said up to this point, you can leave an empty glass in the freezer for as long as you need. You should probably make sure that the glasses are not a subject of a sudden temperature change. However, an optimal 30 minutes to about an hour is just about enough for your glasses to get that frosty look.

Does Glass Break in the Freezer?

When you put any object into a freezer or in this case, glass it disperses its heat into the cold air to lower its temperature and as an effect of that, it shrinks. Glass is an insulator and cannot promptly release the heat inside it. Because of that when there is a sudden or rapid temperature change, one side shrinks faster as it cools and the glass breaks.
However, with open glassware like martini or gin glass kept at room temperature, this is unlikely to occur. When you deal with glassware that is open, all surfaces of the glass cool at the same time so they shrink together and don't break.

As you can see there is a lot of physics behind it, but in a nutshell, glass breaks because of temperature imbalances.