Not everyone is a fan of stem ware [Ed: Add me to that list.] – and there’s something pure and very honest about drinking wine from a Duralex glass, don’t you think? To quote Michael Sullivan from The New York Times Wirecutter in January 2024:
“The Duralex Picardie tumbler is so versatile that if I could own only one glass, this would be it.”
Duralex glasses are indeed classic. Best known is the above mentioned Picardie tumbler, with its softly faceted sides, stackable form and satisfying weight. [Ed: Personally, I’ve always preferred the Provence, followed by the Gigone.]
The Duralex story begins in 1939, when a glass-making factory in La Chapelle-Saint-Mesmin, near Orléans in France, pioneered the use of tempered glass. By heating glass to around 600ºC and then cooling it rapidly, they developed a product far more resilient than ordinary glass. This made it highly resistant to thermal shock and physical impact – about 2.5 times stronger than standard glassware. Even when it does break, it shatters into small, blunt fragments, much like a car windshield, reducing the risk of injury.
In 1946, the Duralex brand was officially born, its name inspired by the Latin phrase Dura lex, sed lex – “The law is tough, but it is the law” – a nod to its exceptional toughness. That same year, the company released the Picardie tumbler, which would go on to become a symbol of everyday French life. Found in school cafeterias, family kitchens, roadside cafes and train station buffets, the Picardie glass was appreciated not just for its durability but for its practicality. It could handle boiling liquids and icy drinks, go straight from freezer to microwave, and survive generations of rough use.
In French schools, the numbers etched on the bottom of Duralex tumblers (simply the number of the mould from which the glass emerged, and used for quality control) became a source of childhood fun. At lunch, kids would flip their glass to check the number, between 1 and 48, and assign personality traits to each – being “number 1” meant you were king or queen of the table that day. This unintentional game added to the brand’s cultural imprint.
Over the decades, Duralex glasses became a quiet mainstay in kitchens around the world, beloved not just in France but across Europe, Asia and the United States. Their utilitarian beauty caught the attention of filmmakers and designers, and you’ll spot them in everything from Jean-Luc Godard films to Anthony Bourdain episodes. They embodied a certain French sensibility: practical, democratic and effortlessly stylish.
Despite this, the company has weathered tough times. The factory in Orléans has never been modernised, and low cost competition has been eating at market share for many years. Duralex filed for bankruptcy in 2008, was sold in 2021, and paused production again in 2022 due to soaring energy costs. Yet in 2024, a new chapter began. In a rare and hopeful move, with some government support, Duralex was reborn as a workers’ cooperative. Employees took control of the factory, preserving jobs, craft and heritage.
After a cameo presence at the Made in France Fair (MIF EXPO) in Paris in November 2024, Duralex took another step in its renewal by opening a 600 m2 factory outlet store in the heart of downtown Orléans.
Early momentum is good. Let’s hope it continues.
Videos
REMORANDOM Book Chapter
I hate this hipster affectation of serving coffee and matcha in these glasses. Nothing beats a well-formed, generous ceramic cup & saucer or mug for steaming hot drinks. Please. 😂
I have cupboards of glasses, cups and mugs but the only ones that see the light of day are my Duralex tumblers. Simply the best.