Bodum Pavina 2-Ounce Double-Wall Thermo Glasses (Espresso/Shot), Set of 2 Review.
"great for espresso" 2006-01-28
By Drew Cheney (Sacramento, CA United States)
These are awesome for espresso, though _one_ negative is that because they're so light, the vibrations from our pump-driven espresso machine make them shimmy around like those old football-player game tables: "VVVVVVVRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!!"
So, I just hold them while the esprosso's pumping out. No sweat, and like I said, it's great espresso that's kept hot.
Remember that they have thin walls, so treat them very gently.
"Simply the Best" 2006-04-12
By C. Thomas (Boston, MA)
I love these glasses. They work as advertised. My espresso's never tasted so good, now that they stay hot, longer. Additionally I havent burned my hand once since using these glasses.
As previous reviewer has mentioned, please be careful with these glasses if you attempt to wash these in the dish washer.
The glasses are so light, that jets of water coming from the dishwasher are likely to launch the glass out all over the place while the wash cycle is on.
All in all great purchase. Worth every penny. For espresso lovers a must!!!!!
"Beautiful little shot glasses that are surprisingly durable!" 2009-12-28
By S. Douglas
I have a few other Bodum products (my one-cup french press is a personal favorite) and thought I'd give these glasses a try. I recently spent 2 weeks in Italy and upon tasting my "regular" coffee I made at home I was heartbroken. I went on a hunt for decent performing, affordable espresso / cappuccino gear to satisfy my longing. Enough of the silly background! :)
Why these glasses:
One thing important to keeping as much flavor in your caffe is heat. This involves preheating your cups with hot water or a warming tray before filling them with your favorite drink. I was finding that I had to drink my shots a bit faster than I wanted with a "normal" demitasse. I saw these glasses and thought I would give them a try - I thought the double wall would be good for holding in more heat.
Worries / initial impression:
The only worry I had about these before I ordered was how fragile the picture makes them look. I am not a graceful person by any means and I could foresee the possible death of one of these beauties at my hands. The reasonable Amazon price and my experience with other Bodum glass products convinced me to give them a try. Unpacking the glasses from the box didn't encourage me - they arrived in a sturdy cardboard box packed with bubble wrap. I gently extracted one glass and held it gingerly in my fingers as I looked at it. They really are gorgeous little things. I have big hands and they are a good fit for me, yet my wife has very small hands and they seem to be the perfect size for her too. I just couldn't get the thought out of my head that I should handle these things with the utmost care - not unlike your great-grandmother's set of handblown Austrian Christmas ornaments that have been passed down through the family for the past 100 years, ending up in your care. ;)
Rating: 5/5
Performance:
I have only had these glasses for a short time, but I use them three to four times a day and have a good feel for them already. I run hot water through my espresso machine to preheat everything and that includes the glasses I drink from - including these. The first thing that happened when I went to sip my first shot is that I burned my mouth. This highlights the first quality I would've realized if I were a smarter person: the outside of the glass stays comfortably "cool" (compared to the 170F liquid inside the cup). I thought that I somehow poured a lukewarm shot and went to dispose of it quickly (by gulping it, I'm too cheap to just pitch it) and immediately found out just how hot it was. Mother always said I was more brawn than brains, and I'm not a very strong guy either. :) Immediate and strategic action was taken and I survived the incident (placing a large ice cube in my mouth until it completely melted - based on prior experience).
So, take number two was much better. Outside of glass stays cool despite how molten the liquid inside is, check. Normally, I would have to drink my espresso within about two minutes of making it before it cooled off too much to enjoy. That's fine if you're in Italy standing at a bar, but I would really like take my drink from the kitchen, go sit in front of the fire, then enjoy the drink over a few minutes without losing the flavor. These glasses allow me to do just that. :) Someday, I may take some time to pour a sacrificial shot, then plot the change in temperature over time of these glasses vs. a regular demitasse; until then, I am going to claim that these wonderful things will keep your shots within good drinkable temps for at least five minutes. For those that like to drink their shots a bit cooler (and quietly - I loudly "sip" air over the shot as I drink it), you can enjoy your drink for at least 10 minutes (double shot).
Rating: 5/5
Durability:
Despite trying to treat these with kid gloves, I have managed to knock them around pretty good, and they are no worse for wear. I treat them with the same care I reserve for glass and ceramic kitchenware with great results. I originally thought I would have to handle these like I do with champagne and wine glasses (imagine someone playing the old milton-bradley board game "Operation" crossed with a nervous person handling nitroglycerin) but they are tough little guys! I bump them when I wash them, bang them into other glassware and can set them down on our stone counter top without having to emulate the early eighties video game "lunar lander". Dishwasher safe too!
Rating: 5/5
Miscellaneous:
The double wall construction creates a very comfortable lip to sip espresso over - it even seems to enhance my experience. The glass has a hole in the outside bottom with a silicon plug/"valve" in it to allow the pressure inside the glass to equalize with the atmosphere. Very clever design that enhances safety (perhaps a hot liquid poured in a cold glass would cause excessive pressure to build up - potentially creating enough force to scatter glass in a larger area if you should drop it - by that is just an engineering guess), but I don't know how durable it is with repeated trips to the diswasher or if you microwave it (I have NO IDEA if it is microwave safe, but in my opinion, you don't buy this set of teeny glasses to warm up small amounts of liquid in the microwave). For me, a simple hand wash and dry before setting them on top of my coffee maker works well. The size is good and not cumbersome washing or drying and I can get my fingers inside with a towel to dry everything.
Also, if you use these for espresso, it is neat to watch the layers form as you pull shots into them - very similar to watching a pint of Guinness properly poured - or at least the one time I bought one. :)
Cliffs notes:
A beautiful set of shot glasses that are relatively cheap, durable, and incredibly functional. I cannot think of a thing about them I would change.
Overall Rating: 5/5
"Beautiful but delicate" 2007-04-26
By stephie189 (USA)
I love these little glasses! I know they're for espresso but I mainly use mine for tea. (I like my espresso in a bigger glass!) I think it's important for your (food and) beverage to be aesthetically pleasing as well as taste good. These little beauties make any drink more pleasing. They're very delicate so I wouldn't use a metal spoon in them and I would never put them in the dishwasher. I hand wash them, and dry them by hand, always. Treat them gently and I think they can last a while. They are a bit "slippy" when wet though so be careful. I plan to try the 9oz. Bodum Pavina Double-Wall Thermo Glasses, Set of 2 size next! Love the egg shaped interior.
"Style and Substance" 2006-04-12
By Michael J. Khorsandi (Brooklyn, NY)
These glasses demonstrate a high sense of style marked by simplicity. These glasses will work for most serving occasions. They are dishwasher safe and they keep my espresso warmer than if I used a regular demitasse! They are absolutely perfect. I got two orders, so I have a set of four. Note that the larger pavina glasses work great for cappuccinos or regular coffee.
By Drew Cheney (Sacramento, CA United States)
These are awesome for espresso, though _one_ negative is that because they're so light, the vibrations from our pump-driven espresso machine make them shimmy around like those old football-player game tables: "VVVVVVVRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!!"
So, I just hold them while the esprosso's pumping out. No sweat, and like I said, it's great espresso that's kept hot.
Remember that they have thin walls, so treat them very gently.
By C. Thomas (Boston, MA)
I love these glasses. They work as advertised. My espresso's never tasted so good, now that they stay hot, longer. Additionally I havent burned my hand once since using these glasses.
As previous reviewer has mentioned, please be careful with these glasses if you attempt to wash these in the dish washer.
The glasses are so light, that jets of water coming from the dishwasher are likely to launch the glass out all over the place while the wash cycle is on.
All in all great purchase. Worth every penny. For espresso lovers a must!!!!!
By S. Douglas
I have a few other Bodum products (my one-cup french press is a personal favorite) and thought I'd give these glasses a try. I recently spent 2 weeks in Italy and upon tasting my "regular" coffee I made at home I was heartbroken. I went on a hunt for decent performing, affordable espresso / cappuccino gear to satisfy my longing. Enough of the silly background! :)
Why these glasses:
One thing important to keeping as much flavor in your caffe is heat. This involves preheating your cups with hot water or a warming tray before filling them with your favorite drink. I was finding that I had to drink my shots a bit faster than I wanted with a "normal" demitasse. I saw these glasses and thought I would give them a try - I thought the double wall would be good for holding in more heat.
Worries / initial impression:
The only worry I had about these before I ordered was how fragile the picture makes them look. I am not a graceful person by any means and I could foresee the possible death of one of these beauties at my hands. The reasonable Amazon price and my experience with other Bodum glass products convinced me to give them a try. Unpacking the glasses from the box didn't encourage me - they arrived in a sturdy cardboard box packed with bubble wrap. I gently extracted one glass and held it gingerly in my fingers as I looked at it. They really are gorgeous little things. I have big hands and they are a good fit for me, yet my wife has very small hands and they seem to be the perfect size for her too. I just couldn't get the thought out of my head that I should handle these things with the utmost care - not unlike your great-grandmother's set of handblown Austrian Christmas ornaments that have been passed down through the family for the past 100 years, ending up in your care. ;)
Rating: 5/5
Performance:
I have only had these glasses for a short time, but I use them three to four times a day and have a good feel for them already. I run hot water through my espresso machine to preheat everything and that includes the glasses I drink from - including these. The first thing that happened when I went to sip my first shot is that I burned my mouth. This highlights the first quality I would've realized if I were a smarter person: the outside of the glass stays comfortably "cool" (compared to the 170F liquid inside the cup). I thought that I somehow poured a lukewarm shot and went to dispose of it quickly (by gulping it, I'm too cheap to just pitch it) and immediately found out just how hot it was. Mother always said I was more brawn than brains, and I'm not a very strong guy either. :) Immediate and strategic action was taken and I survived the incident (placing a large ice cube in my mouth until it completely melted - based on prior experience).
So, take number two was much better. Outside of glass stays cool despite how molten the liquid inside is, check. Normally, I would have to drink my espresso within about two minutes of making it before it cooled off too much to enjoy. That's fine if you're in Italy standing at a bar, but I would really like take my drink from the kitchen, go sit in front of the fire, then enjoy the drink over a few minutes without losing the flavor. These glasses allow me to do just that. :) Someday, I may take some time to pour a sacrificial shot, then plot the change in temperature over time of these glasses vs. a regular demitasse; until then, I am going to claim that these wonderful things will keep your shots within good drinkable temps for at least five minutes. For those that like to drink their shots a bit cooler (and quietly - I loudly "sip" air over the shot as I drink it), you can enjoy your drink for at least 10 minutes (double shot).
Rating: 5/5
Durability:
Despite trying to treat these with kid gloves, I have managed to knock them around pretty good, and they are no worse for wear. I treat them with the same care I reserve for glass and ceramic kitchenware with great results. I originally thought I would have to handle these like I do with champagne and wine glasses (imagine someone playing the old milton-bradley board game "Operation" crossed with a nervous person handling nitroglycerin) but they are tough little guys! I bump them when I wash them, bang them into other glassware and can set them down on our stone counter top without having to emulate the early eighties video game "lunar lander". Dishwasher safe too!
Rating: 5/5
Miscellaneous:
The double wall construction creates a very comfortable lip to sip espresso over - it even seems to enhance my experience. The glass has a hole in the outside bottom with a silicon plug/"valve" in it to allow the pressure inside the glass to equalize with the atmosphere. Very clever design that enhances safety (perhaps a hot liquid poured in a cold glass would cause excessive pressure to build up - potentially creating enough force to scatter glass in a larger area if you should drop it - by that is just an engineering guess), but I don't know how durable it is with repeated trips to the diswasher or if you microwave it (I have NO IDEA if it is microwave safe, but in my opinion, you don't buy this set of teeny glasses to warm up small amounts of liquid in the microwave). For me, a simple hand wash and dry before setting them on top of my coffee maker works well. The size is good and not cumbersome washing or drying and I can get my fingers inside with a towel to dry everything.
Also, if you use these for espresso, it is neat to watch the layers form as you pull shots into them - very similar to watching a pint of Guinness properly poured - or at least the one time I bought one. :)
Cliffs notes:
A beautiful set of shot glasses that are relatively cheap, durable, and incredibly functional. I cannot think of a thing about them I would change.
Overall Rating: 5/5
By stephie189 (USA)
I love these little glasses! I know they're for espresso but I mainly use mine for tea. (I like my espresso in a bigger glass!) I think it's important for your (food and) beverage to be aesthetically pleasing as well as taste good. These little beauties make any drink more pleasing. They're very delicate so I wouldn't use a metal spoon in them and I would never put them in the dishwasher. I hand wash them, and dry them by hand, always. Treat them gently and I think they can last a while. They are a bit "slippy" when wet though so be careful. I plan to try the 9oz. Bodum Pavina Double-Wall Thermo Glasses, Set of 2 size next! Love the egg shaped interior.
By Michael J. Khorsandi (Brooklyn, NY)
These glasses demonstrate a high sense of style marked by simplicity. These glasses will work for most serving occasions. They are dishwasher safe and they keep my espresso warmer than if I used a regular demitasse! They are absolutely perfect. I got two orders, so I have a set of four. Note that the larger pavina glasses work great for cappuccinos or regular coffee.
