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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsThe Pyrex Glass Controversy That Just Won't Die
Adam Clark Estes
Saturday 11:00am
Clear glass Pyrex cookware is practically an American icon. With its pleasing heft and remarkable resilience, these famous clear pans have been essential when cooking biscuits, casseroles, and pies since 1915. Theres only one problem. A few years ago, the pans started exploding when they got too hotwhich is ironic since Pyrex glass was specifically designed to be heat resistant. Some blamed a change in the glass formula and flocked to thrift stores to buy older models. Others cried hoax. Everyone agrees that exploding glass is bad.
Pyrex made headlines recently, because its parent company made a big move. Corelle Brands, parent company of Pyrex among others, is planning to merge with Instant Brands, maker of the very popular Instant Pot. Terms of deal were not disclosed, and its unclear how the merger will affect any of the companies products. However, the news does bring to mind that decades-old controversy involving beloved glass pans, violent explosions, and some gnarly injuries. Pyrex is also the subject of a class action lawsuit in Illinois. In court filings, Pyrexs parent company, Corelle Brands, insists that incidents of breakage result from customers improperly using their products. More on that case in a minute.
To understand the Pyrex controversy, you have to look at the reports of explosions within the context of the history of glass. Not the whole history of glass, of course, but rather a series of innovations that started with Otto Schott, a German scientist who invented a new type of glass in the late 1800s. This so-called borosilicate glass was not only heat resistant but also stood up to sudden temperature changes. Corning Glass Works developed its own recipe for borosilicate glass in 1908, and Corning employee Jessie Littleton discovered a new use for the material after his wife Bessie used a sawed-off borosilicate glass battery jar for baking. Seven years later, Pyrex cookware hit the American market. The company referred to its products as fire-glass in early ads.
These dates are important because Cornings patent on the borosilicate glass used to make Pyrex pans expired in 1936. At that time, the company developed a new formula for aluminosilicate glass, which it used to create a line of frying pans called Pyrex Flameware. (This line was discontinued in 1979.) The real roots of the current controversy were planted in the 1950s, when Pyrex began making cookware out of tempered soda-lime glass. Corning licensed the Pyrex brand to a company called World Kitchennow known as Corelle Brandsin 1998, and by nearly all accounts, all Pyrex cookware sold in the United States after that year has been made of tempered soda-lime glass. This is where the controversy really heats up.
....
How much better older (or European) borosilicate Pyrex is than newer soda-lime glass Pyrex is up for debate. Exploding Pyrex incidents have happened, since the World Kitchen takeover, however. An oft-cited Consumer Affairs investigation from 2008 showed some pretty gnarly accounts of people doing simple things like putting a hot Pyrex pan in the oven only to have it explode in their hands, sending scalding shards of glass into their appendages. There are photos of the injuries, too, so be careful clicking through to the report. At the time, World Kitchen denied any responsibility in the incidents, stating that reports of explosions comprise an extremely small percentage of the 370 million Pyrex dishes on the market, and are often the result of the consumer failing to read the instructions or of a consumer mistaking a competitors product for a Pyrex dish. The company later disputed other aspects of the Consumer Affairs report.
rampartc
(5,408 posts)all of my purex cookware is older than 1998, but this is ridiculous, and dangerous.
safeinOhio
(32,688 posts)Just called a friend back as we were talking about Pyrex glass and the collectible market for it. Now I will be looking for Flame Ware frying pans too.
mahatmakanejeeves
(57,476 posts)I love that stuff. I have loads of the columbine.
I have some clear glass baking and casserole pans, but I'm not looking for vintage Pyrex.
JCMach1
(27,559 posts)They are the shiz and kind of rare
wishstar
(5,270 posts)This particular bowl was clear glass with turquoise color outside, never used in oven or microwave, just for mixing and salads. I was taking it out of lower shelf from fridge and dropped it about a foot onto floor. I was shocked at how it shattered with so many tiny sharp glass splinters everywhere, not just cracking and breaking into large pieces the way ceramic breaks. It took at least an hour to painstakingly pick up the remains so I wouldn't get the glass splinters in my fingers and then wiping floor over and over and finally vacuuming entire kitchen floor. My spouse had a similar terrible incident recently taking out a glass pyrex casserole from oven but committed a major error in setting it on top of stove, instead of on wooden cutting board. It broke into many pieces all over stove and floor. Both of us were just lucky to not be seriously injured.
Just to add, the bowl was probably from the mid-90's or earlier and casserole was probably from 70's- neither was newer. We are being much more careful and have gotten rid of a lot including anything worn or scratched as it's not worth taking a chance and I have enough safer ceramic stuff we can use instead.
dixiegrrrrl
(60,010 posts)there used to be coffee cups that were milk white with the Pyrex gold design around the rim, back in late 50's...my Mom had them.
and when they broke, it was just like the bowls. You had to drop them, otherwise they were pretty sturdy to wash and dry.
There is indeed a good market in what is called "vintage" meaning before 1990, apparently.
I have that Pyrex bowl you described, but not the lid. I know it came from long ago, in the family.
localroger
(3,627 posts)Borosilicate glass doesn't do that. Tempered glass is cooled in such a way that the interior of the glass pulls the outside of the structure together. Since glass is enormously strong this makes it very hard to break; but if you do manage to break it it explodes with much of the energy that was used to melt it, which is stored in its internal structure.
Borosilicate pyrex is resistant to temperature changes because it has a very small coefficient of expansion, so those changes don't set up huge stresses. Tempered glass is resistant because it is held together so strongly by internal forces that the additional stress of a temperature change is a rounding error. But when they do fail, they fail very differently.
paulkienitz
(1,296 posts)KT2000
(20,581 posts)had a chip in it, will that make it more likely to break/explode when it is heated?
localroger
(3,627 posts)Normal glass shatters because it is enormously stiff as well as strong, and when part of it expands a bit due to a hot spot while the rest doesn't, the resulting stress can shatter it. Borosilicate is formulated to simply not expand when it gets hotter. Hot spots don't cause stress. Other than that, though, it breaks about like any window pane.
Tempered glass is far stronger than normal glass because it is "prestressed" by internal forces pulling it together. It does expand when it gets hotter, but the additional stress isn't comparable to the stress that's already there pulling it together. But if you do manage to break it -- and even a small chip can disrupt that web of force -- the whole thing releases all that stored energy and explodes in a shower of little bits.
localroger
(3,627 posts)KT2000
(20,581 posts)I try to get old Pyrex at the second hand stores.
Thanks again for the explanation.
Cracklin Charlie
(12,904 posts)Except mine hit the counter and broke on the way down. Those million shards were everywhere!
I thought I would never get it all cleaned up.
BigmanPigman
(51,608 posts)for the reasons you gave. I have dropped two Corelle plates and a Pyrex glass lid. They don't break from heat but from the specific way they are dropped onto vinyl flooring. The little "splinters" go every where. One piece broke, flew up into the air and came back down, piercing my sock and went right into the top of my foot. It was about 3mm thick and 1 cm long...OUCH! When I drop something now I jump back about three feet automatically.
EllieBC
(3,016 posts)I swear they multiply.
spinbaby
(15,090 posts)It has more heft when you pick it up and the surface doesnt feel as slick as the new stuff.
keithbvadu2
(36,819 posts)WeekiWater
(3,259 posts)I turned a burner on my stove top on hi and it had an empty Pyrex casserole dish on it. I walked away for about ten minutes. Saw what I did when I returned, turned my stove top off, and pulled my next brain-dead move. I grabbed oven mitts and went to get it off the stove top. The moment the mitts touched it the dish exploded. The boom was really impressive. It exploded into thousands of really small pieces. If I wasn't wearing glasses I would truly be blind right now. I had extremely small pieces of glass all in my exposed skin. It didn't just shatter. It was a big boom.
What an idiot.
Maru Kitteh
(28,340 posts)Thank you for sharing the story. Yikes.
hibbing
(10,098 posts)That sounds absolutely terrifying.
Peace
matt819
(10,749 posts)One more thing I can no longer trust.
Blue_true
(31,261 posts)Fortunately I used an galvanized baking pan instead, the galvanized pan is much better.
sinkingfeeling
(51,457 posts)that I inherited or bought at farm auctions. The rest is from my 1967 wedding. I have never had anything break except a blue glass measuring cup. That was my fault. I took it from an ice cold state and put it under very hot running water. It cracked in two places. Use it to hold artificial flowers.
Update: Checked and the measuring cup is Fire King.
Hermit-The-Prog
(33,349 posts)Ever seen an automobile window turn to little bits on a hot day? That glass had a nick at some time and was just waiting for either an impact or heat and pressure to set it off. (Tempered glass is used on side windows and the rear windshield to avoid making daggers in a crash or emergency exit. Safety glass -- laminated -- is used in the front windshield).
Making cookware out of tempered soda-lime glass is just dumb.
wishstar
(5,270 posts)After several near catastrophes with the glass coffee carafes, I switched a long time ago to coffee makers with metal carafes, harder to find but safer and shatter proof.
Marthe48
(16,967 posts)I really like it. I wanted to get a set for my friend and learned it had been discontinued because of explosions. I have had no trouble. Since I read about the explosions, I make sure to put hot pans on hot pads and transfer hot things that need rinsed to other pans, just to be safe. My friend got me a set of Pyrex bowls when I got married almost 48 yrs ago and I've used them for baking, chilling almost daily.
happybird
(4,608 posts)that were given to us. Both cracked in a big line down the side of the pot. One of them split into two pieces. I hadn't heard about the explosions, that's scary. Sounds like we were lucky.
I still use the lid from the medium sized one- it fits perfectly on my cheap little grilled cheese making skillet. I will be more careful about where I place it when hot.
localroger
(3,627 posts)You can't tell borosilicate from tempered style Pyrex without using polarized light and kind of knowing what you're looking for. The new stuff is tempered, and will explode. The old stuff is borosilicate and can just crack as you experienced, which sucks but at least doesn't spray glass all over the kitchen.
happybird
(4,608 posts)They were given to us by my hubby's grandmother, so who knows how long ago she purchased them.
This makes me feel much better about my stray lid. Thanks for the info!
Marthe48
(16,967 posts)I really liked using the Visions. When I saw a whole nearly new set of Visions at a yard sale for $5.00, I bought it. I must have gotten the rest in a box lot at an auction, because I can't remember how I got them. I gave away one of the 2 qt. pots, and my daughter broke one she was bringing back to me after a party. So I have 3 4 qt, 1 2 qt., 3 1qt. a large frying pan and an omelet pan. I didn't mean to get so much, but when I found out it was discontinued, I got hoardy
blogslut
(38,001 posts)To this day I hate myself for not buying them.
xmas74
(29,674 posts)I'm running a bit of a collection.
Honeycombe8
(37,648 posts)I've never been comfortable using Pyrex in the oven. I use them mainly for fridge storage and microwave.
But I went to the Pyrex site and looked up "care and use," and see that there are some rules that I wasn't aware of. So I may stop using them in the microwave, or use them less. I have a set that has been so convenient. Their rubbery tops have vent openings you can unplug, for heating in the microwave.
I prefer food storage in glass over plastic, though, so like my Pyrex for that.
FakeNoose
(32,641 posts)I use mine in my counter-top toaster oven more than anything, but I also put them in my bigger oven (gas) and my microwave. Now I'm wondering if there's any danger in this. (?) I know for sure my dishes were made before 2008, and probably most of them are from before 1998.
This is scary though. Thanks for this info!
Kingofalldems
(38,458 posts)Kali
(55,012 posts)one was my Grandmother's and I found the other one in a thrift store. also have a regular cooking pot with a handle but no lid.
rickford66
(5,524 posts)It flew off at about 30 mph. It bounced and we returned it to my Mom with no problems. Another time I was showing someone our new Corelle ware and threw a dish across the room to demonstrate with no damage. All this was early 70's. I've inherited lots of Pyrex dishes and bowls from the 50's. It's good to know the date is important when I go to sell them. How do you make lasagna without a Pyrex baking pan? I have two sizes. One for the full recipe and one for the half.
uncle ray
(3,156 posts)if you have one of those colors, stop using it immediately, and send it my way!
my wife has pretty much every variation of vintage aqua pyrex short of a large lasagna pan.
rickford66
(5,524 posts)The one green bowl was my favorite for popcorn for many years until I recently found out the set is worth a few bucks.
uncle ray
(3,156 posts)if treated properly. still very durable even when abused. I've slipped up a few times and placed a dish out of the oven on the stovetop.
pansypoo53219
(20,978 posts)except cookie sheets. i rarely see cookie sheets. not the same since depression era savers have disappeared.
now i am getting GOOD OLD TOWELS. smaller + ABSORBENT!
what the hell happened to towels in the las 10 years???!!!
I bought two sets of gorgeous plaid towels back in the late '70s. They're still in great shape, lovely deep colors and absorbent. New towels are crappy. They can be heavy and yet they don't absorb as well. So when I buy towels these days I buy the thinner ones that are much cheaper. At least they function as expected even if they don't have pizazz like the plaid ones.
Demovictory9
(32,457 posts)harumph
(1,900 posts)They don't make it out of borosilicate (which is the glass used in chemical labs) or aluminosilicate b/c they're too expensive.
Really, new pyrex is junk.
Use older pyrex - or stoneware.
kcr
(15,317 posts)Just looking around the internet, I found some even cheaper than Pyrex. It seems like Pyrex has been getting away with coasting on their reputation for too long, and charging a premium for it. I remember my science teachers telling us to make sure we were using Pyrex because it was heat resistant.
dewsgirl
(14,961 posts)Sauce in a Corningware dish, it shattered everywhere. Scared the hell out of me. So it did happen before, I doubt very often. My parents/grandma always did. I know I have never put anything other than pots/pans on a stovetop since then and never will.
elleng
(130,961 posts)Why did my OLD (handed down from my mother) pyrex pan, which I'd used for years, explode while in the oven in 1993-ish???
TalenaGor
(1,104 posts)My husband takes a fair amount of psych meds..... When he also has a few beers he tends to sleepwalk that night... Usually just eats random stuff..... He once put an unused K-Cup in a bowl and poured milk on it LOL that's the kind of weird stuff he does while sleepwalking....
So just like 2 weeks ago he had a sleepwalking incident, he went over to the stove and put a glass pan on top of our glass top stove and turn the burner on to med and then he put a pan of oatmeal in the oven....
and apparently forgot about it because it 2 a.m. I heard an explosion and I went to check it out and found that the glass pan had shattered all over the kitchen
We didn't find the oatmeal so the next day lol
The good news about all this is he has slowed his drinking way down..... I guess it was a wake-up call for him
mr_lebowski
(33,643 posts)I can almost promise you. Most people I know who take it have sleep-walked.
TalenaGor
(1,104 posts)ProfessorGAC
(65,060 posts)And in 25 out of 43 career years I worked in the lab, I never saw anything ever come close to a violent break
Lime glass has nowhere close to the fluid, elasticity, or restitution properties of boro glass.
Corning had to know all that.
Shame on them, given the small difference in energy cost of lime v. boro.
dalton99a
(81,514 posts)Look for the brand "Luminarc" and "Made in France" on the bottom
(As usual, beware of Chinese counterfeits on Amazon)
Hekate
(90,714 posts)Hugin
(33,157 posts)If I'm at an oven temperature of over 300 F...
Soda-lime has broken every single time... Every single time. To the point I have only one dish of that type left in the house. They all broke.
I have several borosilicate glass dishes I have used daily for around 30 years in ovens at or above that temperature and until recently... They were all unbroken.
One finally shattered rather explosively as I was taking my weekly fish dinner out of a 400 F oven. I believe it's failure may have been due to scratches from it's last trip through the dishwasher combined with an unusually cold and humid house I was suddenly removing the dish into.
After, that incident I have only used my white "Corning Ware" dishes in a hot oven for cooking fish and meat. I've never had one of those break. Although, if dropped from a counter height onto a brick floor, I'm guessing they would break. I believe all of the lids for these dishes are borosilicate. None have ever broken.
That said, I believe all three would be safe to use in a microwave due to the fact the temperature of the heated food and liquid they contain is rarely much above 200 F.
Demovictory9
(32,457 posts)also putting cold one in hot oven. I'm very careful now..
Hugin
(33,157 posts)The first reason? Well, I'm not even sure I'd put an iron skillet directly from the oven into cold water.
Ouch!
Was it an accident or part of a recipe?