# Glass Cookware



## Janet H

I saw the CU report on glass bakeware breaking in explosive ways today and wondered if anyone has had this happen and whether you use glass bake ware?

It was interesting to learn about the difference between glass used in the US and the glass used in the EU.  Here's a link to the story: Consumer Reports: Hot Glassware Can Shatter Unexpectedly


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## jennyema

Yes.  I have friends whose Pyrex blew up.

I use it.  But I check it to make sure that it's not cracked.

Do not go from cold fridge to hot oven or use it on the stovetop


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## Robo410

never had it happen. I don't use much glass bakeware, except pie plates, and I was always told to put them on the middle rack of the oven rather than the bottom.  I do use some glazed ceramic bakeware which cooks exceptionally well. Never had any issues there either.


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## bakechef

I have had it blow up on me, scared the crap out of me!  I also had a friend recently that this happened to. 

It doesn't seem to need sharp temperature changes anymore to explode, it just goes randomly.  

I have gotten rid of most of my glass bakeware and am slowly replacing it with ceramic and glazed stoneware.  I really liked my glass pie plates, but the stoneware ones that have replaced them are fantastic.


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## DaveSoMD

Yep I still use it, although most of mine is over 10 years old, at least.


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## Zhizara

Now you're scaring me.  I never thought about it since I grew up with Pyrex and never had a problem or even heard of one.  I use a glass casserole and planned on buying a glass pie pan because when I make something with a crust, like Hamburger Onion Pie, I always check to make sure the bottom is browned to my liking.  If not, I add another 5 or 10 minutes.

Last time I made it I had to add more time as I am pretty lazy about preheating the oven.  If I turned it on before assembling my dish, fine.  If not, I just put it in the oven anyway and add time if needed at the end.  

It's not just laziness, but because of my constant back pain, I want to sit down as soon as possible.


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## DaveSoMD

As long as you are careful and follow the directions for using the glass bakeware you should be fine.  The article list the Do's and Don's


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## bakechef

DaveSoMD said:


> As long as you are careful and follow the directions for using the glass bakeware you should be fine.  The article list the Do's and Don's



Mine and my friends burst while in the oven, after cooking for a while.  I have always been very careful with glass bakeware and know how to use it.  

Just seems that there is an issue with the soda lime glass.  Seems that even with extreme caution they can shatter unexpectedly.  

I cooked for years with my mom's old Pyrex without a problem.  I really liked glass bakeware.


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## Littlechef

The only glass bakeware that I have and use is either Pyrex or Anchor Hocking.  I've never had a problem with either one.  You should never add a cold liquid to a hot pan ... my sister did that once and it shattered ... oh, what a mess!


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## suzyQ3

Yes, the article lists the companies' ever-expanding list of do's and don'ts, but if you read the article, people have reported problems not associated with breaching the warnings.


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## chefmac

I suspect that the cookware may have silver coating on the glass... is there?


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## CookLikeJulia

I'm just wondering why some Pyrex explode. For me, there's no problem at all, I'm using it for 5 years already and never encounter any problem.


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## babetoo

shopping for a cheesecake pan. found one with a glass bottom. has anyone ever used one?  it is a bit pricey. sure would look good to serve though. comments please.


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## Andy M.

babetoo said:


> shopping for a cheesecake pan. found one with a glass bottom. has anyone ever used one?  it is a bit pricey. sure would look good to serve though. comments please.




I see no point in spending extra for a glass bottomed springform pan.


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## babetoo

andy, i understand that it is not necessary. wanted to know if it worked well. i am in the market for a pan. the bottom to my old one got left at a pot luck, never to be seen again. the spring on it was getting hinkey anyway.


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## Andy M.

babetoo said:


> andy, i understand that it is not necessary. wanted to know if it worked well. i am in the market for a pan. the bottom to my old one got left at a pot luck, never to be seen again. the spring on it was getting hinkey anyway.




I understand, babe.  I have no experience with a glass bottomed pan.  Did you have issues with yours that make you think the glass one would be better?  

I have two springforms and have had no issues with either.


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## Kayelle

I've never had a problem, but the stuff I use is older than many people here.  I can't even begin to guess how many times I've used it.
I once had a piece of expensive Pampered Chef stoneware crack in the *not* pre heated oven, holding a *company* casserole. Pampered Chef wouldn't replace it, so that was the end of them for me.


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## babetoo

Andy M. said:


> I understand, babe. I have no experience with a glass bottomed pan. Did you have issues with yours that make you think the glass one would be better?
> 
> I have two springforms and have had no issues with either.


 
i have had trouble getting the crust to slice. the last one i made i sprayed the pan and that worked. no real issues, just thought since i need one, i would go for a prettier presentation.


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## mrs.mom

CookLikeJulia said:


> I'm just wondering why some Pyrex explode. For me, there's no problem at all, I'm using it for 5 years already and never encounter any problem.


 A Pyrex usually explodes when it is very hot and you place it on a cold surface, or when you take it out of the oven and the room temperature is very cold. It could also explode when it is very hot on the stove and you pour cold water in it. 
  So to prevent it's explosion it should not be in contact with any cold thing immediately after getting it out of the oven.


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## kathrynb23

OMG now I'm scared to put my most loved baking tray in the oven, because it is glass!
I've never have it cracked or explode on me, but this is scary, cause it seems like it actually does happen quiet often judging by the response in this thread!


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## amy-tarver

I exploded a pyrex once by turning on the stove without removing the glass dish.


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## kylie_oo

yep, I actually has some and they cracked. I wouldn't recommend it.


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## Kylie1969

Pyrex are great in my opinion...they are very durable and tough....we have never had one break and I have even had one drop on a tiled floor 

We have 4 pyrex jugs and 4 pyrex bowls, wouldnt be without them


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## kylie_oo

Im totally scared to cook with glass. Does it actually work ?


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## taxlady

kylie_oo said:


> Im totally scared to cook with glass. Does it actually work ?


It works really well in the oven, but you do need oven safe glass.


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## Kitchen Barbarian

Oven safe glass is safe for, well, OVEN use.  I've been baking in Pyrex for 50 years, not a single broken dish ever.

The broken Pyrex in the Consumer's Reports tests were broken by NOT following the correct procedures for use, and took several attempts to get them to break at that.  I have never come across an incident of broken Pyrex that didn't involve user error.

For instance, if you pull the hot dish out of the oven and set it on the cold stovetop, which many people do routinely, it is unlikely to break the first, second, third, etc. time that you do that.  However, each time you do this, it creates stress fractures which cannot be seen with the naked eye.

Then, eventually, it will "explode" in the oven when those stress fractures have reached the point of no return and get heated up one time too many.  Meanwhile the cook who's been abusing the cookware for months or years stands there and says, "But I didn't do a thing to it!".

Yes they did.  Cumulative damaged caused over time by misuse.


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## no mayonnaise

Kitchen Barbarian said:


> Oven safe glass is safe for, well, OVEN use.  I've been baking in Pyrex for 50 years, not a single broken dish ever.
> 
> The broken Pyrex in the Consumer's Reports tests were broken by NOT following the correct procedures for use, and took several attempts to get them to break at that.  I have never come across an incident of broken Pyrex that didn't involve user error.
> 
> For instance, if you pull the hot dish out of the oven and set it on the cold stovetop, which many people do routinely, it is unlikely to break the first, second, third, etc. time that you do that.  However, each time you do this, it creates stress fractures which cannot be seen with the naked eye.
> 
> Then, eventually, it will "explode" in the oven when those stress fractures have reached the point of no return and get heated up one time too many.  Meanwhile the cook who's been abusing the cookware for months or years stands there and says, "But I didn't do a thing to it!".
> 
> Yes they did.  Cumulative damaged caused over time by misuse.



Winner!


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## Chief Longwind Of The North

Pyrex used to be synonymous with glass that could withstand the pressures created as direct flame was applied to the cold glass.  You could put it on the stovetop over a gas flame and boil liquid, or fry an egg.  Most scientific glass ware, test tubes, beakers, pipettes, etc. were Pyrex brand.  The glass was more expensive to make.  It was called boro-sicllicate glass.  Regular baking and casserole dishes were made with tempered glass, which can be heated in an oven, but can't take the direct heat of a flame.

Sadly, Pyrex no longer uses boro-sillicate glass for their consumer cookware.  They too use tempered glass.  I had a Pyrex chafing dish that came with a couple of tea candles to keep the food warm.  I didn't want to have to keep replacing the tea candles, and didn't think they'd keep the food hot enough.  So replaced them with Sterno fuel cans, which are made to keep chafing dishes warm.  I walked away from the chafing dish to do other things necessary to present the meal.  I heard a loud, shattering sound, and turned to find that my chafing dish had broken, catastrophically.  

The problem with glass (and ceramics) is that it just isn't flexible.  If put over temperatures that are very different than the ambient temperature of the glass, the outside surface begins to expand, as to all materials.  But glass is an insulator, and so the heat migration through the material is slow.  The outer surface expands much more rapidly that does the rest of the glass.  This creates enough molecular pressure that in short order, the glass shatters.  Boro-silicate was able to withstand the temperature extremes, without shattering, which is why it was so popular.  Tempered glass is resistant to breakage from mechanical shock, but not so much from thermal shock.

No, I don't stand by Pyrex brand anymore, as it is only good for oven use, and requires significant care.  I now use stainless steel, cast iron, or aluminum cookware.  I have a Corning casserole dish, but it's rarely used.

You can use it safely, but I prefer other materials that I know won't fail.

Seeeeeeeya; Chief Longwind of the North


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## Kitchen Barbarian

There is way, way, way, WAY more to it than that.

It's not about borosilicate glass versus soda lime glass.  It's more about annealing and other manufacturing processes.

Even back when they were using borosilicate glass for their bakeware, Pyrex ovenware was NOT stove-top safe.  You had to get the Flameware for that.

The lab glassware you're talking about is yet another kettle of fish.  It doesn't even enter into this particular conversation.

There are advantages to soda-lime glass over the borosilicate.  Soda-lime is generally a little more forgiving of mechanical shocks, such as being whanged into the corner of the counter, dropped, or having something dropped on it in the sink.

Borosilicate glass is a little more forgiving of thermal shock.

However, when properly handled, thermal shock isn't an issue (or shouldn't be - when used correctly).  So the advantage of the soda-lime glass is that it gives the user some extra protection from those daily incidents we don't have a lot of control over, such as accidentally whacking your pan into something.

Doesn't matter whether it's soda-lime or borosilicate, neither glass is appropriate used stove-top or over an open flame, unless it's been put through the specific manufacturing and annealing processes that gives you Flameware.  That's an expensive process, and I see no reason to use it for my everyday bakeware.

I'm really glad to have it for my Pyrex double-boiler, however.


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## 4meandthem

I have had it happen several times. Completly ruins dinner and glass and food go everywhere.Cleaning up after it is a mess. I only use Pyrex now and don't keep them when they get too scratched. I have had the cheap stuff do it out of the micro and oven. I have never used glass on the cooktop.


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## taxlady

I started using oven safe glass for all meat dishes about 35 years ago. I noticed that dirt accumulated in the creases of loaf pans. I had to use a pointy steak knife or poultry skewer to get it out. Ewww. So I switched to glass. But, it means I can't put the glass roasting pans on the burner (as it says to do in many recipes) to deglaze the pan. I have to rely on the leftover heat in the pan.

Nowadays there are lots of pans that don't have creases in the corner, so maybe I'll try stainless steel. I have one large, SS, lasagna pan, but the sides are so high that it doesn't work well for roasting meat. That sort of put me off SS for roasting meat.


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## Andy M.

i often use a large ovenproof skillet for roasting.  Of course that depends on the size of the roast and the pans available.


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## taxlady

Andy M. said:


> i often use a large ovenproof skillet for roasting.  Of course that depends on the size of the roast and the pans available.


I'll have to remember that. I have enamelled cast iron pots that would work.

Does anyone know if a wooden handle would be safe in the oven? Would I risk charring it?


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## Andy M.

taxlady said:


> I'll have to remember that. I have enamelled cast iron pots that would work.
> 
> Does anyone know if a wooden handle would be safe in the oven? Would I risk charring it?




I use a 12" CI skillet for small roasts and whole chickens.

Wood handles are usually safe at 350º F but may darken in color (not charring).


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## no mayonnaise

I don't understand the desire to use glassware for actual cooking anyway, minus things like a double boiler, where the insulative properties of glass can be beneficial.  Ceramic seems to have the advantage, especially when covering cast iron.

Also, the link in the OP seems to be broken.


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## taxlady

Andy M. said:


> I use a 12" CI skillet for small roasts and whole chickens.
> 
> Wood handles are usually safe at 350º F but may darken in color (not charring).


Thanks. I really will have to remember to do that.


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## Andy M.

no mayonnaise said:


> I don't understand the desire to use glassware for actual cooking anyway, minus things like a double boiler, where the insulative properties of glass can be beneficial.  Ceramic seems to have the advantage, especially when covering cast iron.
> 
> Also, the link in the OP seems to be broken.



Glass pie plates yield the best pie crusts.

SO's brownies in a glass baking dish area always done to a "T".  Certainly not the only way but a really good one.


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## Cerise

Janet H said:


> I saw the CU report on glass bakeware breaking in explosive ways today and wondered if anyone has had this happen and whether you use glass bake ware?
> 
> It was interesting to learn about the difference between glass used in the US and the glass used in the EU. Here's a link to the story: Consumer Reports: Hot Glassware Can Shatter Unexpectedly


 
I've used glass bakeware for years, & never had a problem. I use them in the oven & microwave, & put them in the dishwasher. I pulled one out, & the brand name looks like Anchor. According to their site, there's a two year warranty, if used correctly. I have:

2 square
2 large rectangular
1 round casserole (1 1/2 or 2 qt) w/ lid
souffle dish (1 1/2 or 2 qt) w/ lid
Martha Stewart ramekins
Quiche dish/pan


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## Kitchen Barbarian

no mayonnaise said:


> I don't understand the desire to use glassware for actual cooking anyway, minus things like a double boiler, where the insulative properties of glass can be beneficial.  Ceramic seems to have the advantage, especially when covering cast iron.



It's the only truly nonstick, durable bakeware available.  

Personally I HATE cast-iron.  Glass bakeware isn't lightweight, but cast iron is even heavier.  Also, the enameled stuff can crack and craze in high-heat use due to the differing expansion rates of the enamel and the cast iron.

I've been happily baking in Pyrex for 50 years.  Nothing's come on the market yet that beats it.  I can't tell you how many metal pans I've ended up throwing away because the eventually become uncleanable - as opposed to my big Pyrex baking pans, which clean up in a snap with about 1/10th the effort.  I have Pyrex that's as old as I am.  You'll get my Pyrex Flameware double-boiler when you pull it from my cold, dead hands!  LOL!

I've never bothered to de-glaze a pan for a roast in my life, so I don't miss that.


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## GotGarlic

People's differing preferences on things like this crack me up 

Over the last several years, I've been replacing the Pyrex dishes I collected in my 20s with Le Creuset ceramic and enameled cast iron. I love how the heavy pieces hold on to heat for serving, and they're beautiful as well. I can brown on the stovetop, braise or otherwise finish cooking in the oven, put the pan back on the stovetop and make a yummy sauce or gravy with the fond and drippings and serve.

In the '90s, our neighborhood was overrun with Pampered Chef parties and during that time, I collected several pieces of their stoneware. I love them, too. They're quite durable and non-stick when used correctly.

Never "bothered to de-glaze a pan"? You don't know what you're missing. That's a lot of great flavor going down the drain.


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## Kitchen Barbarian

GotGarlic said:


> Never "bothered to de-glaze a pan"? You don't know what you're missing. That's a lot of great flavor going down the drain.



No there isn't.  I eat very little meat, and when I do, I don't need the  fat and grease anyway.  I haven't made a roast in nearly 35 years.


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## no mayonnaise

Kitchen Barbarian said:


> It's the only truly nonstick, durable bakeware available.
> 
> Personally I HATE cast-iron.  Glass bakeware isn't lightweight, but cast iron is even heavier.  Also, the enameled stuff can crack and craze in high-heat use due to the differing expansion rates of the enamel and the cast iron.
> 
> I've been happily baking in Pyrex for 50 years.  Nothing's come on the market yet that beats it.  I can't tell you how many metal pans I've ended up throwing away because the eventually become uncleanable - as opposed to my big Pyrex baking pans, which clean up in a snap with about 1/10th the effort.  I have Pyrex that's as old as I am.  You'll get my Pyrex Flameware double-boiler when you pull it from my cold, dead hands!  LOL!
> 
> I've never bothered to de-glaze a pan for a roast in my life, so I don't miss that.



I guess we just have different styles of cooking.  I don't recall ever needing nonstick bakeware for most anything I make, and I love the weight of cast iron.  That's one of my favorite aspects of it.  I also always deglaze.  It hurts me to waste that beautiful fond!  Lastly, my bakeware isn't regular metal, save for a couple of rarely-if-ever-used things like muffin tins; it's generally all earthenware or C-CCI (ceramic-coated cast iron).  I'm a little surprised you're bringing up the possibility of cracking C-CCI as a negative when you're using glass bakeware that'll shatter if you set it on something cool while it's hot.  That said, my C-CCI cookware has handled the highest heat I can throw at it with no problem, and it's not even a "nice brand."



Andy M. said:


> Glass pie plates yield the best pie crusts.
> 
> SO's brownies in a glass baking dish area always done to a "T".  Certainly not the only way but a really good one.



I think those get lumped in with "things like," though I've had great brownies out of pans made of many different materials.
However, my post was geared less toward baking and more toward cooking, though I wasn't very specific.



Kitchen Barbarian said:


> No there isn't.  I eat very little  meat, and when I do, I don't need the  fat and grease anyway.  I haven't  made a roast in nearly 35 years.



You're supposed to drain off all the fat and grease before you deglaze.  The flavor is in the fond, not the grease.


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## bakechef

I moved away from glass after a shatter incident.  No the pan wasn't old or damaged, it had been in the oven for a while with brownie batter in it.

Now my preference is metal, I like nice square, straight sides on my bakeware, that, you cannot get with glass.  My layer cake pans are anodized aluminum, my pie pans are glazed ceramic or stoneware.  None of these are going to end up in hundreds of pieces in my oven.  I like how my baked goods look when baked in commercial grade pro bakware.


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## Mel!

I had a glass lidded coffee perculator once. The lid could withstand lots of heat, as it was on when perculating the coffee. One time, I put it in cold water while it was still hot, right after perculating some coffee. Apparently, that type of glass is not supposed to be put in cold water when it is hot. It didn't explode, but the sound it made as the lid cracked and then broke in half sounded explosive.


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## Chief Longwind Of The North

When I was about 8 years old, I came home from school one day, and went upstairs to change from my school clothes to my play clothes.  I placed the toe of one shoe against of the heel of the other, and loosened the shoe from my foot.  I kicked the loosened show forward to remove it the rest of the way from my foot.  I might have used a little too much force, for the shoe flew through the air and through the inner glass of my bedroom window.  It had both an inner window, and storm window in a double hung frame.  

Well, of course I was sure I was going to get into lots of trouble for this, so woth the limited wisdom of a 9 year old, I didn't tell anyone about the accident.  Of course it was discovered, and by my stepfather, who was I might add, an amazing man.  He called my upstairs and asked me how the window got broken.  I thought quickly and replied that I didn't know.  But maybe, because it was winter, and very cold outside, and hot in my room, that the glass couldn't take it and had shattered spontaneously.  He looked at me for a moment, playing my answer around in his mind, and then, without a word, left the room.  I didn't get into trouble for that broken window.  I thought my answer had fooled him.  As I became older, I realized that he must have held back a snicker, and the acting job was probably worth an Oscar.  He and my mother must hae had quite a laught at the cleverness of my answer to the broken window, after I was asleep of course.  Having raised kids of my own, I learned how hard it sometimes is to hold back a nicker when a young child comes up with something clever beyond their years, but that is obviously either a lie, or an improper behavior.  

My stepfather was a man above normal men.  That's all I have to say about that, and the broken window.

Seeeeeeya; Chief Longwind of the North


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## Kitchen Barbarian

no mayonnaise said:


> You're supposed to drain off all the fat and grease before you deglaze.  The flavor is in the fond, not the grease.



I'm well aware of that, I just don't bother to do it.  Plus, there's the whole I-don't-need-to-worry-about-it-anyway-since-I-don't-do-roasts thing.  The fat is in the meat, actually.  That's actually why I don't like meat much.  Roasts are generally pretty boring.  To each their own, though.

As for needing non-stick, I sure like to have it when I'm cleaning up after caramelizing onions (I caramelize onions in the oven) or making a casserole.  Even if I manage to burn something, if it's in a metal pan, that's a horrible mess to clean up; in a Pyrex baking dish, it's a simple matter of soaking it with some baking soda, which removes most of it, then a small amount of elbow grease and eh, voila, sparkling clean with very little fuss.

There's also the fact that I can cut things right out of the pan without damaging a metal surface.  Have you ever seen a well-used metal pie plate?  

For me, Pyrex is the bakeware/ovenware of choice, always has been.


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## Chief Longwind Of The North

Kitchen Barbarian said:


> I'm well aware of that, I just don't bother to do it.  Plus, there's the whole I-don't-need-to-worry-about-it-anyway-since-I-don't-do-roasts thing.  The fat is in the meat, actually.  That's actually why I don't like meat much.  Roasts are generally pretty boring.  To each their own, though.
> 
> As for needing non-stick, I sure like to have it when I'm cleaning up after caramelizing onions (I caramelize onions in the oven) or making a casserole.  Even if I manage to burn something, if it's in a metal pan, that's a horrible mess to clean up; in a Pyrex baking dish, it's a simple matter of soaking it with some baking soda, which removes most of it, then a small amount of elbow grease and eh, voila, sparkling clean with very little fuss.
> 
> There's also the fact that I can cut things right out of the pan without damaging a metal surface.  Have you ever seen a well-used metal pie plate?
> 
> For me, Pyrex is the bakeware/ovenware of choice, always has been.



I'm glad Pyrex works for you.  My well seasoned cast iron pans do the same for me.  The seasoning is durable enough that I can cut in the pan.  It's virtually stick free, even when things are burn on.  It can withstand any heat I apply to it.  It's durable, and nearly shatter-proof.  I can use it with any kind of heat source, even induction.  I can use it with direct flame, or in the oven.  I don't have to worry about pouring liquid into it when it's hot.  It doesn't add metallic flavor to the foods made in it, even if they are acidic or base.  I enjoy all the benefits that you do with yoru pyrex, plus more.

My point isn't to praise cast iron cookware.  We all have our personal favorites.  But Just as I love what I work with, and what works for me, so too do you enjoy and love the things you work with, and what works for you.  Neither is right.  Neither is wrong.  Both work well when used properly.  Both have their strengths and weaknesses.  As a former member of DC once put it, or something to the effect, what goes into the pot is more important than is the pot.

I wish you many great meals, and great service from your favorite cookware.  And what I do know it that you have given great discussion here at DC, along with some great cooking tips, and if I recall, some pretty good recipes.

People, let's not get hung up on what kind of pot, pan, or casserole dish is best.  Let's just have fun cooking, creating, and sharing what we all enjoy, eating, presenting, and sharing good food, and the techniques we use to make it.

Seeeeeeeeya; Chief Longwind of the North


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## taxlady

Cast iron is useless in the microwave. I like having both Pyrex and cast iron.


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## Dawgluver

taxlady said:
			
		

> Cast iron is useless in the microwave. I like having both Pyrex and cast iron.



Agree.  And I love my SS too.


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## Chief Longwind Of The North

taxlady said:


> Cast iron is useless in the microwave. I like having both Pyrex and cast iron.



actually, I have glass casserole dishes that work in the oven, and in the microwave, and I use them.  I have a 12" SS frying pan with sloped sides, that when used properly, is as non-stick as my CI.  So too is my carbon steel, flat-bottomed Atlas Wok.  And then there's the aluminum pressure cooker, that I seasoned with cooking oil.  Yep, it's easy to clean as well.

The point is, they all work, when used for what they're supposed to be used for.  And they all will produce great food.  What material you use is simply a matter of personal preference.  And, to further prove the point, I even have a square, teflon coated, aluminum griddle that is fabulous with the right heat, for making grilled cheese or grilled PBJ sandwiches, and for making perfect pancakes.

My go-to pans are usually cast iron, simply because I like the results I get from them.  I'm used to them.  And I have a couple of Griswold pans that not only work wonderfully, but have sentimental value as well because of how I obtained them.

I say, if cooking in a clay pot works for you, then cook in a clay pot, or glass, or SS, or CI, or aluminum, etc.  But don't tell someone else they are wrong because they don't do things the way you do.

Is there a risk factor while using glass or ceramic cooking vessels, yup, there sure is.  But wait, if I take a screaming hot cast iron frying pan and throw it into ice water, it can violently crack, or even explode, just like glass.  I've gotten an aluminum pot hot enough to melt, once.  tell me that wasn't a dangerous thing to do.

Pots and pans are tools, not loved ones.  When used properly, they give great service.  Just know the difference between cheap, poorly made tools, and good ones.  And remember, price isn't always an accurate guide as to which items will perform the best.  And that's my two-hundred cents worth.  I'm now climbing off of my soap box.  Please, don't throw whole watermelons at me.  They are hard to catch fast enough to put into containers to take home and enjoy.  Is that enough prepositions in one sentence or what!

Seeeeeeya; Chief Longwind of the North


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## Cerise

Chief Longwind Of The North said:


> I'm glad Pyrex works for you. My well seasoned cast iron pans do the same for me. The seasoning is durable enough that I can cut in the pan. It's virtually stick free, even when things are burn on. It can withstand any heat I apply to it. It's durable, and nearly shatter-proof. I can use it with any kind of heat source, even induction. I can use it with direct flame, or in the oven. I don't have to worry about pouring liquid into it when it's hot. It doesn't add metallic flavor to the foods made in it, even if they are acidic or base. I enjoy all the benefits that you do with yoru pyrex, plus more.
> 
> My point isn't to praise cast iron cookware. *We all have our personal favorites. But Just as I love what I work with, and what works for me, so too do you enjoy and love the things you work with, and what works for you. Neither is right. Neither is wrong.* Both work well when used properly. Both have their strengths and weaknesses. As a former member of DC once put it, or something to the effect, what goes into the pot is more important than is the pot.
> 
> I wish you many great meals, and great service from your favorite cookware. And what I do know it that you have given great discussion here at DC, along with some great cooking tips, and if I recall, some pretty good recipes.
> 
> People, let's not get hung up on what kind of pot, pan, or casserole dish is best. Let's just have fun cooking, creating, and sharing what we all enjoy, eating, presenting, and sharing good food, and the techniques we use to make it.
> 
> Seeeeeeeeya; Chief Longwind of the North


 
Very well said.

*+1*


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## no mayonnaise

Chief Longwind Of The North said:


> I have a couple of Griswold pans





> Pots and pans are tools, not loved ones.


I'm utterly shocked these two phrases could be put in the same post.


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## Addie

I am a yard sale junkie. If I see a pie plate, roasting pan, or any other old Pyrex piece, I grab it. I also have several 1940's fridge dishes. One I use as a salt cellar and keep it by the stove. Another one is my butter dish. It holds a full pound of butter. Since Pyrex changed their formula for their products, I won't buy Pyrex. I now look at cermanic products. I need some new pie plates. The new Pyrex is not on my list. 

I also have some beautiful old Anchor Hocking and Fire King etched casseroles. They have etched covers.


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## Addie

Janet H said:


> I saw the CU report on glass bakeware breaking in explosive ways today and wondered if anyone has had this happen and whether you use glass bake ware?
> 
> It was interesting to learn about the difference between glass used in the US and the glass used in the EU. Here's a link to the story: *Consumer Reports: Hot Glassware Can Shatter Unexpectedly*


 
So where is the story about Pyrex? All I get is news about the environment. I have known about the Pyrex problem for a long time. One of our local station did a news piece on it. the company was sold and the new owners changed the formula. Since then the new Pyrex is on my no no list.


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## Cerise

Addie said:


> I am a yard sale junkie. If I see a pie plate, roasting pan, or any other old Pyrex piece, I grab it. I also have several 1940's fridge dishes. One I use as a salt cellar and keep it by the stove. Another one is my butter dish. It holds a full pound of butter. Since Pyrex changed their formula for their products, I won't buy Pyrex. I now look at cermanic products. I need some new pie plates. The new Pyrex is not on my list.
> 
> *I also have some beautiful old Anchor Hocking and Fire King etched casseroles. They have etched covers*.


 
I would love to have covers for my square & rectangular cookware.  I saw some on Anchor's site, & I'm tempted.  I found a glass cover for the soufflé dish (crockery) at the thrift store.  It fit perfectly & is interchangeable for the round dish as well.


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## Kylie1969

Kitchen Barbarian said:


> For me, Pyrex is the bakeware/ovenware of choice, always has been.



Me too


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## Kitchen Barbarian

Chief Longwind Of The North said:


> I enjoy all the benefits that you do with yoru pyrex, *plus more.
> 
> My point isn't to praise cast iron cookware.*



No?  Ok, if you say so, LOL!

I was actually answering someone's specific question about why anyone would prefer Pyrex bakeware.  I don't think it was you who asked the original question, but whatever.  

So, I gave my reasons for preferring it.  It's nowhere near as heavy as cast iron, it's easier to clean, I don't do roasts anyway, it's far more durable than any metal pan (other than cast iron), and it's much cuter than most of them as well.  I do like the look of glass far more than any metal pan - but that's an aesthetic consideration.  It doesn't guide my preference.  My preference is guided by ease of use and durability.  I have Pyrex that's older than I am, and I'm not exactly your spring chicken.

But that's just me.  The main point for me isn't personal preference or aesthetics, it's the fact that the much touted "exploding Pyrex" is a myth.  Even CU couldn't get the stuff to break - and that's just break, not shatter the way people claim (which I've explained how that comes to be, through consistent and persistent misuse) - except by abusing it.


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## bakechef

I'm not sure how people still claim that this is a myth!  Read the complaints on this link, there are a lot of them and they keep coming in.
http://www.consumeraffairs.com/homeowners/pyrex.html

My experience wasn't from misuse my piece was fairly new, it happened after being in the oven for more than 10 minutes with brownie  batter in the pan.  I used my mom's glass bakeware for years with no issues.

If you like the stuff, great keep using it, but don't tell people that exploding pyrex is a myth!  It's happened to me and to a friend, and neither case was from thermal shock, both had been in the preheated oven for a while.


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## Kitchen Barbarian

CU was not able to repeat these reports of exploding Pyrex, and they tried.  The ONLY way that can happen with actual Pyrex is if it's been subjected to thermal shock over a period of time, or if it's taken direct from the freezer or fridge to the oven.

There are all sorts of claims made on the Internet.  That doesn't make them true.  For instance, there are people who think there is no such thing as continental drift.  They think the Earth is expanding like a balloon.  Riiiight.

Similarly there has never been any evidence for the mythical belief that people's Pyrex is exploding willy-nilly.  Such evidence has been sought repeatedly.  Pyrex has been subjected to all sorts of tests trying to make it happen.  The exploding Pyrex has never been recreated, except by subjecting it to long term abuse which creates the micro fractures I described earlier.  Such fractures eventually will give under the repeated stress.  It may LOOK like the Pyrex exploded, but the truth is that it was abused and damaged, accumulating this damage until it finally does give in what looks like (but has not been) normal use.

That said, it's possible you are the one person in a million who got a piece of Pyrex that was faulty.  (Was it Pyrex, or was it something else?  That's another problem with these anecdotal reports - a lot of them aren't actually Pyrex, they're some Chinese made cheap off-brand that wasn't properly annealed during manufacture).  

The fact is that exploding Pyrex (in the absence of abuse) is a myth.  There has never been any evidence to the contrary.  

You may not like it, but it's a fact.  It's physics, not magic.  As an engineer, I'm very very familiar with user error, which is quickly followed by blaming the product.


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## Addie

bakechef said:


> I'm not sure how people still claim that this is a myth! Read the complaints on this link, there are a lot of them and they keep coming in.
> 1,223 Complaints and Reviews about Pyrex Cookware
> 
> My experience wasn't from misuse my piece was fairly new, it happened after being in the oven for more than 10 minutes with brownie batter in the pan. I used my mom's glass bakeware for years with no issues.
> 
> If you like the stuff, great keep using it, but don't tell people that exploding pyrex is a myth! It's happened to me and to a friend, and neither case was from thermal shock, both had been in the preheated oven for a while.


 
The problem with the *new* Pyrex is that when the company was sold, they changd the formula. The exploding pieces are the new ones made with the new formula. The old ones that have been used for years are fine. Even after years of abuse. If you can find some old pieces at a thrift shop or yard sale, grab it. My pie ones have scratches all over the bottom. Never exploded. My large lasagna one also has marks made from the knife cutting right in the dish. Never exploded. Both pieces along with a lot of others are just fine. And they are more than twenty years old. I used to have a Pyrex coffee pot. No problem. The same goes for the sauce pan that I had. The problem is with the new formula that is being used.


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## chopper

I love my Pyrex and have never had problems. My sister had one explode though. It was not pretty, and it was a mess. I don't think she did anything wrong that she knows about.


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## bakechef

Kitchen Barbarian said:


> CU was not able to repeat these reports of exploding Pyrex, and they tried.  The ONLY way that can happen with actual Pyrex is if it's been subjected to thermal shock over a period of time, or if it's taken direct from the freezer or fridge to the oven.
> 
> There are all sorts of claims made on the Internet.  That doesn't make them true.  For instance, there are people who think there is no such thing as continental drift.  They think the Earth is expanding like a balloon.  Riiiight.
> 
> Similarly there has never been any evidence for the mythical belief that people's Pyrex is exploding willy-nilly.  Such evidence has been sought repeatedly.  Pyrex has been subjected to all sorts of tests trying to make it happen.  The exploding Pyrex has never been recreated, except by subjecting it to long term abuse which creates the micro fractures I described earlier.  Such fractures eventually will give under the repeated stress.  It may LOOK like the Pyrex exploded, but the truth is that it was abused and damaged, accumulating this damage until it finally does give in what looks like (but has not been) normal use.
> 
> That said, it's possible you are the one person in a million who got a piece of Pyrex that was faulty.  (Was it Pyrex, or was it something else?  That's another problem with these anecdotal reports - a lot of them aren't actually Pyrex, they're some Chinese made cheap off-brand that wasn't properly annealed during manufacture).
> 
> The fact is that exploding Pyrex (in the absence of abuse) is a myth.  There has never been any evidence to the contrary.
> 
> You may not like it, but it's a fact.  It's physics, not magic.  As an engineer, I'm very very familiar with user error, which is quickly followed by blaming the product.



Over 1200 people on that site are wrong and you are right.  I'll leave it at that.  I know what happened to me and my friend and lots of other people.

All I know is that old pyrex would break (with a "pop" sound), new pyrex seems to explode into hundreds of tiny pieces (with a loud "bang"),


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## Dawgluver

The lid from my huge Visions pot (I think Visions is Pyrex) exploded many Thanksgivings ago, with a loud bang.  Glass shards everywhere, what a mess.  And I never used it to cook, only to cover and store stuffing.


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## Addie

Dawgluver said:


> The lid from my huge Visions pot (I think Visions is Pyrex) exploded many Thanksgivings ago, with a loud bang. Glass shards everywhere, what a mess. And I never used it to cook, only to cover and store stuffing.


 
The Vision line didn't stay out very long for that very reason. It was pulled off the line and they stopped making and selling them.


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