S/O Glass storage containers - I called Pyrex!

[Pen]

5 hours ago, sheryl said:

Well now I'm curious who has used Pyrex glass with NO incident/s.  Feel free to chime in.

mmasc, glad all turned out well. That would have been scary.

Well, idk.  I'm weighing what I read from several sources and listening to your testimonials here.  

It seems there can be an issue with Pyrex glass but.......... if the directions aren't exactly followed then it might render an unwanted result such as explosion or whatnot.  They state that while there have been issues, it's a fraction of a fraction (so to speak) of 1% of millions of glass products sold.  That's what I was saying earlier about no product is without some level of inferiority/issue but it's only fair to learn all the facts and look at it numerically. So, if this happened 1 of every 100 people, I'd be leary.  If it happens once in 100,000 less leary and so on.  

Again, what about the folks here who have NOT had an issue.   Anyone? 

 

 

I have not had a personal incident.

However, I like to learn from the experience of others. I consider it wise to do so.  I have enough personal tragedies in my life without potentially adding on extra due to failure to heed warnings.

 

 

[sheryl]

Just now, Pen said:

 

I have not had a personal incident.

However, I like to learn from the experience of others. I consider it wise to do so.  I have enough personal tragedies in my life without potentially adding on extra due to failure to heed warnings.

 

 

Yes, this is why I posted. It is interesting - jury is still out on this one.

[Pen]

10 minutes ago, sheryl said:

Yes, this is why I posted. It is interesting - jury is still out on this one.

 

I can’t recall - do you have kids at home?

 

[sheryl]

Not young children

[sheryl]

But, what does that have to do with Pyrex?  

[Catwoman]

13 minutes ago, sheryl said:

Yes, this is why I posted. It is interesting - jury is still out on this one.

Well, the jury isn’t still out for me — after reading the scary stories on this thread, I am now officially DONE baking in Pyrex. 

I mostly stopped baking in Pyrex the last time there was a discussion here about exploding Pyrex, but over time, I sort of forgot the warnings and began using it again. I don’t use it often, but there is one size dish that I have in Pyrex that I haven’t replaced yet with a different material, and even though I have never had an issue with it, I decided today to retire that dish from baking duty and only use it for things like storing things like homemade cookies and candy.

I do have some very old Pyrex at another house that I might still use, because that stuff is ancient and it’s probably still safe to use... but I’m kind of scared to risk it at this point, and I will almost certainly be too much of a chicken to use it.

I’m glad you started this thread, Sheryl, because I appreciated the reminder that Pyrex can explode!

Edited October 7, 2020 by Catwoman
Typo!

[Catwoman]

13 minutes ago, sheryl said:

Yes, this is why I posted. It is interesting - jury is still out on this one.

After reading the scary stories about actual people having had their Pyrex explode, I’m curious as to why you say “the jury is still out.”

[Catwoman]

2 minutes ago, sheryl said:

But, what does that have to do with Pyrex?  

I’m assuming she means that kids might not be as careful as they should be, and a minor error with the handling of the Pyrex could lead to a serious medical emergency for them. 

[sheryl]

Previous replies.  Of the millions of products sold, it is still a small percent.  NOW, it's terrible anyone here or anywhere would be hurt as some spoke of here but I'm  not sold it's dangerous.  It MAY be and maybe not.  Maybe I'll use it for storage only.  I still have other Pyrex and Corning.  I just don't know.  THere are a fair amt of people who responded who have had a bad experience but some people here, fewer, expressed no incident.

[Pen]

9 minutes ago, sheryl said:

But, what does that have to do with Pyrex?  

 

Kids (younger and shorter ones) might be more likely to accidentally make a transfer that would be “user error” and more likely to have eyes and face and neck closer to counter / stove top for potential severe injury in event of flying glass cutting them. 

[sheryl]

Good morning.

Had both sets home to decide - the Pyrex Ultimate and Oxo's Smart Seal. Both are nice.  I really like the feature of the lids that can go in microwave and, yes, oven that are found on the Ultimate (name gives it away) 🙂  but concerned that "tempered" glass may not be well, what it's cracked up to be! LOL couldn't resist.  

I decided to keep my Oxo and return the Ultimate.  If Pyrex goes back to Borosilicate or there are numerous  good  reviews/testimonies of Pyrex tempered holding up to it's claim that it is effective like Borosilicate, then I'd rebuy the set.   

I'm not closing the door entirely on Pyrex.    But, I needed containers immediately and have been enjoying using these containers to store food  in the frig and freezer (great way to enjoy leftovers!).

Using this product keeps me on my toes because the glass can go freezer/frig to oven  (preheated) but  NOT hot to cold.  I must remember to NOT use my counter, metal trivet, stovetop, wire rack and ONLY place this product on towel/cloth material or wooden cutting board.   After it cools, then it can be stored cool or frozen or washed.  Even though the Oxo lid  is not oven safe it is microwave safe if set ajar on container.  

[Katy]

I haven't had issues except for when washing a measuring cup as a kid (I think I was in high school, I think I may have been melting chocolate or maybe making caramels in the microwave and put it straight into the sink afterwards), but DH had something shatter once.  It was shortly after we got married and he was afraid I'd react badly.  I just laughed and cleaned it up.  I was happy to have a break from cooking, so we ended up going out after the food was ruined.

I still use that type of glass, I even got the little shot glasses and whiskey sort of glasses from Amazon to teach children to drink out of a real cup instead of a sippy.  They've been thrown but not broken.  I am pretty careful to let them cool down in the dishwasher before I pull them out to put them away though.

[ktgrok]

Ok, I'm lost..why don't people want to use metal baking pans?

[Sneezyone]

You can always find vintage Pyrex on EBay. I love my vintage pie plates and baking dishes. They heat evenly and have survived 50+ years of regular use.

[Innisfree]

12 minutes ago, Sneezyone said:

You can always find vintage Pyrex on EBay. I love my vintage pie plates and baking dishes. They heat evenly and have survived 50+ years of regular use.

Yep. I use my inherited Pyrex and Corning Ware constantly, but none of it is likely to be younger than the 1970s. Never had any problems.

[sheryl]

22 minutes ago, Indigo Blue said:

The Oxo is borosilicate, right?

I posted earlier about this, but I have since done some more reading. Because of this thread and because of recently having an incident with exploding glass while microwaving chocolate, I’ve replaced some things. Concerning because one family member likes to bake and may not be mindful of setting hot things down in wet surfaces, etc. Another family member wasn’t aware that Pyrex was no longer “real” Pyrex. Probably lots of people just assume Pyrex is just that....the same Pyrex that they’ve always known to be very durable and safe. 
 

So, I’ve replaced a few things with Simax (borosilicate) for me and family member that likes to bake. I purchased one vintage piece off EBay that was in good condition. I rummaged through my cabinets to find some vintage pieces that I didn’t know were now actually vintage. PYREX in all caps on some pieces. While I was at it, I added a few more things to my Duralex collection. Duralex is great. Not oven safe unless specified, but it’s dishes and drinking glasses so it doesn’t need to be. I did order some oven-safe Duralex ramekins to bake muffins in. I feel good about having mostly borosilicate now, and I’ll hold onto these pieces. 

YES!   Oxo "Smart Seal" (teal green gasket in lid) is borosilicate (containers are the glass, not lids).  

I do need a larger size baking dish that I need need to "store" in frig  or freezer (thanks for reminder).  I've seen Simax but don't recall.   It's a glass, right?  What kind?  And, what is it about the all PYREX cap thing?  Caps denote vintage/borosilicate?   Regular "Pyrex" no caps means what?  Tempered?

[sheryl]

24 minutes ago, Innisfree said:

Yep. I use my inherited Pyrex and Corning Ware constantly, but none of it is likely to be younger than the 1970s. Never had any problems.

See, I've done extensive research on ceramic coatings and oh boy, that's another issue.  I have and have used tons of Corning Ware.  Early 80's, 90's.  But, ceramic coatings "may" contain heavy metals which are not healthy.

I know this because during my "glass hunt" I've also been hunting for the healthiest non-stick fry pan.  Very hard to find because even the healthy ones are not healthy because most contain heavy metals.   I think I found 2 brands that are decent: Our Place and Caraway.  Pricey but healthy.

[sheryl]

53 minutes ago, ktgrok said:

Ok, I'm lost..why don't people want to use metal baking pans?

What kind of metal?  I have a stainless steel baker, actually.  I do not use aluminum.  But, mostly now I use glass.   See remarks above.

[Katy]

56 minutes ago, ktgrok said:

Ok, I'm lost..why don't people want to use metal baking pans?

It's difficult to find stainless, and other ones are generally aluminum with some sort of nonstick coating.  The aluminum (which is probably more heavily found in deodorant) is correlated with dementia because it binds to some protein in the brain that is common in Alzheimer's patients.  Don't ask for a source on that, I don't even know if it's accurate, just that's what the blogs said years ago.  And the nonstick coating has the same issues Teflon has, health wise.

Besides, glass lasts longer and is much less likely to warp IME.

[Carol in Cal.]

10 minutes ago, sheryl said:

What kind of metal?  I have a stainless steel baker, actually.  I do not use aluminum.  But, mostly now I use glass.   See remarks above.

The even heating of clay, glass, and ceramics gives me better baking results than metal.

Metal is awesome for roasting pans, especially if you want to put it on the burners afterwards to deglaze and make gravy.  I also like it for baking cookies, and I trust it more (no concern with incomplete coverage of the bottom of the pan with metal.)

[Sneezyone]

4 hours ago, Innisfree said:

Yep. I use my inherited Pyrex and Corning Ware constantly, but none of it is likely to be younger than the 1970s. Never had any problems.

My vintage opal brownie dish makes the best brownies that never, ever stick. Perfect size. My kids fight over who takes it when I die, lol.

[Spryte]

We had one 9x13 Pyrex dish that was ancient.  It belonged to my grandmother.  After reading stories here around 2008, I decided that would be the one and only Pyrex dish I’d use. And then we took it to a party, and it never made it home with us.  The hosts later returned a different off-brand 9x13  dish and they are sure that they don’t have my grandmother’s Pyrex.  I still feel a little bitter about it.
 

Oh well.  I should have transferred the goodies into a different pan, when I found out that they had been packed in the Pyrex, but I didn’t. It’s ok.

I’m done with baking in glass.  I use it for storage only.

I can’t stand the thought of finicky bakeware, that might explode if I make a mistake.  And I *do* make mistakes.  My bakeware has to be resilient enough for that, ha!  
 

 

[KungFuPanda]

Threads like this make me wonder if I’m living on borrowed time. I’ve used my Corning for years and have taken zero precautions. I put it freezer to oven to glass top stove. I cook with it on my stovetop. I really abuse it. It’s definitely over 25 years old. 
 

I have this glass bakeware I got as a wedding present that I abuse the same way (but not on the stovetop). I don’t even know what brand it is. It’s clear, but has the shape of different fruits all over it. It’s very textured on the outside and smooth on the inside. I have no idea where they came from and I don’t know anyone who owns them. 
 

If a person were inclined to seek out the old stuff at a thrift store, is there any way to tell? By pattern? Maybe all the bisque color would be old enough? 

[KungFuPanda]

This thread reminds me of my MIL. She ALWAYS wears shoes in the house because one time she broke a dish and cut her foot. By wearing shoes 100 percent of the time, she feels secure that her feet are protected. It makes her nervous that I don’t wear shoes At least  in the kitchen
 

Meanwhile, there’s me who goes barefooted most of the time. I fry chicken barefooted. I use Pyrex and corningware and Corelle barefooted. Tales on here of Corelle “shattering spectacularly” don’t deter me from using it nor do they motivate me to wear shoes in the kitchen. I fully understand that there’s an outside chance that something could happen. I just don’t think that small chance is worth trading my comfort or convenience. 
 

I will not be shamed into turning my back on my appalachain heritage or my favorite kitchen items! Besides, I’m willing to bet that the vast majority of users aren’t very careful and experience no problems with this bakeware. 

Edited October 21, 2020 by KungFuPanda

[Sneezyone]

4 hours ago, KungFuPanda said:

Threads like this make me wonder if I’m living on borrowed time. I’ve used my Corning for years and have taken zero precautions. I put it freezer to oven to glass top stove. I cook with it on my stovetop. I really abuse it. It’s definitely over 25 years old. 
 

I have this glass bakeware I got as a wedding present that I abuse the same way (but not on the stovetop). I don’t even know what brand it is. It’s clear, but has the shape of different fruits all over it. It’s very textured on the outside and smooth on the inside. I have no idea where they came from and I don’t know anyone who owns them. 
 

If a person were inclined to seek out the old stuff at a thrift store, is there any way to tell? By pattern? Maybe all the bisque color would be old enough? 

Look for the old styles/colors and all caps Pyrex logo. Avocado yellow, harvest gold, and country blue patterns, opal (white), turquoise, pink, bluebell and green milk glass.

Edited October 21, 2020 by Sneezyone

[katilac]

On 10/5/2020 at 7:15 PM, Matryoshka said:

But as someone who has always had formica countertops, you make me shudder at the very thought of putting something hot on the countertop!  😱  Noooooo!  On the stove, on a wooden chopping block, on some kind of heat-block trivet, but never, ever, under any circumstances put anything hot on the countertop!  😱

Why? I've been putting hot things on formica countertops for 40+ years now, and nothing bad has ever happened. The container is okay, the countertop is okay. What have you had happen? 

[Matryoshka]

18 minutes ago, katilac said:

Why? I've been putting hot things on formica countertops for 40+ years now, and nothing bad has ever happened. The container is okay, the countertop is okay. What have you had happen? 

Something hot off the stove or oven will totally scorch formica.  Not sure about glass from oven, but metal for sure. I have seen scorched formica; I've never not used a trivet or towel to find out how hot is hot enough for the scorching. Don't want to redo my counters!

[TravelingChris]

On 10/6/2020 at 10:39 AM, Carol in Cal. said:

FWIW, when I have put something hot onto a burner to cool, it’s always been a cold burner, and a gas or propane stove one, so more like a rack, not a coil.  

We have an electric stovetop (glass top kind) but with a grill section in the middle which we never use.  I have put things on that non used grill, on divets, on racks we use to cool cookies or cakes, etc..  We do have some type of stone counters.  

Now I have broken glass measuring cups and other glass and Corelle things.  But they were all drops or bumps- I have RA and sometimes my hands do not work well.  In fact, I know when I am starting a flare because I start dropping things (utensils first normally).

[sheryl]

21 hours ago, Indigo Blue said:

About nonstick pans....I think a well-seasoned cast iron pan is good or even a LeCruset skillet. Both are nontoxic. I like Green Pan but they don’t stay nonstick forever and need to be replaced. 
 

Simax makes an awesome borosilicate glass pizza pan. I love using clear glass ramekins for baking muffins instead of a nonstick muffin pan. I set them inside a large roasting pan and fill each one with batter. 

My stainless steel square baker was bought in early to mid 90's, I believe.  This store used to have a lot of nice products.  They moved and the store changed a bit.

I've used cast iron for decades and use it quite a bit but I'm looking for non-stick which is FREE of:

PTFE       
PFOA       
PFAS       
APEO       ???
PFOS 
lead-free
Cadmium-free

[sheryl]

11 hours ago, KungFuPanda said:

This thread reminds me of my MIL. She ALWAYS wears shoes in the house because one time she broke a dish and cut her foot. By wearing shoes 100 percent of the time, she feels secure that her feet are protected. It makes her nervous that I don’t wear shoes At least  in the kitchen
 

Meanwhile, there’s me who goes barefooted most of the time. I fry chicken barefooted. I use Pyrex and corningware and Corelle barefooted. Tales on here of Corelle “shattering spectacularly” don’t deter me from using it nor do they motivate me to wear shoes in the kitchen. I fully understand that there’s an outside chance that something could happen. I just don’t think that small chance is worth trading my comfort or convenience. 
 

I will not be shamed into turning my back on my appalachain heritage or my favorite kitchen items! Besides, I’m willing to bet that the vast majority of users aren’t very careful and experience no problems with this bakeware. 

I googled and found a great site showing vintage pyrex/corningware but now can't find it unless I scour my history.  I found it relation to ceramic coatings.  Some ceramic coatings contain yucky materials.  Some companies are adhering to the California Prop 65 standard for use of materials which are non-toxic.  

To a pp - I believe my Corning states it's stovetop safe and freezer safe as well as oven.  It's just not "immediate" I don't think due to thermal shock.  I'm going to hunt down my pieces of Pyrex, Corning, etc.   

[sheryl]

11 hours ago, KungFuPanda said:

This thread reminds me of my MIL. She ALWAYS wears shoes in the house because one time she broke a dish and cut her foot. By wearing shoes 100 percent of the time, she feels secure that her feet are protected. It makes her nervous that I don’t wear shoes At least  in the kitchen
 

Meanwhile, there’s me who goes barefooted most of the time. I fry chicken barefooted. I use Pyrex and corningware and Corelle barefooted. Tales on here of Corelle “shattering spectacularly” don’t deter me from using it nor do they motivate me to wear shoes in the kitchen. I fully understand that there’s an outside chance that something could happen. I just don’t think that small chance is worth trading my comfort or convenience. 
 

I will not be shamed into turning my back on my appalachain heritage or my favorite kitchen items! Besides, I’m willing to bet that the vast majority of users aren’t very careful and experience no problems with this bakeware. 

This is what I was researching and a lot opened up!

https://tamararubin.com/category/vintage-pyrex/

 

[katilac]

11 hours ago, Matryoshka said:

Something hot off the stove or oven will totally scorch formica.  Not sure about glass from oven, but metal for sure. I have seen scorched formica; I've never not used a trivet or towel to find out how hot is hot enough for the scorching. Don't want to redo my counters!

That's so weird! I've never once had that happen. I'm sure there's a first time for everything, so I'll try to overcome a lifetime of careless plonking, lol.

[Ditto]

I am quite late this this discussion but wanted to chime in with my experience with Pyrex.  Almost all of my glass containers and bowls are vintage Pyrex (at least 40-50 years old).  I have never had a problem, even when baking bread in some of the bowls.  I do have some newer pieces that I also love and use all the time.  Pyrex is the best! 

[sheryl]

2 hours ago, Indigo Blue said:

More thinking....regarding lead and such in vintage pieces

When I try to find definitive answers, I mostly can only find information from Tamara Rubin. I would feel better with solid information from other sources. But I can’t seem to find any. It was my thought that clear glass is generally safe and inert, vintage or not. I do wonder about the testing methods and accuracy.....hmmmm

I know the painted vintage Pyrex does contain lead. I don’t think the old clear glass is anything to worry about. 

Yes, I understand.  That's why I've spent so much time researching and "considering" the Pyrex containers because while it's happened to folks, it's not the majority.  However, it ties in with your video link.  Thanks for that.  Incredible.  I do think that while tempered is "supposed" to go directly from cold to hot according to the Pyrex rep, the very characteristic of soda/lime seems like it's naturally not as stable as borosilicate and hence the reason I returned the Pyrex containers and have kept my Oxo Smart Seal.