Cooking with Glass: How Pyrex Transformed Every Kitchen into a Home-Ec Lab • Hacker News Board

Re: Cooking with Glass: How Pyrex Transformed Every Kitchen into a Home-Ec Lab

#11

Post by slacka » Sat, Oct 10, 2015, 4:44 AM UTC

DiabloD3 wrote: post #5

js2 wrote: post #2

Pyrex sold in the U.S. today is tempered glass, not borosilcate. I only skimmed the article but I didn't see that mentioned.

Specifically, they switched to a Corning-designed soda lime glass that has much better shatter resistance, but less thermal shock resistance. However, I don't care what Pyrex consumer products say, either back when it was ran directly by Corning, or when they spun World Kitchen off, putting a fridge cold borosilicate or soda lime Pyrex product into an oven risks blowing it up, as does taking an oven hot dish and putt…

> as does taking an oven hot dish and putting it on anything other than a wire cooling rack

I can attest to this. I learned this lesson the hard way when I took a lasagna dish out of the oven and put it on a marble marble cutting board. The Pyrex dish literately exploded on my counter top.

Consumer Reports has investigated this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UyhdMa1ikKM

Re: Cooking with Glass: How Pyrex Transformed Every Kitchen into a Home-Ec Lab

#12

Post by MichaelMoser123 » Sat, Oct 10, 2015, 5:06 AM UTC

Another interesting book on material science is

'Stuff Matters: Exploring the Marvelous Materials That Shape Our Man-Made World' by Mark Miodownik http://www.amazon.com/Stuff-Matters-Exploring-Marvelous-Mate...

actually here is a sample chapter

http://www.hmhco.com/~/media/sites/home/educators/webinars/s...

The author has also an interesting lecture on youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GEWFJiMK6CE

Re: Cooking with Glass: How Pyrex Transformed Every Kitchen into a Home-Ec Lab

#13

Post by Animats » Sat, Oct 10, 2015, 6:22 AM UTC

The borosilicate glass items Consumer Reports liked are now available in the US, imported from France, and they're no more expensive than the Pyrex-in-name-only stuff. The Consumer Reports article lists for $29 an item that Bed, Bath and Beyond now sells for $10. Search for "borosilicate" and whatever cookery item you want.

Re: Cooking with Glass: How Pyrex Transformed Every Kitchen into a Home-Ec Lab

#14

Post by rdl » Sat, Oct 10, 2015, 6:26 AM UTC

I'd be interested in similar articles about Schott glass. They make probably the world's finest optical glass.

Re: Cooking with Glass: How Pyrex Transformed Every Kitchen into a Home-Ec Lab

#15

Post by jedrek » Sat, Oct 10, 2015, 8:33 AM UTC

DiabloD3 wrote: post #5

js2 wrote: post #2

Pyrex sold in the U.S. today is tempered glass, not borosilcate. I only skimmed the article but I didn't see that mentioned.

Specifically, they switched to a Corning-designed soda lime glass that has much better shatter resistance, but less thermal shock resistance. However, I don't care what Pyrex consumer products say, either back when it was ran directly by Corning, or when they spun World Kitchen off, putting a fridge cold borosilicate or soda lime Pyrex product into an oven risks blowing it up, as does taking an oven hot dish and putt…

Also, after removing a covered casserole dish from the oven, take the top off for a second. Otherwise moisture can form a seal around the lid so tight that when the air inside cools, it will shatter the pot inwards.

Re: Cooking with Glass: How Pyrex Transformed Every Kitchen into a Home-Ec Lab

#16

Post by hunterrible » Wed, Oct 14, 2015, 5:30 PM UTC

mturmon wrote: post #3

js2 wrote: post #2

Pyrex sold in the U.S. today is tempered glass, not borosilcate. I only skimmed the article but I didn't see that mentioned.

You would have to read all the way to the end: "Today, Pyrex is manufactured by World Kitchen, which licensed the brand from Corning beginning in 1998, thus giving future generations the chance to grow up with Pyrex, too." This omits that current "Pyrex" is, as you say, not borosilicate. According to wiki: "World Kitchen justified this change by stating that [tempered] soda-lime glass was cheaper to produce, is the m…

The piece does say this: "In 1942, the Museum of Modern Art praised the functionality of Pyrex designs by featuring several products in its exhibition “Useful Objects in Wartime under $10.” Around the same time, the company was developing a line of tough white dishes for military mess halls made from tempered soda-lime instead of borosilicate, making them less heat-resistant but also less likely to shatter when dropped. After World War II, this military glassware evolved into the brand’s popular Opalware line of kitchenware."