Corningware stovetop cookware in Pyroceram came back and then became scarce again
Were you even aware that stove-top-safe Corningware had gone off the market for a few years?
For a number of years, any home cook wanting to purchase Corningware cookware – that could be used on the stove top – had to settle for “vintage” pieces they could find on eBay or at garage sales. That’s because the company that bought the Corningware name in the late 1990s decided that the Pyroceram technology was too expensive to produce anymore.
It just wasn’t cost-effective… when the original cookware didn’t seem to ever wear out and was handed down from grandmothers to mothers to daughters (and sons, too).
The substitute products apparently worked okay, but you couldn’t take them from the freezer and place them directly into a hot oven, like you could with the Pyroceram pieces. And they had a stamp on the bottom saying they were not for stove-top cooking.
Well… shoot! My trusty old Blue Cornflower casserole dish is kind of the Superman of cookware.
And it came with a detachable pot handle for stove-top cooking.
Pyroceram was even used on the nose cones of anti-aircraft missiles in the late 1950s because of its ability to withstand extreme temperature changes. Just like the Corning pots in my kitchen.
Here’s why the original Pyroceram Corningware is sought after
With my “vintage” Corningware pans, I can:
- Reheat frozen leftovers in the oven (or microwave) without thawing first.
- Saute onions, mushrooms or whatever on the stove top on medium-high – or high – heat.
- Bake macaroni and cheese, scalloped potatoes and more in the oven.
- Create killer cheese sauces when a “heavy” pan is called for.
- Safely heat foods in the microwave.
- Soak my casseroles in water with dish liquid and clean off any stuck-on food easily. Repeat, easily.
- Store food in the freezer… because all my dishes have tight-fitting glass lids.
In short, we “vintage” Corningware owners got used to depending on cookware that was versatile, sturdy, and safe. And that didn’t crack or shatter under extreme temperature changes.
The original Corningware was high-tech
Corningware Pyroceram was invented in 1953 by Dr. S. Donald Stookey of Corning’s Research and Development Division. He was researching heat-resistant materials that would withstand thermal shock on the nose cones of ballistic missiles… and then adapted this technology for cookware. That’s why the “original” Pyroceram Corningware dishes can go directly from freezer to stove top or oven without breaking. They were designed to withstand sudden temperature changes.
In 2008, you could buy stove-top Corningware again!
After a long period of not being able to buy new Corningware sets to replace those we had accidentally dropped or given away, we could breathe a little easier now, because the manufacturer had (finally) re-introduced some Pyroceram-based dishes. They didn’t offer many… but at least they started with Cornflower Blue.
And just in the nick of time, as baby boomers like me were starting to downsize and hand down our cookery items to kids and grandkids. In fact, I inherited two of my mom’s Corningware casseroles and was very happy to add them to my previously small collection… especially after learning that the company that took over Corning’s cookware division wasn’t making their new products with the same glass-ceramic material (Pyroceram) that was used to make my own indestructible dishes.
Corningware isn’t terribly sexy, as far as cookware goes… but you can’t beat the versatility of the Pyroceram casserole dishes. I use mine many times a week as saute pans, pots and casseroles… not to mention as storage containers and serving dishes.
I can’t imagine what I’d even replace them with, so I was delighted to see the “original” high-tech dishes available again… until, once again, they weren’t.
In 2022, stovetop Corningware was discontinued again, more or less
From what I could tell, the stovetop Corningware brand in the U.S. became part of Corelle Brands which sells one or two versions of stove-top Corningware. The reviews on those products were mixed, so if I were looking for more stove-top Pyroceram Corningware, I’d check first for used casseroles on Amazon or eBay and do an online search for “vintage stove-top Corningware with Pyroceram”. The keywords are CORNINGWARE, PYROCERAM, STOVE-TOP, ORIGINAL CORNINGWARE, VINTAGE CORNINGWARE.
AUTHOR’S NOTE
Thanks for reading “the updated corningware tales”
My previous article on Stove-top Corningware with Pyroceram was more hopeful about its future. Now, not so much. If you’re lucky enough to have original Corningware handed down from parents and grandparents, thank your lucky stars. Corningware is not especially trendy… but it is versatile and sturdy and safe.