Why does pyrex break

These include:. Some publications such as ConsumerAffairs have cited this weakening as one possible reason for spontaneous fracture. To me, what we have to worry about are the flaws in the glass surface. When it comes to bakeware, most reports of exploding cookware—such as this article by Gizmodo or various local news reports —are largely focused on Pyrex. This is partly because the brand is so popular in the US, but also partly because its bakeware used to be less prone to breaking from thermal shock.

Pyrex pieces used to be made of borosilicate glass , which is more resistant to breakage when subjected to extreme shifts in temperature. And notably, when it does break, it does so suddenly and somewhat violently, shattering into many small pieces. But the percentage of glass cookware shattering unexpectedly is very small, according to Patty Davis, deputy director of communications and press secretary for the Consumer Product Safety Commission. To be clear, the reported injuries include glass bakeware from all manufacturers, not specifically Pyrex.

According to Davis, the CPSC is unable to release information about specific companies without following a public disclosure process. However, the SaferProducts. In many cases, the instances of exploding Pyrex reported to SaferProducts.

Since customer reviews can last forever online, the mounting complaints about exploding tempered glass can seem unsettling, even though the occurrence is quite rare according to the CPSC and multiple glass experts we spoke to.

But when you consider the thousands of pieces made each day in a glass factory, the number of incidents reported is remarkably small. In most cases, we think the benefits of tempered glass—its durability and safer breakage patterns—outweigh the danger. This means that for recipes requiring higher temps you should use metal pans.

If you use modern Pyrex on a direct heat source, the result will likely be a cracked or exploded piece of glassware. No, it is not lead free. Pyrex still contains lead as per their statement below read between the lines. Then the glass retains heat far longer than metal will. Because of these properties, batter baked in glass often takes longer. Pyrex Glassware is dishwasher safe and may be washed by hand using non-abrasive cleansers and plastic or nylon cleaning pads if scouring is necessary.

SeniorCare2Share Care about seniors? Have knowledge? Another common mistake? Setting your hot pans on "a damp towel, the top of the stove, on a cold or wet surface, or metal trivets. So, before you hit the kitchen, shop these options to make sure combusting Pyrex-style dishes don't ruin your otherwise delicious meals.

Here are some meal-prep hacks that'll save you money. Or, learn how to make this quinoa enchilada casserole. Mauro knows his glass, too. Before taking his faculty position at Penn State, he spent nearly two decades working at Corning, where he was one of the inventors of Gorilla Glass. Mauro has also co-authored academic papers on the glass chemistry of Pyrex, and he is the editor of the Journal of the American Ceramics Society.

Based on his extensive knowledge of the material, Mauro actually makes the science behind soda-lime glass and heat sound even more damning. He went on to note how soda-lime glass is tempered to improve its strength. However, that tempering process also makes the interior of glass more stressed.

So perhaps appropriately, the shift from borosilicate to soda-lime glass was a big deal to Pyrex enthusiasts. Many believe that the new tempered soda-lime glass is more prone to exploding during temperature changes, a belief that is supported by some basic science. Meanwhile, Corning executives have since claimed it manufactured Pyrex out of both borosilicate and soda lime glass for years before selling the brand to World Kitchen. One website even points out how different graphics and origins amount to safer Pyrex products.

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 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. Other companies also make cookware out of soda-lime glass , which would make those pans and cups more susceptible to shattering or cracking as well. Pyrex parent company Corelle Brand—again, this is the company formerly known as World Kitchen—said as much, when we asked about the exploding cookware controversy.

Corelle Brands also confirmed that some of its cookware has been made of soda-lime glass since the s. However, when Consumer Reports conducted an investigation into the issue of shattering cookware in , a Corning spokesperson told the magazine that several of its factories were producing Pyrex out of both borosilicate and soda-lime glass up until Corning licensed the brand to World Kitchen in In an email, the CPSC specified that it has received reports of shattering or exploding in the past seven years.