Jill Cataldo


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My love for old Corning Ware dishes

By: 126 Comments

Note: This post is carrying over from my turkey soup post, in which a reader asked about freezing soup in Corning Ware.

If I ever wrote a second blog, it would be an ode to my favorite cookware, Corning Ware, and all the things I do with it. Can you freeze in it? Oh yes. Check this out:

This is a 1950s-era ad for Corning Ware showing half the dish embedded in an ice block, while the other side of the dish is heated with a torch. Old Corning Ware is TOUGH stuff — it’s made from Pyroceram, the same material NASA made rocket nose cones out of for the space program. It has incredible thermal durability. You can take it from freezer right to oven or stovetop without breaking it. In fact, I often thaw my soup stocks this way. I take the frozen dish out of the freezer, take its rubber lid off, and pop it right on the burner.

Note I said “old” Corning Ware — there’s a big difference between the 1957-1997 Corning Ware and the “new” stoneware Corning Ware of today.

In 1998, Corning sold its consumer products division off to World Kitchen, who began making “Corning Ware” out of stoneware. Stoneware is cheaper, and it does not have the thermal properties of Corning Ware made from Pyroceram.

If you buy brand-new Corning Ware at the store and it doesn’t seem kind of expensive, it’s likely stoneware Corning Ware and not Pyroceram. You can tell the difference by looking at the bottom of your dishes. If there are any rough, unglazed areas that are not shiny, smooth and white, it’s stoneware. Most of the newer stoneware pieces are also stamped with a warning NOT to put them on the stovetop, like this piece:

You really have to be careful, as in many cases the new stoneware versions are being made with the same (or very similar) molds as the old Pyroceram pieces. The stoneware WILL break on the stovetop, and it’s not designed for freezer use either.

Additionally, Corning Ware does still make brand-new Pyroceram pieces that you can buy. But they’re pricey –Amazon has several styles, a two dish two lid set and a single 3-quart dish with no lid.

In Ilinois, there are Corning Ware stores at Gurnee Mills, Aurora, and Norridge (Huntley used to have one too) where you can pick up new Pyroceram pieces up — they do have good sales periodically. This store is also a great place to buy extra glass and rubber lids for your existing pieces. I use the rubber lids all the time for freezing food in my Corning Ware dishes.

My mom got me hooked on Corning Ware when I was a 20-something setting up my first house, and she has given me many new and secondhand pieces over the years. I just love them! (Can you tell?)

I do a lot of cooking and freezing in my Corning Ware — I like to make extra batches of whatever I’m making, freeze them, then reheat and serve right out of the same dish. I also have a wonderful Corning Ware Crock Pot which holds a 3-quart dish. If I want to reheat something slowly versus heating it on the stovetop or in the oven, I’ll drop the dish in here with a glass lid and let it heat all day:

This style of Crock Pot was made somewhere around 1993. (Wish they still made them!) You can find them on Ebay, but I’ve seen them sell upwards of $40-$60 used. (Then again, Crock Pots last pretty much forever.)

I’ll leave you with a couple of my favorite Corning Ware ads too. These, and the “ice and fire” photo above, all came from the fantastic Complete Guide to Corning Ware & Visions Cookware book, which is now out of print. A good substitute would be this guide to Corning Pyroceram Cookware, both of which have great guides to pieces and patterns, plus some amazing vintage ads:

“It won’t break or warp from heat or cold — even if you’ve just taken it off the burner and put it in the freezer. Slip the cover on it and it’s a storage dish. Put it in the freezer and it’s a freezer dish. Pop it in the oven and it’s ovenware.”

“You can take it from freezer cold to range top heat without fear of it breaking or warping.” And oh, the part about “The more you have, the more you want?” Trust that lady in the pink housecoat. It’s true.

Comments

  1. I too lament that “it’s not what it used to be”. I miss the original blue cornflower. Their glass beakers also are inferior to the old stuff.

    And the Huntley outlet prices just aren’t that great any more either. I think something management / owner wise changed there several years ago and the good deals vanished.

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  2. Hey Jill!

    I’m another CorningWare aficionado here, and wanted to throw out a few tidbits that I thought you and your readers may find interesting:

    First off, for those looking to acquire corningware, a great place to look is estate sales. The stuff literally lasts for generations, and so if your grandmother didn’t pass along any pyroceram to you, then you might luck out and get someone else’s grandmother’s set for cheap. In fact, from what I understand, the extreme durability is part of the reason Corning stopped making it for some time — by the late 80’s pretty much everyone had a set, and the dishes people owned just weren’t breaking often enough to sustain a market for replacement pieces. My personal prize piece of corningware is one where the pyroceram label is actually *molded* into the bottom of the dish, and the lid is also made of pyroceram. From doing a little research at the library, I came to find that this one was likely manufactured back in the mid ’50 in the first year or two that the product was made.

    On the science side, pyroceram is a material known as a glass-ceramic. This means the dishes are created from molten glass, pressed into a mold to shape, and then after cooling somewhat are reheated to a temperature at which the glass micro-structure converts into a crystalline micro-structure. The smooth surface all over comes from the glass processing step, and the remarkable toughness comes from the crystalline component. Pyroceram’s unique thermal properties come from the fact that the micro-crystals react to heat by expanding in two dimensions while contracting in the third dimension. So, in a dish comprised of billions of randomly oriented crystals, the net change in length in any direction (i.e. the thermal coefficient of expansion) over the temperature range found in typical household use is almost zero. No change in length means no thermal stress and no shattered dish when you place a frozen pan on a hot range top.

    Anyway, I could go on at length about the stuff (my master’s thesis involved creating a catalytic material starting from the same “recipe” as CorningWare) but don’t want to bore you too much. Just want to say you’re not crazy for loving the dishes (and for despising World Kitchens… but that’s a rant for another day) and that if anyone out there has some corningware, cherish it! It really is a great material!

    Reply

    • Not boring at all – I am as fascinated by Corning Ware as you are (and my apologies for the late response to this post too. I am so backlogged in responding to comments!) Is your thesis posted anywhere?

      I second the estate sales/Goodwill store route if you don’t want to break the bank putting sets together. Corning Ware is incredibly tough, durable stuff, and I really do use mine daily! :)

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        • Not true at all – and Corning is still making stovetop-specific pyroceram cookware with the same glass formula. I have read that some of the -patterns- ink can contain lead, but it is on the outside of the container. I’ve also read that the blue cornflower contains no lead, and there are also plenty of white-only pieces you could enjoy too if it’s a concern. I use all of my pieces regularly (regardless of design) without worries.

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        • I have a dish and cover with the pine cones on it. Id never see that one. Excellent condition where could i send picture of it to get more info.

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    • Yes I’ve acquired most of my collection of Blueflower from yard sales, rummage sales, or estate sales. And it shocks me when you ask what they want for the piece and they say $1.00!!!! Has become a big habit but it’s worth it. Something I can pass down to my daughter just as my mom has done.

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      • I am wondering if any of you have ever seen a different design on the bottom of dish? I have had a corning ware dish for yrs and haven’t used it because it has some sort of design that was etched in while being made. It’s very hard to make out but it to me looks like a chInese symbol with either 3 letters or numbers and under an arrow pointing to what looks like a galloping horse or dog. Because it’s white and it is impossible to take a pick. And using a pencil and paper didn’t work either. I just don’t know what it is or what it means.

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    • Hi! I wonder if you’ve ever run across a sauce pot with a different type of material on the bottom.? I picked one up the other day at a thrift store and the bottom looks black which didn’t bother me at all because I’ve often found pieces that looked a little dirty and cleaned up no problem… But when I tried cleaning just bottom it seemed to be of a silver color underneath. I hadn’t run into one of those before. Do you have any information on that?

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    • I love my old stove top corning Ware! However, I was just reading that it contains lead. All my containers are old and the finish on the inside has worn quite a bit away, so I’m assuming that the lead is more likely easily leaching into our food. For this reason I’m probably going to get rid of them as soon as I buy a couple of stainless steel decent cooking parts to replace them with. I’m bummed I love my old stove top corning Ware! However, I was just reading that it contains lead. All my containers are old and the finish on the inside has worn quite a bit away, so I’m assuming that the lead is more likely easily leaching into our food. For this reason I’m probably going to get rid of them as soon as I buy a couple of stainless steel decent cooking parts to replace them with. I’m bummed to give them up!
      Maile

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      • Maile, while it’s true that some of the older pieces have lead in the graphics on the exterior of the dishes, there is no lead inside where the food is cooked. It can’t leach into the food as there are no graphics inside the dish. (I can only think of one dish with graphics inside – the pie plate – if you have a blue cornflower pie plate, you’re fine.)

        You can also opt to use the white-only Corning Ware dishes that have no graphics.

        An independent site has tested a variety of Corning Ware patterns and found that the blue cornflower has no lead at all in the graphics:

        https://tamararubin.com/2017/12/corningware-square-casserole-with-pansies-15500-ppm-lead/

        Corning has maintained that any lead used in exterior graphics was within legal limits at the time, but realistically, some of these dishes are 70 years old. Standards were very different back then.

        The pyroceram glass itself does not contain lead:

        http://www.corningware411.com/2013/11/the-b-cs-of-vintage-corningware.html – scroll to comments

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    • I love old vision pots an corningware glass ceramic pyroceam made out of borosilica (?). I was lucky enough to get a whole vintage set out of ebay in early 2000. Made all delicious home made healthy food for baby n me. Food taste a whole lot better with those pot. Burn and bake-in stuffs came right off with soaking, baking soda and elbow grease. I absolutely love my glassware pots. They held the heat well too.

      Then my Y2K kid grew up and started cooking and broke all my old vision pots/saucepans one by one. I dont like the new corningware stuffs. They are thinner and dont look the same. I did research and found down somewhere in th lat 80s or 90s, they have change the formula and the new series are more impact resistant but can less heat resistant and can combustibly explode while cooking. And there is no way i can tell if the vision pots on ebay is truly vintage or The newly “explosive” pots.

      So For about the last 10 yrs, my hand was hurting and plus I was giving up on searching for vintage Vision, i switched to Stainless steel cookware. Food had never tasted as good but no more broken pots. Well that at least what i thought,then, dear daughter then scorched all my tramolina Brazil- made pots, so we went for China made Stainless set. As with other chin-made junk, the pots and pans handles were falling off, staring out with the lids, then pan handles. And i dont like heavy all clad. I’d rather use heavy glass pots.

      As ISearch for vintage Vision cookware, I also learned that European still use the same formula with borosilica to make glass cookware. So I ordered pyroflam set from england a couple yrs ago. At the time they were out of stock and i got the last set. Then life got in the way, new kid, new job, etc..I didn’t have time to go online to order a new set or to check to see if they re-stock. The white Europeans 3 pc set pyrofoam is wonderful just like old pyrex vision but the bottom of the pot has bumpy pattern which make cleaning a whole lot harder than the CN Vision scratchable smooth bottoms.

      Today while searing for corningware saucepans bc the england pyroflam nowadays cost too much in euro and more so to ship from oversea. I decided to look for the white pyrex pots my MIL has which is similar to vision but instead of amber color, its white saucepans. Then I found a Listing with casserole corningware that stovetop-able. Goddess im thrilled i can just get those in local antique or second hand stores around my area. But…. and this is a big one…

      Long story to ask you, BUT how can you tell if the square casserole pans are pyroceam or the newly China earthenware craps? Or is it save to assume that all the smooth bottom casserole square type dish are stovetop safe? Most dont have print on bottom saying stovetop safe or non-stovetop. Are ther serial number or any telltale signs? I cant go to Huntley….and the 2 driving distance corningware outlets are out of business. Pls help,,,, You can email me. TYSM for all your help and for all the post.

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    • Hi. I just baught 3 corning ware dishes at the good will for 3 dollars each. 2 cassarole and 1 baking dish. I know a woman who lives near corning NY. She says they are not worth anything today. Is that truth. I think 1 of them is 1977, maybe? Thanks.

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      • They are worth exactly what you paid for them. The rumor that Corning Ware is worth thousands of dollars is just that – a myth that the media ran with months back with zero evidence. Just go to Ebay and search “completed auctions” to see what it actually sells for – not what people *think* it is worth dollar-wise. :)

        That said, I think Corning Ware’s true value comes from its thermal properties — it can go from stovetop to oven to microwave to freezer without breaking. My dishes are constantly in use, both for cooking in and for freezing future meals in. I’d much rather store food in Corning than in plastic.

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  3. Corning ware jumped on the new no plastic bandwagon? I grew up with this stuff but had no idea you could cook in it on the stove. I thought it was just good for baking! Now I will be looking for some! But anyway…with so many people going away from plastic containers and buying glass you would think someone bright at Corning Ware would jazz this stuff up and push it as Eco friendly and BPA free. There is a whole generation I think that will think this is cool to cook serve and store in the same container. Less energy used. Less wasted time and less wasted water.

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    • No kidding – I hadn’t considered that it really is a “greener” choice! It’s safer than putting food in plastics, and I have always loved the convenience and ease of cooking, serving, storing and freezing in the same container.

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  4. I love my Corning ware! Thanks to my husband, he had a bunch from before we were married. I have had not much luck with lids – I have broken a few – slipped out of my hand or falling from a cabinet :( I have found some pieces at Goodwill & Salvation Army – so if you are looking for any check those places also.

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  6. I went to the Corning Ware store tonight in Huntley (11800 Factory Shops Blvd, Huntley, IL) to get a few more plastic lids for my pieces (soup-making day revealed that I had a few more pieces without the freezable lids.)

    All of their open stock pieces (single pans, glass lids and plastic lids) are Buy 2 Get 1 Free through 12/26. All Pyroceram Corning Ware boxed sets are Buy 2, Get Both 40% off.

    If you want a better deal, buy something small – after I bought my lids, my receipt printed a $10-off-$40 good 12/11-1/10/14, and a $5-off-$20 coupon on the receipt if I fill out a web survey about the store. I imagine these would print with any purchase…

    Anyway, if you’d like to see what they have in stock now, here are some photos I took:

    These pans are all $32.99 each, Buy 2 Get 1 Free.

    The larger pans are $59.99 each, and the glass lids range in price from $4.99-$8.99, all Buy 2 Get 1 Free.

    The smaller pans are $27.99, and the larger pans are $32.99, Buy 2 Get 1 Free.

    4-piece sets (2 liter, 3 liter dishes and lids) are $99.99 and 40% off when you buy two boxed sets.

    3-piece Petite Pan sets (small pan, glass lid, plastic lid) are $34.99, and 2-piece 1.5 liter dish sets are $29.99 – also all Buy 2 Get 40% off. This is not a good deal for the Petite Pans — they are very tiny pans, about 4″ square.

    Surprisingly, the larger 1.5 with the lid is cheaper than buying the lid and pan separately. If anyone’s interested in buying new, these sets will be $18 each if you buy two, which is a pretty “good” price for new Pyroceram Corning Ware. Add in the $10-off-$40 coupon and/or $5-off-$20 and these will be even better.

    As Turken wrote below, the new Pyroceram pieces all have “Made in France” molded on the underside.

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  8. i have a question, I recently bought a casserole dish at a thrift store with the blue corn flower design on it but It has no brand stamp anywhere . Did Corningware always stamp there pieces? I am thinking this is a fake piece.
    Thanks for your help, Kathy

    Reply

    • Almost always, but lack of a stamp doesn’t mean it’s not real Corning. If there is no stamp, sometimes you can see a physical impression of “CORNING” or “CORNING WARE” on the bottom of the dish in the glass itself. Even if there is no stamp at all, if you have other pieces to compare it to sizewise, etc, you can usually make a determination.

      Is the glass fully opaque white or is it “milky?” Anchor Hocking also made pieces in the 60s-70s with a very similar knock-off blue cornflower pattern. Corning Ware’s glass is very bright white with no translucency.

      I took a photo for you with one of my genuine Corning Ware pieces and a knockoff Anchor Hocking for comparison: https://instagram.com/p/7sjoEETPyG/?taken-by=supercouponing

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      • I couldn’t find a CW mark on a roaster I just bought at thrift.
        Sure enough, it had the feint hologram mark on it and it was hard to find and read.
        Recheck the bottom of the dish/roaster in question.

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  9. i own a piece of vintage cornflower corningware unlike any I have ever seen. It has a lid of the same material as the “pan” complete wth blue cornflower design, not a clear glass lid. The only markings are on the bottom- Corning PYROCERAM T.M. A27. Any info on this piece would be appreciated

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  10. Can you give me any tips on prepping the dishes before you use them? For instance, do you butter the dish or wipe with olive oil? What about making pies in the pie plate – any special prep (butter / flour the pan)? I have a square dish I’d like to try a casserole in and also a pie plate I’d like to try making a pie in, but I want to be sure I prep/care for everything properly.
    Thanks for any input you can provide!
    :)

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    • I don’t do any special prep, really — I just bake right in the pans. I definitely don’t do anything special when I make pies. I suppose you could butter it, but I never have. :)

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  11. I appreciate this post so much! I inherited the blue cornflower set from my grandmother. They are certainly older than me and still look like new (with the exception of some one chipped lid and one missing dish that was broken and caused me to get stitches). I had absolutely no idea that they could go in the freezer or on the stove, purposely! And it’s Thanksgiving. This changes everything.

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    • You’re welcome! Yes, Corning Ware truly is incredible, timeless stuff. I have several pans that date back to the 1950s according to the stamps/markings on the bottom, so they’re much older than I am too.

      OUCH on the stitches. As tough as Corning Ware is, it’s not completely unbreakable. The edges on the shards are VERY sharp if you do manage to break it. My daughter dropped a piece while standing on a chair and reaching for it from a high cabinet — that one did break into some seriously sharp pieces.

      Have fun with your new freezer/stovetop discovery — it DOES change everything. :D Think about making soup stock after your turkey’s been picked clean, then freezing the stock in Corning Ware — you can just heat it right up from frozen on the stovetop, then put noodles, vegetables in for soup. I freeze my chicken and turkey broths a little above halfway in the 3-quarts to leave room for soup ingredients. (I have that Corning Ware Crock Pot too that the dishes fit into, which is also great if I’m not in a hurry to thaw things out.)

      Happy Thanksgiving!

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  12. I ordered the Corningware Pyroceram Blue Cornflower 4 pc. Casserole Set from the company that took over the Corning Ware line. I noticed that the underside of the 3 L casserole dish had a weird texture. Hard to articulate, but imagine a patch of clear, skid-free material heat seared onto the underside. I thought maybe it was something new that was added to help prevent scratching the underside? But the 2 L casserole had a smooth underside, so I’m guessing the 3 L slipped by quality control. I am hesitant to use the 3 L as I don’t know how it will react to being on a gas burner. Or in the oven, for that matter. I will be contacting their customer service regarding this, but I was lucky enough to find your site and wanted your feedback first. Thank you!

    Reply

    • WestieMom, I can’t say that I’ve seen anything like that before! My newest pieces of Pyroceram CorningWare are from the Martha Stewart for Kmart line from 2004 — Corning had reissued the original Pyroceram material for a few pieces branded with Martha’s name. Those pieces are identical in composition to my vintage pieces.

      I have seen the new Pyroceram Corning at the CorningWare store near my home though, and I’ve never seen anything like what you’re describing. If you want to email me a photo, I’ll post it — jill@supercouponing.com.

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      • Here are WestieMom’s photos of the textured bottom surface of her 3 Liter new Corning Stovetop dish:

        I really haven’t seen anything like this before, but as you said, it doesn’t look like the surface is unintentional (though why does the smaller piece have the traditional smooth-surface bottom then?)

        If anyone else has seen this kind of surface on a NEW piece of Corning Pyroceram, please feel free to chime in. And, WestieMom, do share what Corning/World Kitchen says if you get response from them. I’m curious too.

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        • That may be a different tool or mold they used. It looks like the texture they use on Visions cookware too. I can’t be for certain without seeing it in person. I doubt the material composition is any different and would be willing to place a wager that it stands up just fine to open-flame.

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  13. Hi, Glad to find more Corning Ware lovers! I have a question that I haven’t been able to find an answer to so I thought I’d mention it here. I inherited from my mom two exact 1 quart (A-1-B) dishes with lids. The pattern is the same on both: L’Echalote with tomato centered along with other vegetables. The only difference between the two is a light yellow-colored underlined number after the word “L’Echalote” on the design. On one dish the number is 22 and on the second dish the number is 30. I have looked at lots of photos of this design and none of them show a number like these two do. Does anyone know what these mean and why it is not on all of this design? Thanks for your help.

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    • The A-1-B is on all the vintage Corning Ware dishes, sometimes stamped with dark ink and other times – what’s the word? Engraved or imprinted (to where you would not be able to see that in most photographs).

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    • I have this same thing on a coffee pot. It’s wildflower pattern with a faintly colored 13 underlined. The number is actually part of the application of the design and has nothing to do with the a-1 designation. Maybe the numbers were to tell apart different sizes of designs? But that would not explain the same dish with different #s. Hmmm.

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        • My la marjolaime 2 quarts have the numbers 11 and 49.
          I also have a le persil la sauge with the number 15. You know what all of my spice of life dishes have numbers. Most were just so faint I never noticed them. I actually read this whole page hoping to find the answer to this question.

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  14. Is it safe to use on glass top stoves? I read not to use metal utincials on them but the plastic that I used this morning left little black marks on it. Can you advice?

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  15. I have a lot of the cornflower pattern…mine have stamps on the bottom..but some are black and some are blue…does anyone know why they are differ colors?

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  16. Can we assume that the Corningware we grew up with in the 50s and 60s and 70s can all be used on the stovetop (both gas and electric….flat top electric too) and the microwave? And where do I find a guide to what the numbers and letters on the bottoms all mean? I’m just re- discovering the wonderful world of Corningware!!! I am now looking at all my pieces with renewed respect!!!!! Thanks!

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  17. Ok….you are a dangerous woman! You got me hooked on Corningware again. My grand daughters are already rolling their eyes at me when I mention yard sales to them! Ha!

    I just scored a P-12-ES electromatic skillet!!! Now my question…..can I use ANY Corningware piece on it? I’m still trying to learn (or at least get a handle on) all the numbers and letter designations for the various pieces. I have noticed that some pieces have a flatter bottom than others. Were they designed that way for use on the Electromatic? Do some of the dishes work better than others on it?

    Working on learning curve here now! I wish my mother-in-law was still with us. She’d be all over this!!!!!!

    Thanks again!

    Marilyn

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  19. Recently (March 2016) I broke a glass lid from one of our old Corning Ware 5qt dishes. I ordered a new one from Corning Ware (World Kitchens). When it came, I put it in the dishwasher with some other dishes that included Coring Ware lids. When the load was done, the new lid was in a thousand pieces. I was told to send it to their Quality Control for testing. I sent it in along with the repair bill for the dishwasher. Their response was that the lid was made before 1972 and that we had scratched it to cause the breakage. Could that be true, that it was made before 1972 and they were just selling it now? In other words, they are saying that it was one of our old lids and we were trying to get a new one and have our dishwasher fixed for free.
    My question is this “Is there a way to know when the lid was made”?

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    • World Kitchens bought the Corning name and brand in 1998. If you bought any lid from them, I would think it is far newer than 1972..! It sounds like they are attempting to say that the lid that broke was one of your own ones, which I think is very unlikely.

      Pyrex has always made the glass lids for CorningWare products – very few had actual lids made of the white Corning Ware pyroceram material, though some did.

      Old Corningware pieces came with Pyrex lids made of borosilicate glass (you can Google the properties of it – it’s strong and very heat resistant.)

      The “new” Pyrex products (post-1990) including the lids made for Corning Ware, are made of soda lime glass, which is cheaper to manufacture but is more prone to the kind of breakage you described — shattering into many tiny pieces. Borosilicate glass usually breaks into large shards. Judging simply from the way it broke, I’m highly inclined to believe that it’s a newer soda lime glass. The combination of a rapid temperature change and moisture can cause it to shatter — and if it was put in the dishwasher hot, it’s likely that’s how it happened.

      More reading:

      https://techfragments.com/1608/exploding-pyrex-cookware/

      https://blogs.discovermagazine.com/80beats/2012/09/13/pyrex-glass-isnt-as-shatterproof-as-it-once-was-report-finds

      https://nowiknow.com/the-war-against-pyrex/

      I have bought a couple glass lids at the Corning Ware store at the Huntley mall over the years, and the new lids are soda lime glass. If you look for a “new” lid or any new-to-you Pyrex pieces, I think it’s better to look at thrift stores. The old (better) borosilicate glass is crystal clear, where the newer soda lime glass has a little greenish tint (very slight) around the edges of the piece — that’s how you can tell them apart. I got my newer lids cheap enough that I didn’t worry about it too much, but the old stuff is definitely better made.

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  20. Great post. I will have to share this with my mom. I had no idea about the science behind Pyro ceram. I personally have 2. 1 cornflower and one with a vegetable design. I love them both so much. I am always on the hunt for more.

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  21. I used for work for Corning in Canada…and just recently found my blue cornflower Pyroceram collection!! I had it on display in my office as a nostalgic kick when customers and sales folks would pop in. I don’t want to hang onto it any longer. I have approx 25 pieces, plus lids in my collection….AND AM WILLING TO SELL IT All. Since there are alot of Pyroceram lovers here…I’ll post it to you first! Please contact me at lisa.aceti@cogeco.ca or 905 650 3445 and I’ll send you photos.

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  22. I found an old cornflower pamphlet in a packet of recipes that my great aunt gave me 20 years ago. I looked online and can’t find something that looks exactly like it so I don’t know the age.

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  23. Hey Jill- I found a 10 inch microwave browning dish made for Sears at a garage sale last weekend. For a dollar! I own no other pieces but was raised in the 70s by a mother that cooked ONLY in Corning. She was the 1st one on the block with a Corning flat top range and an Amana microwave. She took a class at the library to learn how to master it, sadly, she did NOT! I just searched online to find out about this piece. I was thinking of making turkey bacon in the microwave in it but today I made a butternut squash in it. I basically love Corning AND Corelle because it does not get hot in the microwave. I have a huge set of Pfaltzgraff dishes (bought a whole box of new condition matching pieces at same garage sale for a buck!) but they say they are microwave /oven safe but they are not good! They are stoneware, period. I also found a small Pyrex dish for 25c at the sale. Anyway, I wondered if you own any of the old browning dishes? This is the MW-16. (It’s the one with the feet on the bottom)

    Reply

  24. Hi! I have a blue cornflower dish with nothing on the bottom, but it is shiny- any clue if it is old or not? Opaque and not milky

    Reply

    • Sounds like vintage Corning Ware to me! The only way to really tell the age of something is to look at the shape of the sides. I don’t have my Corning Ware books in front of me at the moment, but the very old Corning (1950s-60s, if I remember correctly) has sides that are slightly tapered toward the bottom of the pan vs. the straighter sides of the Corning Ware made in the 70s until present.

      If you look at this photo, the blue cornflower pan on the right side of the stove is an old one — the sides are more angled than the newer pieces.

      (Keeping in mind that my “newer” pieces on the left are from the 1990s..!)

      Reply

  25. About 10 yrs ago an added surprise wedding presents i received (fr MIL) are sets of Corning Ware Pyrex Vision and the like are all the new versions. The “Corning Pyroceram Cookware’ for sure are just the “new ones” of course never “vintage” Since I’ve been using it (stove top-oven-table-freezer) so far i’m lucky nothing disastrous yet has happen though i read Pyrex shatters. My question for the cookware C Pyroceram is HOW WHEN WHAT ‘proper care’ should i do to lengthen the life of it?

    Reply

    • Pyroceram Corning Ware is TOUGH stuff. Aside from dropping it onto a very hard surface (ceramic floor, granite counter) it will likely not break.

      Visions is a little different. I have no personal experience with it, though I too have read that it can shatter — I believe that was largely the reason it was taken off the market.

      I use my Pyroceram Corning Ware daily — I freeze in it, use it on the stovetop, and I use it in the oven and microwave too. I have never had a piece break or shatter while being used for cooking. I can only recall two of my pieces breaking, ever — once, my husband dropped a 1-quart filled with frozen soup on the concrete basement floor. My daughter also dropped an empty loaf pan from a height of about 7′ when she took it off the top shelf of a cabinet.

      Reply

      • This is kind of an old post but… Visions was removed from the market for the same reason that Pyroceram Corning Ware was, financial reasons. It lasts forever and so not a lot of turnover in replacement buying.

        Borden/World Kitchen closed the American plant that made this great cookware.

        Meanwhile, Visions has been made overseas in France for nearly 40 years straight. New CW Pyroceram pieces are now made along side ofit in the same factory and they both officially returned to the US at the same time just under a decade ago.

        Visions can shatter, just like CW can shatter. Most of the reports of breakage are from people confusing amber and cranberry pieces of Pyrex however.

        Reply

  26. Hi Jill! I have been busy, my husband and I got licensed to be foster parents (we have 5 kids between us so what are a few more?), and so we had our first placement January 7th of this year, 2 toddlers, 1 1/2 and 2 1/2. We moved them into an awesome foster home with their 2 younger siblings (6 mo. old twins) and said goodbye to them Aug. 6th, this past summer. We know it is best for them all to grow up together but wow was that hard. It has been a process, lots of ups and downs but I wanted to drop you a note and tell you that today, finally, I used my crock pot that I bought on ebay a few years back. I had also searched Goodwills and Salvation Army’s for the Corning Ware. I have 4, 3 qts. and lids and the plastic freezer lids. September I finally filled them with 2 batches of chili and 2 batches of pot pie filling. I cooked in the crock pot for the first time and put right from the freezer into the crock and came home to lovely chili. Seriously why are these crock pots off the market? This is on my list of greatest inventions ever. 1. Heated mattress pad, 2. Soda stream (gave up soda 2 years ago but just found out you can make it without any flavoring in a soda stream just seltzer water, yes under a rock), and now this setup! I just wanted to say thanks for this article!

    Reply

    • Congratulations on your new roles as foster parents! I can only imagine how hard it was to see your foster children go after having them for so many months.

      The Corning Ware Crock Pot is THE most amazing thing. I agree that it is indeed one of the greatest inventions ever! Let’s all just look at it again:

      I honestly don’t know how many 3-quarts I have now, but I bet I’m up to 10 or 11. I use that “freezer to Crock Pot” move at least once a week — I always have soups and chilis frozen in them and ready to pop in the pot. The interchangeable dishes is what makes this setup so great, because you can freeze ahead in multiple dishes.

      Anytime I make a whole chicken or turkey, I will freeze the stock & leftover shredded meat in a 3-quart Corning too, leaving enough room to pop some vegetables and noodles in there once it thaws.

      Confession time: I have TWO of these Crock Pots now too. One is in perfect condition (my main one) and the other was a Goodwill find with chipped paint. I have considered repainting it with high-heat paint, but it’s my backup! I actually got it so my daughter could have one too. It works fine, but cosmetically, it’s not great.

      Did you know that you can put the same dimension Cornings in the pot that are the shallow depth (same square shape, like 1 1/2 quarts, but they are half the height? See the ones on the left side of the above photo.) That pot will heat them just fine as they heat from the walls, not the bottom. If I have small batches of food left (sloppy joe is great in these too) I will freeze in those half-height dishes and pop them in the Crock Pot too.

      The topic of the amazing Corning Ware Crock Pot MAY be deserving of its own post. :)

      Reply

  27. I agree it is deserving of its own! :-) I would be a follower for sure. I did have a 1 1/2 qt. but it broke :-( we opened up the drawer that I keep them in and it was unbalanced with a few of my 3 qts and those fell on top of it, thankfully it was just that one that broke, but I didn’t know that I could use that size, I thought maybe it wouldn’t heat it, I will have to search for some more because I can already tell that my 4 are not enough when I make a big batch of chili or soup. Great idea to put the stock and chicken in there I have become quite fond of making chicken soup with stock anytime I have a whole chicken, and can’t believe how easy it is really!

    You would probably laugh at my crock pot, it was for sure used and used well when I bought it but it works perfectly. I actually think the chili tasted better frozen and cooked in the crock all day, the beans were softer and the seasoning better. YUM!

    Reply

  28. Hello, We have a large amount of older design corning ware and are interested in selling it. All in excellent condition. Must be seen to appreciate. if you are interested, contact us as follows.

    Reply

  29. Hi, I have one of the old lids with the wing handle. Pyrex is stamped under neath the outer rim of the lid. There is a very small, deep, hand etching on the top part of the lid. Engraved “PD 1536A”. Has any ever seen this on a lid. I’m thinking it might be an early product prototype. I grew up with Blue Corn Flower, never knew you could take from freezer to stove top. I have recently started collecting. Today I found a smaller dish, pyrocam, with darker corn flowers on it, it looked almost navy. Just discovered your blog today, so excited to follow it.

    Reply

  30. Avid Corning Ware user. I have a cupboard full mostly white with a few designed and French Whit ribbed too. Love the small baking /freezer dishes. I scour thrift stores and auctions. I had the crock pot and put it out for garage sale. It didn’t sell . Luckly… Because after reading your blog I wondered why in the heck would I have put it put there in the 1st place. lol A while back I found an original white cooktop! YAAAAY! :-) I have an electric coffee pot but it is very heavy so I don’t use it much. I think some would agree that once you start collecting it it becomes an addiction. But it’s a healthy one…. :-)

    Reply

  31. I have a 1959 Blue Cornflower square pan like a frying pan with the original Pyroceram lid which now has 2 minor chips. At my bridal shower I was given the 3 piece set that included 2 smaller saucepans and an interchangeable handle that snapped on and off all 3. I eventually gave the small ones and the handle to my mother. The set was supposed to be used on the stovetop as well as in the oven but I was never happy with the stovetop results. They came straight from the Corning factory in upstate NY–a friend’s father worked there. The lid isn’t marked but the embossed bottom of the pan says “Corning Pyroceram TM Made in USA B-14”. It’s still in constant use almost 60 years later.

    Reply

  32. I have a 6 cup teapot that my Mom gave me in the early 80’s out of college that I chipped probably 30 yrs ago. The lid still works find and it is only me so I have never even desired to “file down?” the small pointy part. Yet now that I am aging I realize I could goof and cut myself. Do you have suggestions on how to “file down?” that small pointy part? The lid will still work. Is it the same as tiling down ceramic?

    Reply

  33. Help! Any help would be gratefully appreciated.I have a petit Corningware dish, the pattern is Cafe Bistro and it was produced in 1998. The markings on the bottom of the dish are: P43-B, 700 ML; 27. the design is of a man and woman sitting at a “bistro” style table. the man has a coffee mug in his hand. The woman is wearing an orange dress. I contacted the company that now owns corningware, pyrex etc and the only information provided by them was the pattern name and year it was produced. Have you heard of this pattern?

    Reply

    • Yes:

      This one, correct? To the best of my knowledge, it’s pretty rare as that timeframe was nearing the end of CorningWare’s “glory days” before they sold off to World Kitchen. It’s a really cute pattern. Definitely keep it :)

      Reply

      • hi Jill, this is the exact same dish. even though it was produced in 1998, it reminds me of a retro 60’s piece. Were there other pieces made with this design? How does one determine the value of this dish?
        Barb

        Reply

  34. There is an excellent website called corningware 411 that has everything you ever want to know about this amazing cookware. I was worried that a 3 qt spice of life casserole that I had bought on etsy was not authentic because I couldn’t find a stamp or any markings. There is a page on the website with pictures that discusses all the different stamps and markings throughout corningware s history. There is what is called a hologram marking which is very difficult to see unless you hold it under the right light. Lo and behold, there it was, stamped on the bottom of the casserole. Relieved and very happy! Hope this helps 😁

    Reply

  35. I am sure if I red through all the responses I might find my answer but…. I picked up a rather large set of dishes at a yard sale $10! There is no stamp on the bottom saying not to use on the stove top. they are the blue cornflower pieces, are there other ways to tell how old they are.

    It looks like some pieces maybe a mismatched-mostly missing lids.

    Because I don’t know much about them I have a few questions-
    Based on what I read above-if they are old enough I can freeze food in them (do you saran wrap to cover?)
    Can I cook and heat right on the stove top?
    I really like the small square dishes, p-43-b-but what can I cook in them-recipe suggestions

    Thanks all-I am super excited about my find.

    Jamie

    Reply

  36. I have the 1970’s “snowflake” corning-ware plates and bowls that we had growing up. They are my everyday dishes and I love them! I am just about the make my first batch of hot process soap and need to mix water with lye, in a container….They say not to use Pyrex or glass because it can burst from the heat. I’m wondering if I can use a vintage (circa 1960’s) corning-ware container. Any thoughts on this?

    Reply

    • If it’s Pyroceram based Corning Ware from the ’60s and has no chips, cracks, or deep scratches then it should be fine for this use. Pyroceram is a ceramic glass that will withstand a temperature differential of around 900F. Far greater than you would see in a typical kitchen. The same holds true for any piece of Visions made in the last, almost, 40 years too.

      Reply

  37. If Pyroceram is as versatile as this post indicates, I’m wondering why my small white plates stamped with Pyroceram Brand Tableware by Corning say “NO STOVETOP NO MICROWAVE”? I don’t know how old they are, as I picked them up individually at various thrift stores. Do you think I can ignore that?

    Reply

    • I am not terribly familiar with these, but I believe that while the material they’re made of is definitely heat-resistant Pyroceram, the fact that the dishes are thinner may make them more susceptible to breakage.

      I Googled this issue, and I found this review on Amazon: https://amzn.to/2x5dnXB — midway down the page, it says “The pyroceram tableware however is NOT safe to use in my experience – I had a plate break to smithereens (not explode, just disintegrate), Don’t bother buying it if you have hard surface counter tops such as granite or concrete or a ceramic kitchen sink.
      When the tableware breaks it shatters into many very sharp splinters.”

      Reply

    • “Pyroceram” was also used as an umbrella brand name for items that are actually made out of Centura but for the industrial market (hotels, etc…), I believe. Centura is not microwave safe. It will get hot in the microwave.

      Reply

  38. Jill, what would you consider a good price for used Corning Ware casserole dishes? I want to start looking at thrift stores to build a collection, but wonder when I see a deal if it’s worth it (Goodwill in northern IL can sometimes overprice things).
    Thanks in advance!
    Meagan

    Reply

  39. Hi, I’ve had Corningware since I got married in 1970. I’m getting back into using it because I want to stay away from plastics. Plus it’s such a ‘green’ cookware.
    My question: I just bought a dutch oven, but I have no idea how to use it or if there is something missing. I have the dutch oven piece and a lid. How do I use this piece?
    Thanks.

    Reply

    • You can use it with any recipe that calls for a Dutch oven. It is indeed the Corning piece plus a glass lid. I just used mine over Christmas to bake our spiral ham. I’ve done whole chickens inside with vegetables too. :)

      Reply

  40. Hello! Just found your site and this blog after trying to find an answer about Corningware bakeware, which I did. The problem is now I am hooked into finding Corningware in general because of this blog.

    I read through all the posts and my question is this: how do I know how old the pieces are if I find them in thrift/ goodwill etc stores?

    Reply

    • If they have a relatively smooth bottom then they are made of Pyroceram, the “real thing” as it were. If they have a ceramic ring running around the bottom near the edge that reminds you of stoneware then that is not Pyroceram and not stovetop safe.

      Reply

  41. A similar product, complete with a blue motif, same colour blue but not cornflower, was made in Japan. My mother-in-law had this dish, which was round not the square of Corningware. I don’t know what happened to it on her death. Through the years I purchased quite a few Corningware dishes, with the blue cornflower, violet lily and orange/yellow daisy motifs. Sadly those dishes have now disappeared from our shopping shelves with only the French White dishes, I think made from stoneware, remaining.

    Reply

    • You can actually buy “real” stovetop Corning Ware with the blue cornflower pattern , and several others, from Corning Ware outlet stores. In fact, you can buy brand new Corelle dinnerware and Pyrex measuring cups in the cornflower pattern right now as well. They are celebrating the 60th anniversary of Corning Ware this year.

      Reply

  42. I just purchased a Cornflower Blue Meat Platter. The stamp is from 1961-1966. It has an embossed letter A, what does that mean?

    Reply

  43. I have some dishes with CORNING -msdecin usa. And a glass blower pic. Random numbers on every piece. White glass, but can see light through it. Plates, bowls. Little green leaf pattern. What are these. Any info?

    Reply

  44. Trying to add some pieces of French White to the shower gifts I received in 1982. I have been looking at the 4L with lids on Ebay. How can I tell or what should I ask to determine if they are in fact pyroceram? I also noticed that some of the lids have “starburst pattern at the base of the knob and some do not.

    Reply

  45. I have a stove top coffee perking pot. I have an electric stove. I only used it a couple times because I did not know how to get the bottom of the pot that burned from the burner, back to white. I cannot find any information about how to keep my pot looking new. Can anyone here help me with this?

    Reply

  46. Thanks for all the great info. a question: i have 2 6″ x 6″ blue cornflower items that i cannot find anywhere. they look like a counter protector? about 3/16″ thick. any help?

    Reply

  47. Hi Jill, I bought a 8 cup Corning ware blue corn flower (not sure if it is a coffee/tea pot) at a yard sale. It does not have a cover. I am wondering if the opening of all the coffee/ tea pot are the same and allows for the co ER to be interchangeable. I had hope to but one on Ebay and use it.

    Reply

  48. I have older French White pieces made from Pyroceram. I did not know that the brand had been sold and was now being made from stoneware instead of Pyroceram. I bought a new 2.5 qt oval casserole from BB&B and the lid didn’t fit. I sent an email to Corelle Brands and they replaced the casserole with one that was much worse than the first. Then I started to investigate and found out about Corning selling the brand to Corelle Brands who cheapened the product. The same thing happened to Pyrex which used to be high temperature borosilicate glass and in now made from the same glass as windows. It is all very sad. I am going to pitch the new dishes – all three of them because I think that they are poorly made and are dangerous.

    Reply

  49. Can I use my Range Topper Sauce Pans in the oven? Would it matter, if I could, regarding older ones with the exposed metal heat ring compared to later ones where the heat ring is encapsulated. I realize the older ones can’t be put in the microwave whereas the later ones can. So to clarify, I’m interested in putting them in the OVEN. I haven’t seen any stamps on the bottom saying one way or another.

    Reply

  50. Coupon Maven could you please send me your email address so I can send you a couple pictures of a bowl that I have that is marked as CORNING PYROCERAM I would like to find out if it is real and some information about it

    Reply

  51. Hello, I was hoping you could do a post on the corningware being sold on ebay. Many people use ebay to help them buy and sell because it is a huge name and people think they can trust it. Sadly there are sellers and buyers using it fraudulently. Having friends bid on their 18,000 auctions and what the people dont know it they file a non payment to ebay yet it still shows sold at that price. So many bloggers have ebay in their post and it breaks my heart for families who spend money buying it to resell thinking they hit a gold mine and its completely false and they lose money or get stuck with their finds. I was hoping you could help make them aware seeing as you are a popular blogger. I am a single mother who uses ebay to make money on the side reselling to pay for my sons college. I am thankful that I am smart enough to dig deeper. I am upset because I know college kids who have spent their last dollars thinking they were going to turn a profit and then nothing. Yes its a learning experience but sad that such a huge company is letting it happen. Please help get the word out.

    Reply

  52. Hello Jill,
    I have vintage Corning Ware that has the daisy pattern. When I was washing a piece the other night I noticed grey/silver marks on the exterior. Do you have any idea what it might be…?

    Reply

    • Probably a mark from a metal utensil. Any scrapes or scratches do show up as silver streaks. You can use the cleanser “Barkeeper’s Friend” to remove them. :)

      Reply

    • You can also often remove utensil marks without using abrasives by trying a metal/silverware polish. I use Wright’s Silver Cream. Cover the mark and let it sit for 10-15 minutes or so then scrub with a nylon scrubber or sponge.

      Reply

  53. Great column! Now almost Memorial Day 2020 and thanks to all for the input. My family had Corning when I was growing up and I used a small set for years after that. I am in process of marrying a European lady and I decided to introduce two American classics to her: Corning Ware cornflower pattern and Revere Ware solid copper cookware. For the Corning, I built a 20 piece set – plus covers of varied pieces for about $175 plus shipping off EBay. There are more casseroles, bakers, roasters, pie/cake and sauce pans than my lady would use. A little patience and shopping paid off and would recommend it highly for young folks starting off.

    In this time of corona, please keep safe, and I am glad to use this chance to buy and support Americans.

    cheers.

    Reply

  54. I HAVE A Corning Ware CORN FLOWER PYROCERAM 10″ WITH WHITE LID HAS EMBOSSED MARKING WITH NO. B-18 IS THIS A MISPRINT I CAN NOT FIND THIS NUMBER ANY WHERE. CAN YOU HELP ME PLEASE

    Reply

    • That is a mold number, and not a model number. Mold numbers are not really useful to an end user. Some of the earliest pieces, like yours, were not marked by model.

      Reply

  55. I just stumbled on your website while looking for the plastic replacement lids for Corningware. Would you be able to tell me if the Huntley Mall still sells Corningware and replacement lids?

    Reply

  56. I have a perfect condition old Corning Ware MW-1 Browner tray. I would like to know how to use it to make turkey bacon. Somewhere I also have the bacon tray — same era — but don’t know where at the moment.
    I would so appreciate an answer re: bacon in the MW-1 Browner tray!
    Thanks,

    Reply

  57. Hello. I have Spice O Life Corning Ware dish that has
    Corning Ware 5 A-3-B 3 Litter 20 embossed under handle lug. I cannot fine the number 5 or 20 on any Spice of Life dish. If you have any information please let me know. Thank you.🌺

    Reply

    • A-3-B is the model of the CorningWare saucepan. That is a 3 liter pan. The other numbers are mold numbers used by the factory during production. They are not relevant to an end user.

      Reply

  58. Just bought this set at an Estate Sale…….Blue Cornflower
    2 – 9 in pie pans
    2 – 1 pt menuette pans (1 w/glass lid)
    3 – 1 qt casserole dishes with lids
    1 – 1 qt casserole dish with lid (no stamp on bottom but underneath the handles)
    3 – 9 in casserole dishes with lids
    2 – 1.5 qt casserole dishes with lids

    Reply

  59. I have a P-4-B 1.5QT Baking Dish, Spice of life. The label on the piece “Le Persil La Suage” has a number stamped 39 at the end of it (different font and much lighter). What does that mean? Thanks.

    Reply

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