why must you tempt me woot?
I can never have enough pyrex.
To be honest I always see the debate about Pyrex, but never read too far in all the times it’s been brought up. I know it used to be a gold standard (my mom still bakes with her set she’s had for 25 years) but I hear the new stuff is inferior quality.
Has quality really slipped? Your posts might be borrowed by me to help in the future 
If only this was real (borosilicate) Pyrex!
steve
I’ve got these; they withstand heat and temperature changes well enough- they go straight from 350 in the oven to a soapstone countertop and haven’t developed any cracks.
The biggest drawback in my opinion is that the lids don’t have an airtight seal like you might expect.
Dann, your mother’s stuff should be (might be) borosilicate glass. Tempered soda-lime is better IF you drop it, but the real stuff is better if you thermally challenge it.
And, since cookware is more likely to be thermally challenged, I’m stickin’ with borosilicate glass. (Although, some of these look GOOD!)
That’s my story, and I’m stickin’ to it! (Thanks, Jimmy!)
steve
I got these on a previous woot, and they’ve been wonderful. No shattering/cracking issues, even after treating them quite poorly. Happily nabbing a couple more for loved ones.
I have a couple of these at home. All of them have chips along the edges. They are no where near as strong as the Pyrex bowls that last forever.
Panthiest, they won’t “develop any cracks.” They will simply revert back to sand, and, if you’re not lucky, explosively!
Google “new pyrex,” or tempered soda-lime glass, and see what you can.
steve
Yeah, I know the difference and why you won’t see these in any labs.
Thing is, I’m not using them as labware. I’m not subjecting them to any extreme temperatures, I’m not taking them from the oven to an ice bath, and I’m not heating them unevenly. I know they aren’t as good for temperature changes as borosilicate, but I personally haven’t run into any issues at all. I don’t think the average user would either.
Don’t5 you know, the number 1 cause for “failure” is putting them on a stone (or some decent facsimile) countertop. Your soapstone counter is enough to cause “failure.”
And, you do NOT want to be anywhere near, when it happens.
Say YES to borosilicate. Say NO to ANYTHING else!
That’s my story, and I’m stickin’ to it. (Thanks, Jimmy.)
steve
I’ve heard about this, so I always put my Pyrex items on a pan before transferring into the oven, and I keep the dishes on the pan for a while once cooking is done. I’ve had no problems with breaking.
Had one explode when I took it out of the oven and laid it on top… I believe part of the reason for changing the formula apart from cost saving is that they can’t be used by meth labs… as they don’t deal well with sudden changes in temp… bad for drug dealer and bad for us!
I have used pyrex for at least 40 years. They hold up very well. In general, I like them.
The plastic tops will eventually get old and crack, even with gentle use…over time.
My pyrex…durable…love glass, vs plastic. Could use nicer, tighter, longer lasting lids. They can virtually “explode” into many tiny shards when dropped on a hard surface.
Would buy a new set if they would improve the tops.
I purchased a different set of Pyrex on Woot about a year ago. It was the “easy grab” set where the handles are larger and the lids are blue. I’m sure it is soda-lime glass but I have never had any issues. You just cannot thermally shock them by removing them from the oven and placing them on a wet countertop. Always place them on a potholder.
i just signed up to woot today, i almost pulled the trigger on this set of pyrex, but after some googling it turns out some similar sets sell for pretty close, im looking for the mega woot deals. i like pyrex too,
I totally agree. I read this same comparison of old vs. new every time an item like this comes up and it doesn’t make a difference to me. I’ve got numerous “new” Pyrex products that I’ve used for over 10 years now without any issues. Like you, I don’t subject them to extreme variations. Mostly, I use them for food storage. I prefer them to Tupperware as left-overs can go right into the microwave without having to transfer to another dish. That and it’s much easier to see what’s in the container.
The few baking dishes that do go in the oven always get placed on a pot holder when they come out. That’s all the precaution anyone should need to take.
Almost all the lids I’ve gotten in the past have held up perfectly. The only ones I’ve had crack where for some small off-brand bowls that I got at Kmart. The glass is still flawless but the lids all developed splits along the sides.
I just bought the 9 piece set they had like 2 weeks ago…darn it…and I would have liked the bowls, but I can not get my grad student fiance to sign off on me dropping another 20 for more pyrex.
I have both the old stuff as a hand me down from my mom and 2 sets of the newer stuff. Never had anything break or explode on me. However, I do not have a fancy kitchen at all, my counter tops are not stone and I don’t do any ice baths or anything, I just pull it out of the oven onto a dry towel to cool off. My fiance pointed out to me to never ever place it right from oven to the fridge or put it on a wet towel because it will explode (he works in a lab so he gets super-nosy when it comes to any glassware in our house) so I’ve heeded his words and had no issue. I love the stuff. I have noticed no difference in baking quality between my mother’s old pans and the identical newer pans. Maybe I have just been lucky, I dunno.
I have used old and new pyrex and they both bake the same for me. I’ve never had a problem. I the lids cracked along the edges, but I don’t use them very often so that doesn’t matter too much to me. I have dropped old and new pyrex many times on our tile floor and nothing has happened (except a crack to a piece of tiles once). I use pot holders and wood cutting board to place them on when they come out of oven. You’ll be fine with this. And this is a good deal. It’s not a lot of savings but it’s savings. If you order anything else online you’ll be paying closer to $30-35. Pyrex is a staple in your kitchen so go for it they will meet your needs just fine.
Well, a chance to complete my mixing bowl set and get a couple-three more pans? In for one.