When World Kitchens bought the license from Corning, they decided to halt production of a line of cookware that would take anything and last forever, and dupe customers, especially brides, into thinking the stoneware "French White" was the same thing as the wonderful French White pyroceramic cookware previously available to their mothers and sisters.
The pattern is very attractive and can be used with any decor, and they do offer many sizes, but this stuff is not, repeat, really not, what people mean when they say "Corningware."
Le Creuset can do most of the above mentioned, but it being metal you cannot use it in the microwave. Stoneware cannot go on top of the stove, and repeated trips from the freezer to the oven will eventually cause it to craze and crack. And stoneware will also chip, and break if dropped, etc. Pyrex glassware cannot go on the gas stove although you can take it from the freezer to the oven, and also microwave it.
The only product which could do anything was pyroceramic, and World Kitchens has chosen to remove it from the market because it is "too good."
They have recently brought back a few of the old square shapes, with the Cornflower, or plain white, calling it "vintage," but the French White shape is not making an appearance yet. If you want it, email them and ask for it!
Meanwhile, get Le Creuset for cooking and roasting (yes it is expensive and heavy but it lasts forever and cooks beautifully), and reheat things in Pyrex in the microwave. Both will tolerate moving suddenly from freezer to heat source.
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This is a high quality product at a great value. Why heat your food items in plastic containers that can leach carcinogens. But this is Stoneware, not the BETTER Pyroceram Glass.Today's "CorningWare" stoneware is no substitute for the real thing, the return of Pyroceram cookware is reason to rejoice. Mother is lucky. Her Corning Ware is the real thing made in the USA from a space-age scientific miracle: Corning Pyroceram. Today's "CorningWare" is a stoneware imposter imported from overseas by World Kitchen who licenses the registered trademark "CorningWare" from Corning Incorporated.
At World Kitchen's website they attempt to explain away the change:
The original CorningWare® bakeware which was first introduced in 1958, was made of a glass-ceramic material that could be used on the stove, in the oven and under the broiler. After World Kitchen acquired the brand in the late 1990's, CorningWare products were switched to ceramic stoneware production. Introduced later that year was the French White collection, which has been an all-time best seller among brides-to-be.
The stoneware transition was made, in part, to ensure that the brand adapted to the evolving tastes of consumers who today put a premium on color and design. In addition, with the advent of the microwave, the thermal benefits of the original material diminished in importance for home cooks.
"CorningWare" stoneware is no better than the cookware Target, Kmart and WalMart sell under their own labels. It has an off-white finish and a dull pebbled surface that can hold onto stains. It's also thicker, heavier and, according to many who've bought it, far more prone to failure over time, especially if you use it as freezer-to-oven-to-tableware. World Kitchen knows this, and that's why the warranty against thermal failure on "CorningWare" stoneware is a measly ONE YEAR, compared to the whopping TEN YEAR warranty on Pyroceram. If you use it on the stove or under the broiler, you will void the warranty and the dish may crack or shatter from thermal shock.
Stoneware absorbs water when you wash it, and the clay beneath the glaze contains trace metals including lead. That's why an empty stoneware dish will heat up if you put it in the microwave oven for 15 seconds (go ahead and try it; it won't harm modern microwave ovens). It's hardly the ideal material for microwave cookware. Pyroceram is radio-transparent. Yes, an empty Pyroceram dish will warm up just a tad, but that's due to condensed moisture on the surface. It won't get as hot as stoneware.
Ironic, isn't it? Mom's Corning Ware propelled her 1960s kitchen into the Space Age while today's "CorningWare" stoneware sends your 21st Century kitchen back to the Stone Age.
Parlez vous Pyroflam? When World Kitchen observed the 50th anniversary of the CorningWare name in 2008, they added a StoveTop collection to their online store at including a set of casseroles in the traditional Blue Cornflower pattern. The StoveTop line is called Pyroceram in the USA but it's made in France by ARC International. It's sold in the rest of the world as Pyroflam and was originally called Arcoflam.
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I thought all Corning Ware was for stove top use. I didn't realize until too late that it says on the bottom "No Stove Top". This is certainly not the Corning Ware that mom used.Honest reviews on CorningWare French White 2-1/2-Quart Round Casserole Dish
This casserole dish is very versatile as is all Corning Ware but it really needs handles. With handles it would be about as good as it gets!Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for CorningWare French White 2-1/2-Quart Round Casserole Dish
These are the best casserole dishes. A wonderful friend gave me a set as a wedding present over 5 years ago and I haven't broken even one of these wonderful dishes yet! They clean up easily and are perfect for soufflés or meat casseroles.This one in particular is great for using for a cheese soufflé. Look for the oval dishes for lasagna and dinner casseroles.
Dishwasher safe and can be put in the freezer and microwave!
What more could you ask for? I am so pleased Amazon started to carry these items and just found them today!
~The Rebecca Review
2009 P.S. See comments about changes.
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