Discount CorningWare French White 17-Piece Bake and Serve Set

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The original "French White" Corningware was made of their famous pyroceramic glass, which could be used on the gas stove, put directly in the freezer, put under the broiler right from the freezer, and oh yes, also used in a microwave. And it was very unlikely to shatter if dropped. If you pounded on it with a hammer and nail you might have gotten it to break.

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.

The pattern is attractive and can be used with any decor, 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 being stoneware, it 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, don't buy this stuff. Get Le Creuset for cooking and roasting (yes it is expensive but it lasts forever and cooks beautifully), and reheat things in Pyrex in the microwave.

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I have many old original Corning Ware "Pyroceramic" casseroles that have held up very well over the years since bought in 1960s. The stuff is amazing you can cook on the range top, oven, microwave and then serve it in the same dish, and later store it in the refrigerator or freezer. The only thing I did not like was it is a bit heavy and thick, but I guess it had to be to survive all the abuse. All things considered, I liked it very well. Over the years, I was able to expand my set, and once in a while replace a piece that broke or got stained from use on the range top (even though it doesn't break, it tends to discolor on my electric range top, so I stopped doing that).

Fast forward 50 years. Corning licenses its trademark to World Kitchen, and they decide to cut corners and make a poor copy of so called CorningWare in China (the new trademark is one word, italics). This new stuff is not at all the same. It is poorly made stoneware, heavy, crude with a bumpy surface with glazing defects and cracks that make it unsafe and unsanitary to use for cooking food. I found one large casserole with 8 black pits on the inside glaze, a nice trap for food particles. It has an unsealed bottom and can no longer be used on the range top. Maybe it's planned obsolescence, because this stuff probably lasts about 10 seconds in normal use. And the pitted glaze is liable to hold food residue and sicken you, maybe lead in the glaze would do it first. Another brilliant product from China. It seems to me this newer "CorningWare" is both unsanitary and unsafe. This completely destroys customer trust in the Corning brand.

I guess they heard our complaints, because there is a new lineup of newer Corning Casseroles, introduced in 2008 called CorningWare SimplyLite. Apparently it is made in Corning NY, of the original Vitrelle laminated glass. It's not as durable as the original Pyroceram, but is half the weight and thinner, so it stacks and carries better. The surface is the same smooth hard glossy surface as the original Corelle, and cleans up like a charm. It is not rated for range top nor freezer use, as far as I can tell (water expands 4% when it freezes, so I would guess a thinner, weaker vessel might not handle that stress). But it's a step in the right direction. Unfortunately, no French White pattern pieces are available at this time in the SimplyLite lineup. But I'll be watching and amend this review if they come out.

Corningware Simply Lite 10-Piece Bakeware Set

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I love using the two large casserole dishes but I don't have much use for the smaller ones which are much smaller than I expected them to be. The smaller ones are not only small but are very shallow: maybe 1 inch or so deep.

Honest reviews on CorningWare French White 17-Piece Bake and Serve Set

I've wrecked each and every piece of this Corningware by one of two things. Either I stacked them in such a way that they bumped against each other, or I scrubbed them with "scratch safe" sponges, and in each instance I got the same result: permanent streaky black marks in the white ceramic finish. So please learn from my pricey mistake. Go straight to the Pyrex or Marinex instead.

Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for CorningWare French White 17-Piece Bake and Serve Set

Easy to wash, easy to store. It's not that fancy and brittle that you have to watch to not break it. Four of pieces are with plastic lids and I use them to store marinated chicken, or salads I've maid. Four smallest peaces are great for dips and two biggest pieces that come with glass lids are perfect for baking. There is also a metal wire for easier carying.

Perfect for the money. Strongly recomended.