With so many bakeware options, you may wonder if you can bake with Pyrex. Read on to discover the difference between new and old Pyrex, if Pyrex lids are oven-safe, and how to bake in Pyrex bowl.
Your kitchen can be a busy and cluttered space, but with the right baking tools, it doesn't have to stay that way. Instead, you can go for decluttering the kitchen and toss some away.
But in general, you can have a couple of baking dishes and take advantage of them with the full knowledge of how to use them safely.
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For a classic look, you can bake your favorite French Brioche Toast Casserole with an oven-safe ceramic or glass dish. Or you can use metal bakeware and adjust the oven temperature and baking time to ensure the best result.
For the ultimate convenience, invest in a high-quality borosilicate Pyrex pan that can be used in ovens and microwaves, in your refrigerator, or freezer.
What is Pyrex glass?
Pyrex glass is a branded glassware with a long history since 1915. Pyrex is made of glass, so you should not confuse the Pyrex brand with Pyrex material that doesn't exist.
Once again, with Pyrex dishes, we speak about the iconic kitchen glassware made by the Pyrex brand.
Old Pyrex vs new Pyrex
Is there such a thing as old Pyrex and new Pyrex? If yes, what is the difference?
Initially, Pyrex pieces were manufactured by Corning company that used borosilicate glass, resistant to sudden temperature changes, aka thermal shock.
Borosilicate glass is made by mixing silica sand with boron trioxide, which provides high durability.
In 1998 when the Corning company sold its brand to the World Kitchen company, borosilicate Pyrex was switched to a cheaper alternative, heat-strengthened soda lime glass.
Tempered soda-lime glass is heat or chemically tempered and is made of silica sand, sodium oxide, and calcium oxide. It withstands high temperatures, but it doesn't quite match borosilicate glass.
However, tempered glass has a higher mechanical strength when dropped than borosilicate.
So old Pyrex is borosilicate glassware produced before 1998. You can probably find it in your grandmother's and mother's cabinets. The new Pyrex is tempered glassware with the pyrex® logo made nowadays.
But what is PYREX® (all caps) brand that still produces borosilicate Pyrex products?
In 1922, in France, the first borosilicate balloons were produced by glassblowers Clovis and Léon Régent. They appeared to become pioneers of the Le Pyrex brand in France.
The European PYREX®brand still manufactures its products from borosilicate glass.
Is Pyrex oven safe?
Is Pyrex safe in the oven? Nowadays, both Pyrex brands label their glass products oven-safe, guaranteeing the safety of cooking glassware in the oven. So the answer to the question "Is all pyrex oven safe?" is yes.
Pyrex glass products are oven safe to at least 500°F (260°C), but better to use up to 425°F (218°C) on the safe side.
Despite the experimental cases of baking a pizza on a Pyrex glass in the oven at 600°F (315°C) or over the open flame on a stovetop, avoid these extreme conditions.
With oven-safe Pyrex, you should be careful with rapid temperature changes to avoid glass shattering.
It includes different situations, for example, moving the cold Pyrex to the oven, pouring cold water into the hot glassware, or exposure of Pyrex to temperature changes while preheating the oven.
Pyrex isn't considered oven-safe with use in a toaster oven, under the broiler, or grill.
Can Pyrex go in the oven?
Pyrex dishes with the pyrex® or PYREX® logos on the bottom are oven-safe and can be safely used for cooking, baking, and reheating food in the oven.
While both borosilicate PYREX® and tempered glass Pyrex are resistant to high heat and thermal shock, they aren't relatively equal. Borosilicate is superior among the two.
With handling different Pyrex glass products, you must be aware of the material used to make them. For example, borosilicate PYREX® is more heat resistant and can withstand a temperature change of up to 396°F (220°C).
Tempered-glass Pyrex is more susceptible to thermal shock, so you might consider investing in borosilicate glass cookware.
Still, with appropriate usage and following the manufacturers' instructions, baking with Pyrex is the safest and most enjoyable experience.
Are Pyrex lids oven safe?
Pyrex glass lids that come with casserole dishes are oven-safe and can be used in the oven up to 425°F (218°C). However, all the safety precautions of Pyrex glassware also apply to Pyrex glass lids (read below).
They can be used in the preheated oven, allowing you to check the food without disturbing the cooking process or the temperature.
Moreover, covering the Pyrex casserole dish will cook food faster. It is related to trapping the heat inside the pot instead of dissipating it in the oven. This even makes your food moister. Alternatively, you can cover your dish with aluminum foil.
Pyrex plastic lids are BPA-free and designed for storing purposes. Unfortunately, they aren't oven-free, but microwave-safe. Make sure to check the product manual for more information.
Is vintage Pyrex oven safe?
Vintage Pyrex inherited from your Grandma may be one of the most treasured dishes in your kitchen. But is it safe to use in the oven?
You can cook your favorite recipes in vintage Pyrex without problems until the oven temperature doesn't exceed 425°F (218°C).
But with aging, vintage Pyrex dishes may crack or chip, making them unsuitable for oven use. Also, you will want to avoid microwaving and using them in everyday life. Keep these Pyrex ware for decoration only.
Baking in Pyrex
Can you bake in Pyrex? Of course, knowing that you can bake with Pyrex, you might have another question. Are there any adjustments in the oven temperature and baking time you should make?
Pyrex glassware is made of glass, so using glass products for baking results in the quick browning of the sides and the bottom of your bakes.
To avoid this possible issue and provide even baking in Pyrex glass bowl, you should decrease the oven temperature by 25°F (about 15°C) below your recipe suggests.
The baking time will likely be 5-10 minutes less than recommended. So for the best baking results, check your cake's doneness with a toothpick or a cake tester 10 minutes earlier than the suggested time.
Can Pyrex go from fridge to oven?
The short answer is no, but it is quite a debatable question. Let's try to find the answer.
By transferring Pyrex from a cold environment such as a fridge or freezer to the oven, the glassware is exposed to instant temperature change.
"Stress produced in a body or a material as a result of a sudden temperature change" is called thermal shock.
With Pyrex glassware, the radiant heat initiates thermal stress. The expansion and contraction of different glass parts go in different amounts. It results in changes in the glass structure and glass shatters.
Clear Pyrex bowls are heat resistant and withstand thermal shock, but not that much happens with bringing the frozen Pyrex dish to the hot oven.
Despite the European PYREX claims that
You can use a borosilicate glass dish and take it from the freezer (or refrigerator) to the oven or the microwave with no problem,
it is better to play on the safe side. Treat any Pyrex glass dish like any other piece of glass.
Does Pyrex break?
Pyrex is known for its strength, durability, and heat resistance; however, under certain conditions, it can break.
Uneven heating, direct contact with heating elements, and exposure to thermal shock are just a few factors that can trigger the Pyrex breakage. Add an accidental drop of the glass product you want to avoid.
The Consumer Reports tested Pyrex, made of borosilicate and tempered glass. They found that taking the soda lime Pyrex out of a hot oven and putting it on a wet granite countertop led to instant glass shattering.
At the same time, they tested the borosilicate Pyrex that didn't shatter in such extreme temperature changes.
While tempered soda-lime glass is more sensitive to thermal shock, it is more stable with dropping than borosilicate glass. Therefore, it is also quite essential to consider buying Pyrex glassware.
Tips for using Pyrex
How to avoid breaking Pyrex glass? Pyrex is a trusted brand of glass bakeware, but it comes with risks if not used correctly.
To ensure that Pyrex is safe to use in your kitchen, it is essential to practice its safety tips.
- Make sure to use the branded Pyrex glass in the oven: it has to bear the Pyrex logo.
- Check the Pyrex dish for chips and cracks. Also, old glass bakeware risks shattering in the oven.
- Always preheat the oven before bringing Pyrex to the oven.
- Don't exceed the oven temperature of 425°F (218°C).
- Never heat an empty Pyrex in the oven.
- With wet ingredients that might release liquid, for example, frozen food, add a little liquid to the bottom of the bowl. It helps avoid even minimal thermal shock from frozen food and a hot oven.
- Take care of yourself handling hot Pyrex dishes with both hands using dry potholders or dry oven mitts.
But the most important thing is to avoid situations that create a thermal shock. Here are four simple rules:
- Don't move Pyrex from the fridge or freezer to the oven and vice versa. Instead, let your dish come to room temperature first.
- Don't pour cold water into a hot Pyrex dish. Instead, let your pan cool down to room temperature before introducing it to water.
- Don't place cold dishes directly on a wet, cold, or cool surface, such as a countertop or metal. Instead, put your hot Pyrex on a dry cloth, dish towel, trivet, or cooling rack.
- Don't use Pyrex on a stovetop over an open flame, on an electric burner, in a toaster oven, under the broiler, or on the grill.
Conclusion
Can Pyrex glass go in the oven? The short answer is yes. Kitchen safety starts with thoroughly understanding both oven-safe and microwave-safe Pyrex glassware.
This comprehensive safety guide, paired with an article devoted to microwaving Pyrex, will ensure you know everything about cooking with Pyrex.
Stock up your kitchen with the safest PYREX products made of borosilicate glass. Discover the impressive range of Pyrex dishes, from measuring cups to Pyrex ovenware bowls, from Pyrex cooking pot to Pyrex glass trays.
Check on Pyrex online shop, Amazon.com, and Amazon.fr, which delivers products to the United States. Here are a few of my favorites to consider:
- Pyrex glass baking dish
- Pyrex oven dish
- Pyrex glass measuring jug
- Pyrex glass pie plate
- Pyrex storage containers
A great alternative to expensive European Pyrex is cheaper brands that manufacture borosilicate glass cookware:
- Borosilicate glass baking dish set
- borosilicate glass pie plate with a lid
- 3-piece glass bakeware set
- 3-quart glass baking dish
To go further, find the tutorials about if the glass is microwave-safe and if you can microwave Pyrex.
FAQ
Pyrex glass with the branded Pyrex logo is oven safe and can be used to cook, bake, and reheat food in the oven.
Pyrex bowls with their signature Pyrex logo are oven safe and can be safely used for cooking, baking, and reheating food in the oven.
Pyrex dishes don't tolerate direct heat, so they cannot be used on the stove as an open flame or an electric burner.
The Pyrex® glass can be safely used in the oven at 425°F (218°C). However, borosilicate Pyrex can be heated up to 500°F (260°C), according to some sources, up to 914°F (490°C). Its melting point is about 3000°F (1649°C), but, fortunately, you cannot reach this borosilicate glass temperature limit in your kitchen.
Pyrex is oven safe at 425°F (218°C). However, despite multiple experiments that Pyrex glass can withstand oven temperatures up to 500°F (260°C), please, don't exceed the limit for Pyrex oven safe temperature.
You can bake European PYREX cookware at 450 degrees Fahrenheit, but there is a risk of glass shattering with the oven temperature increased to 500 degrees.
A cold Pyrex dish cannot go in the oven due to creating rapid temperature changes that can result in glass shattering.
You cannot put a frozen Pyrex dish in the oven since it creates a thermal shock that will cause Pyrex glass to shatter.
dorothy heldt says
excellent info. Recently I have been attracted to the vintage pyrex dishes found in Goodwill/Sally Ann stores. Hesitated because I was unsure..this article is just what I needed to make my decisions. GREAT STUFF!! Thak you so much.