If you're planning to do some family baking this week or next, read on.
Pyrex and other brands of glass bakeware are a staple of many kitchens, with marketing that dates back decades, touting its versatile uses. In recent years, news reports and Internet postings about glass bakeware unexpectedly shattering have some consumers worried about safety and confused about instructions. Packaging may prominently say freezer-safe and oven-safe. But consumers might not be aware of warnings which can appear on the back of a label in type this small with cautions about preheating the oven, cooling, use of liquids in the pan, and more. (See frame-by-frame still photos of glass bakeware shattering in our labs).
The reports have generated enough buzz that World Kitchen, the Illinois-based manufacturer of Pyrex in the U.S., and its competitor Anchor Hocking—which own more than 75 percent of the glass bakeware market—have created pages on their websites aimed at debunking what they say are false and misleading reports. (Learn more about how manufacturers blame the victims of exploding bakeware.)
To find out more about glass bakeware, Consumer Reports conducted a 12-month investigation that included testing in our labs and in outside labs, and gathering information from manufacturers, government agencies, experts, and consumers. Here's what we learned:
Learn more in the full glass cookware report.
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