Soapers be aware of issues with pyrex

[newbie]

I found this article after having my pyrex measuring cup start to melt in the microwave. I had no idea there were as many issues as they state with Pyrex and Anchor glassware and since many of us use them at some point in the process of soaping, I thought it would worthwhile to post the link here.

http://slowfoodfast.wordpress.com/2011/08/08/pyrex-and-anchor-hocking-now-both-unsafe-for-cooking/

Be safe, soapers!

 

[Relle]

I have tried to tell people that for a long time about pyrex in here and get shot down for it.

 

[newbie]

Well, I shall take on the the target and see who shoots.

 

[purplefan]

I'm another that wont use pyrex, found out long ago it's not as safe as they would have you believe.
Took my casserole dish out of the oven, put it on the kitchen sink, heard the crack, sure enough picked it up in 3 pieces. Will never buy another

 

[Obsidian]

My pyrex baking dish exploded into billions of little pieces after taking it out of the oven. Made a heck of a mess, just glad no one was in the kitchen at the time.

 

[indulgebandb]

I had an anchor hocking casserole dish shatter into many many pieces in my oven while cooking a casserole- that was quite the fun mess to clean up! They did replace it for me and so far I've had no problems with the replacement but it definitely makes me leary.

Oh and after reading the article again- mine was very new. I had received it as a wedding gift and it was only the 2nd time I had used it.

 

[fuzz-juzz]

Thank you for this!
I might rethink melting oil in my Pyrex.

 

[The Efficacious Gentleman]

While I agree that people tend to think of it as safer than it really is (I never use glass with soaping, just with lotions) I also think it's easy to go too far the other way - for every problem recorded, how many people have not had a problem? We play these odds with everything in life - car accidents happen often, but we still drive knowing that there is a risk.

That said, the newer stuff seems to be made of shockingly light glass and I am thinking the odds of a failure with the new style are higher. I am glad to have the older types and, when I buy new products for baking and cooking, I'll be sure to check the quality of the glass used and stick to the older style glass.

 

[Tienne]

I have loads of different Pyrex dishes of different shapes and sizes and some of them have been in the oven or microwave probably hundreds of times and I have never had a problem with any of mine. It is good to be aware of what could happen of course, but I reckon that could happen with pretty much any ceramic or glassware, so... I still plan on using my Pyrex to melt my oils and mix my batter in. I have used a plastic measuring jug at one point in time, but that brought on other hazards. My Pyrex jug weighs a ton and it would really take some completely freak accident to ever be able to knock it over, whereas the plastic jug was just too lightweight for me to feel safe using. My big Pyrex jug is so heavy it stays put where I place it and I need two hands to move the darn thing! LOL If I compare the risk of the Pyrex exploding, versus the risk of knocking over a flimsy plastic jug full of caustic protosoap all over myself, I think I feel safer sticking to my Pyrex jug, despite the risk.

 

[shunt2011]

I'm another one who doesn't use glass for soapmaking. I heard too many stories about the glass fracturing becasue of the lye. I would hate to have it shatter on me. That's just my personal choice.

 

[Tienne]

I was thinking about this some more and in the article, it talks about how the "good" Pyrex was made of borosilicate and that it's apparently just the newer Pyrex made from soda lime glass that there's a problem with.

I went to eBay.co.uk and all the Pyrex jugs I looked at are made with borosilicate glass, so either they went back to the good old way of making them, or there is a difference between what is allowed to be sold in the US contra the EU. (The article is from 2011 and a lot could have changed since then.) I know we have pretty strict safety standards here in Sweden at least and had there been any real concern about Pyrex, they would have been pulled from the market ASAP.

A good thing to remember though when dealing with any kind of glass that has been heated, is to avoid big temperature changes. Do not put a hot dish or jug straight out of the oven into a cold steel sink or on a cold surface, but place it on a rack or a wooden cutting board. If the bottom of the glassware gets too cold, too fast, it will contract faster than the top of the container and that creates tension in the glass that can cause it to shatter. Just apply some basic common sense when dealing with any kind of hot oils, glassware, lye and so on (like we do anyway) and then I'll even dare to say, soap more and worry less. At least if you're European. LOL

ETA: I just checked Amazon.co.uk and all their Pyrex's are made from borosilicate too.

 

[Saponista]

We use borosilicate at work and I repeatedly heat bottles up under pressure and fill with highly corrosive substances, never in ten years have I had one break on me. I think it must be cheap cooking Pyrex that is giving people problems.

 

[newbie]

Yes, I think borosilicate glass is the best and safest. Seems like it's a bit harder to get in the US than in other areas of the world. It's not meant to scare people from ever using a glass dish again; it's more a buyer beware. I melted some oils in my other pyrex cups last night but did it in much smaller bursts than usual.

Exploding glassware in any circumstance is concerning but with lye and batter, it's just worth knowing the possibilities. Same as driving, use your head.

 

[InNae]

Glass shatters because of sudden change in temperature. Everyone of the people who had issues with their pyrex breaking did the same thing. They placed hot glass on a cool surface or heated it up very quickly by addind lye. Borosilicate glass is much more resistant to shattering because of hese sudden temperature changes but it can still shatter. The best thing to do is not place hot glass on a cold surface. You a pot holder or cutting board. Slowly add lye to water. (You can actually boil water by adding lye to it rapidly) I'm a chemist and use glassware all the time and I've seen just about anything you can think of. Be thoughtful when using glassware. Avoid sudden temperature changes and get rid of glassware that has scratches. Scratched glassware will fail and can do so violently.

InNae

 

[BlueberryHill]

I just had my Pyrex glass measuring cup explode as I was pouring lye into it! Thank goodness it was in my laundry sink, where I always mix my lye water, and I was all safety geared up! I'm shocked because I used it last week for the first time and it was fine. I thought I was being safer using the Pyrex than the plastic container from the dollar store. I hadn't read the article in this thread before. Beware everyone.

 

[Obsidian]

glad it was contained and you are ok. I had a glass mason jar shatter on me once, now I only use my plastic measuring cups.

 

[The Efficacious Gentleman]

Glad that it wasn't so bad for you. It doesn't happen often, but the rare times are enough that I won't ever use glass for lye/batter use.

Thanks for sharing

 

[Susie]

Lowe's 1 qt paint buckets- $1.28.

Peace of mind- priceless.

 

[IrishLass]

Thanks for sharing, BlueberryHill....oh, and welcome to the forum! :wave:

Like I always say, soaping with glass or even Pyrex is like playing Russian Roulette. You never know when it's going to go KABOOM, until it actually does. Several other soapers have had the same thing happen to them.

Glass can withstand lots of things, but the repeated chemical assault of highly alkaline substances such as lye, or highly acidic substances such as hydroflouric acid slowly etch away at the glass, gradually weakening it over time until just the right amount of temperature difference is enough to set it off.

I'm so glad you're none worse for the wear.

Plastic pitchers with the recycle code of PP#5 marked on the bottom are perfect for mixing and soaping in. That particular kind of plastic is alkaline resistant and can also withstand boiling water.


IrishLass

 

[cmzaha]

Check out the one B&B sells for mixing. Does not mention what type of glass it is. I actually have 2 of these that I purchased years ago for making my iced tea when I am in a hurry
http://www.brambleberry.com/2-Quart-Glass-Mixing-Bowl-P5789.aspx