Exploding Pyrex Measuring Cups

[CBE]

I've already went through numerous glass pyrex measuring dishes (32 oz. size) and replacing them from explosions in the microwave from melting beeswax, along with some oils for lip balms and butter bars.

Tonight was the last straw. While it didn't explode in the micro... I set it on the counter after only two minutes in the micro... then I started to stir it and then I heard... PING!

Right smack dab in the middle of the glass on the side... it started cracking. I grabbed a dish towel to bring it to the trash can, because I KNEW it was fixing to explode.

Well, it did explode.. but half got everywhere on the floor. I just got finished vacuuming up pieces of glass and wiping down the floor a gazillion times with wet paper towels to catch the tiny tiny shards of glass. I've fooking had it with glass, ya hear me???

How many glass measuring dishes have you went through? lol

I'll need to invest in microwavable plastic I guess. :rolleyes2

Does anyone here use plastic with good results?

I'm sure they are not as easy to clean as glass... and would have to be replaced often due to the plastic breaking down right?

[Luci]

This surprises me for sure. I've used pyrex many, many times for melting waxes and butters in both the microwave and the oven without a mishap. Some of the pyrex cups I've used are new, but some are also anywhere from 15-30 yrs old.

The only time I've had one break was from something I felt was my fault. I don't remember what I was melting, but I overheated it (was using the oven). I put the container in my sink after removing it from the oven and stupidly turned on the water. Of course, I heard the pop but had no mess.

[powderblueboutique]

I use anchor hocking with no problems. How high is the voltage on your micro? Yikes!

[Carrie]

There was a thread at the Dish, I think, that talked about the new pyrex can explode but the older pyrex didn't.

[flightoffancy]

Wow! I've been using the same 8 Pyrex cups in the microwave for over 4 years and have yet to have one break/crack/explode.

Now I'll be paranoid. LOL

[scrubzz]

I'm sure I haven't done this as much as all ya'll have but I have melted quite a bit in the microwave over the last few years and especially the last month or so - and haven't had one explode or break yet

I imagine the main reason for this could be because I am a bit paranoid about this very issue lol

I generally only melt anything for one minute at a time and as it is getting closer to being fully melted I cut back to 30 second intervals at a time - Takes longer probably but that's the way I was told to do it back when I first started playing with lip balms and have stuck with it ever since

[wildangel112]

I've been using my pyrex in the microwave for years without mishap. Though, like scrubzz, I zap my butters in short bursts. I melt my beeswax in the double boiler, only.

[elitenaildesign]

Mine are pretty old. I wish I hadnt opened this thread, now Im paranoid.

[CBE]

Well... I'm not doing it anymore. I'm sick and tired of picking up glass and cleaning up the mess. And not to mention, the big ones are expensive (well, to me they are expensive) for them to keep exploding on me and wasting my money.

I don't heat for long... two minutes tops and then I take it out, stir a while, then put it back in for short bursts.

Maybe people are right... they don't make stuff like they used too. I have an OLD small (8 oz) pyrex measuring cup that belonged to DH's grandmother... never cracked or exploded yet(knock on wood).

I wanted to avoid the double boiler thing... because to me it takes so long to do and it's just time consuming.

I have to run to Walmart today, I will look for microwavable plastic measuring cups. I'm not even sure if they sell this or not...lol but I've had it with glass.

If they do make something plastic and that microwavable, I'm sure I'll have to replace them often... because doesn't plastic break down after so much use (with the heating)? I wouldn't want the plastic components leeching into my products.

Sigh... I don't know! I might have to do the double boiler thing if that's the case.

[Rebecca]

You do have to be careful with plastic because the microwave stuff does break down...even putting them in the dishwasher does it.

It's the heat...that's why they tell people to never to use plastic for heating food in the microwaves because of the chemicals.

It's a shame the those glass pieces are breaking. Pyrex had always been known for being these great long lasting products and 2 minutes in a microwave doesn't seem like much.

I threw out my microwave years ago so if I do anything I just use the double boiler.

[puddin1970]

Here is something that I got from either here or another thread. I take a glass bowl and I place it onto a coffee cup warmer. Then I add the lip balm base and bees wax. Let it set for awhile and it will all melt. Add the scent and color and you are ready to pour. That way the base stays hot and you can use a pipett to add it to the tubes. I love this! Its the best tip I have found yet. Plus I dont break anything in the microwave. Give it a try!

[asheebeans]

Wow, I use pyrex! I blew one up as a kid by putting it directly on the stovetop (like it says not to do....:tiptoe: ) but have yet to do it in the micro! Now I'll be scared sh##less every time I nuke something in the pyrex! LOL

[HeavenScentU]

That is odd. I use pyrex all the time to make my lotions and have never had a problem. I will have to be careful..

[RNSandSCENTS]

There was a thread at the Dish, I think, that talked about the new pyrex can explode but the older pyrex didn't.

I have both pyrex and anchor hocking and have not had any problems and I think it is because I don't melt my butters in the microwave much. I have been using the microwave more often now and I was concerned about exploding glass. So when I do use the microwave, I always leave the cup inside the microwave to let it cool off some before I start working in it and I only let it go in 30 second intervals like scrubzz said. I think the heat will break these items down in general over time and the key to their longevity is care in using them. So with that said I'd suggest that you use shorter times with a decent amount of cooling time in between to give the glass a rest. And remember the vibration from mixing inside the cup can make it crack too. Especially if you are using stainless steel spoons or whatever to mix with. Almost like when auto glass shatters in the summer usually from a combination of heat and force....kwim? I have also allowed my butters/oils to melt slowly on the stove top in a heavy, 18/10 ss pot with an aluminum sandwich bottom. These distribute the heat across the entire bottom of your pot better than regular flat bottomed cookware.

When my stepdad passed last year, THE first things I went for of my Mom's was her 40 year old Pyrex, Corning Ware and her stainless steel Oneida serving pieces as I read somewhere that the older pieces were so much better than this stuff they sell now. And truely they are.

So to those who are afraid after reading this thread, don't be. Just respect the glass and understand that when you add heat you make it weak. You just gotta let it cool some before using it and don't subject it to too much heat for an extended period of time. Great thread CBE!!!

[Scented]

Man chica, I've gone through four this year, but that's because I dropped them or knocked them off the counter. I even melt my beeswax in them, but hope you haven't jinxed me now

[coconut]

There are two things that will make your Pyrex break-scratches and sudden temperature changes. The scratches occur when you stir inside the cup with any metal utensil. And scratches can happen other ways too. You may not even see the scratches with the naked eye, but they can cause the breakage. The other thing (and this affects all glass) is rapid temperature change. If you take a hot glass and rest it on a solid object that is room temperature, it can break. Always rest it on a neutral object like a DRY towel (wet can cause breakage) or a pot holder. Don't put the hot glass on a granite countertop, a steel stovetop (unless the oven is on to warm it)-you get the picture. I have heard of people taking a pyrex dish out of the oven and putting it in the metal basket designed for the dish, and the dish breaking from scratches or temp change. HTH. Coconut

[Ann M]

I had never heard of this until the other day. I use my Pyrex all the time to melt/heat butters and waxes. I have never had one explode. The other day, my SIL was heating some water in her Pampered Chef 4 cup batter bowl. After just 1 minute 30 seconds in the microwave, it exploded.

Be careful with those glass containers!!

Ann M

[jbren]

This quote from the owners of Pyrex which I posted at another forum a while back. They are definitely not the same products we grew up with.

Corning spun off its kitchenwares division in the 1990s, so Pyrex is now owned by World Kitchen, which also owns CorningWare. World Kitchen provides a two-year guarantee on its Pyrex products.

"World Kitchen, Inc. promises to replace any Pyrex brand glass item that breaks from oven heat within two years from date of purchase," the company says on its Website.

However, there are certain conditions. World Kitchens advises consumers to never use Pyrex products on stove tops, under a broiler, or in a toaster oven. Consumers are also told to avoid "severe" hot to cold temperature changes. Cooks, who in the past found that Pyrex was durable enough to allow some latitude from those conditions, are apparently finding that now, any deviation is risky business.

"I used my 13-by-9 Pyrex pan to cook a roast. As I was making gravy, the dish suddenly shattered all over the place. I am still finding shards of glass and it has been two days," Brandy, of Macomb, Michigan told ConsumerAffairs.com.

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[RetroMetroChic]

I just had my second pyrex jar explode in the micro wave tonight.

Its so scary.. And very loud..

My dog went and hid under my desk:rolleyes2

[edensong]

Does your microwave have a power/heat control? When I've used glass in the micro, I always set it on a low power and do it for short bursts. No problem breaking glass.

[CandleMama6]

I have been using the nuker with my pyrex for years and have never had any problems at all!! I always let mine sit in the microwave for a few minutes before I remove it though.

I would be concerned about using plastic though. Seems like the scent would get into the plastic.

Guess I will have to keep an extra close eye now!!

[RetroMetroChic]

I need to check if it has Temp Control, but the last time it was in a different MicroWave, so it must not be that.

Don't know how I can be so unlucky, And it was a mess to clean up all the glass :tiptoe:

I do sometimes rinse them out with warm water, perhaps the water was not hot enough and the temp difference then caused the glass to break when it went back in the micro. I don't always do that sometimes i Use Paper Towels, but Maybe I did cause it to happen.

[Stella1952]

GLass is unpredictable, even pyrex, which is why one must be extra careful not to stress it! When I remove my pyrex cup from the nuker, I place it in a shallow pan of warm water so that IF something bad happens (short of explosive shattering) the mess will be contained. The warm water helps prevent shock. I don't nuke it for more than 45 seconds before stirring and allowing it to rest for a moment before hitting it again. I use it only for very small batches of stuff. Anything else goes in the Presto or over a double boiler. HTH

PS When heating oils or anything containing a lot of oil or sugar, the nuker superheats, so being very conservative about the time/setting will help prevent this.