The Interesting Origins of Pyrex

by Adrian How

I came across this on gizmodo (yes, this is my favourite tech site… I’ve been following every bit about Google’s Nexus One here) – a telling of how Pyrex, the ultra durable glass bowls we’ve all come to love at, came about.

Here’s the story of its origin:

Around 1900, way before silicone spatulas and carcinogenic lids, there was a company named Corning Glass Works. They made a low-expansion glass lantern for use on the railroad—specifically solving the issue of a hot lantern shattering when struck by cold rain or snow.

Apparently, the lanterns were so durable that demand waned and Corning Glass was forced to diversify. Then in 1913, when an engineer’s wife spotted the glass’ culinary potential and baked a cake in a half-sawed Corning Glass Works battery container, the company realized their new direction. The first Pyrex-branded bakeware arrived just two years later.

excerpt from gizmodo

Pretty interesting, eh?

At my parents’ place, they have a Pyrex water jug with a plastic lid that has been around for as long as I can remember. We moved into their current place when i was 6 and it’s been there since! I do remember all the falls and tumbles it has had over the years but none were fatal. My mom’s definitely got her money back many times over for the little Pyrex.

One thing I never understood – she has an entire shelf full of Pyrex and Corningware which she hardly uses. In fact, I get the feeling she’s keeping it in mint condition to hand it over to the next generation (like a Patek Philippe?). Suffice to say that the reason they’re all still over at her place shows you how much we cook at home. Perhaps it can be passed on to little Ryan who might decide to become a world-class chef one day.

Poor little Ryan’s just caught his first flu bug. I’m going to tend to him now. I’ve digressed very much from railway lanterns to Pyrex to my mom’s Corning fetish to Ryan’s flu. Praying hard he’ll have a speedy recovery so he can terrorize the little Harrod’s teddy Wendy bought him for Christmas.

Imagesource: gizmodo