Pyrex 1118990 3-Piece Measuring Cup Set, Clear

CUSTOMER REVIEW



I needed a small measuring cup and decided to purchase a Pyrex brand one because I already had a nice old large quart sized Pyrex measuring cup that had outlasted many other measuring cups which I got tired of replacing constantly. To make sure that my new measuring cup would last, I did some investigation on the new "Pyrex" brand of glassware. Corning Glass Works the company that manufactured the Pyrex line had sold the name to another company in the late 90s and there were reports of this newer glassware exploding/breaking. The explosions were a result of the new glassware being made of a different type of glass compared to the vintage Pyrex glassware which was made of borosilicate glass (the same type used in laboratory glassware abused by students and scientists). It was also a result of users not following instructions from the manufacturer (instructions who needs instructions? Uh oh... it blew up).



But some people are used to using the old Pyrex glassware in ways that the newer type of glass would not be compatible with. That type of usage almost always involved thermal shock or rapid change in temperature such as placing hot glassware onto a cold surface, putting hot glassware with burnt-on food into the sink to soak, placing refrigerated glassware into a preheated oven, etc. The borosilicate glass originally used to make Pyrex glassware had a low thermal expansion coefficient which made it more resistant to rapid temperature changes compared to the new tempered soda lime glass now in use. It is understandable that the company had to cut costs by using a low-cost type of glass in order to survive, but they should also remember that consumers have a habit of using their product in a certain way (hey habits are hard to break).



With that problem sorted out, I purchased the measuring cup and read the instructions/warnings before using it.



For most uses in the kitchen, the new measuring cup works great on most types of ingredients. It also has the clear measurement markings in metric and US units plus a comfortable handle similar to older Pyrex designs. The only issue I had was how to measure out boiling hot liquids for something like making Jello because this would mean that the glass is being exposed to a rapid temperature change. The way around this problem is to start with the liquid at room temperature, measure out the amount needed, and heating it up in the microwave. It felt inconvenient to have to wait for liquids to cool for measuring and then reheating it, but I had to break the old routine of pouring hot liquids into a measuring cup.



In any case, this is still a good measuring cup that is still made in the United States (hooray for supporting domestic jobs & reducing the amount of fuel used to transport it to consumers). The measuring cup is made of thick glass with bold, easy to read markings and a solid handle. It is also easier to clean than plastic measuring cups that tend to stain and absorb odors. Just remember not to expose the measuring cup to rapid temperature changes and it should last just as long as any other piece of old Pyrex glassware. Though I still wish Corning or World Kitchen would produce a measuring cup made of durable borosilicate glass.