The "23" was inspired by Michael Jordan, the greatest basketball player of all time, while "Pyrex" was meant to represent the Tupperware used to cook drugs. Playing basketball and selling drugs, he said, were often thought to be the only ways to make it out of the hood.
Pyrex dishes also hide a little secret code: Many contain a three- or four-digit number that corresponds to a specific dish. A series of Mixing Bowls will feature 401 (1.5 pint), 402 (1.5 quart), 403 (2.5 quart), 404 (4 quart). The iconic two-quart green-and-white casserole dish is a 232.
The best way is to look at the bottom of the product. My vintage Pyrex, which is at least 40 years old, and definitely boro-silicate, reads “Not For Lab Or Stovetop Use - Corning N.Y. - U.S.A. - 516 - PYREX.” Newer products made of soda-lime glass do not read Corning N.Y., nor are they made by Corning.
The Bottom Line
Pyrex: Brand name for cookware brand. pyrex: Lowercase indication of containers that should not be heated in the oven or microwave. These are most likely made of soda-lime glass. PYREX: Uppercase label on cookware that is made of borosilicate glass and can be heated in a microwave or oven.
All Pyrex is stamped on the bottom of the dish with this kind of information. It will say Pyrex and have the number and size stamped with it as well. Mixing Bowls, originally uploaded by jenib320. There are two different types of mixing bowls.
If the logo is in upper case lettering, PYREX, it's most likely made of borosilicate, and thus safer. The lowercase lettering is most likely made of soda-lime glass, so take extra care after any high-heat cooking.
Product details
Make cooking, serving and storing easy and convenient using the Pyrex 222 baking dish. Measuring 8 in long and 8 in wide, this baking dish features a clean and elegant look that makes it perfect for kitchen to table top.
Patterned Pyrex—such as the 1956 Pink Daisy or the 1983 Colonial Mist colorways—tend to be valuable as a collector's item. Other popular patterns include the 1957 Butterprint, which features an Amish couple and their crops, and has been valued at a few hundred dollars.
We're all thinking the same thing: Is the Pyrex sitting in my basement worth any money? A few clues in the product's design key us into the possible value: the condition and colorway. You'll want to try and find vintage dishes made between 1915 and 1970, as experts tell TODAY that these are the priciest of all.
How can you tell if a piece is real vintage Pyrex? The secret is simple—check the logo. If the brand name is in all capital letters, it's vintage Pyrex. If it's all lowercase, it's modern.
Baking glassware such as Pyrex dishes in usable condition should be donated to local thrift stores or otherwise reused. If unusable they should be thrown away in the trash. They should not be added to curbside recycling. They are made of a different material than glass bottles and jars.
What Makes Pyrex Special. "Pyrex continues to hold its value because most of us associate it with memories of family and holiday gatherings and memories from their childhood," Wright says. "The vintage designs and patterns of Pyrex evoke a nostalgia, which adds to its value for collectors.
In 1915, the company launched its first Pyrex line (Pyrex combined "pie" and "Nonex") with 12 pieces, including pie plates and a loaf pan. The 8-ounce liquid measuring cup came out 10 years later; early versions had a closed, D-shaped handle and tick marks made out of molded glass.
Vintage Pyrex Stamp and Logo
Flip over your piece and look at it carefully. It will have a stamp that can help you date it: 1940s and 1950s - The oldest Pyrex markings should be on the bottom of glass pieces and feature Pyrex in all capital letters inside a circle with CG for Corning Glassworks.
This dish can be suitable for cooking, baking, storing, heating, and serving various food items. The dish has a classic design and is safe for use in microwave, pre-heated oven, freezer, and refrigerator, and can be easily washed using a dishwasher.
Each Pyrex piece is assigned a model number, though some of the earliest sets of color ware pieces do not have them. Model numbers are typically found on the bottom of your glassware, though sometimes they are located elsewhere—look for them above the trademark on your dishes, and around handles and edges of lids.
One of the ways that collectors know what to look for is the three or four-digit number codes pressed into the bottom of each piece. If you've ever flipped over your pie plate or casserole dish and wondered what all those numbers are about, they're simply product codes that are assigned to each style and size of dish.
The Most Rare Pyrex Pattern: Lucky in Love
The extremely rare pattern on it: Lucky in Love, a 1959 promotional pattern.
It's lasted for decades. If it's all caps Pyrex, it's vintage, made of borosilicate. If it's lowercase Pyrex, it's new. And it's soda lime.
**PYREX® items with CAPITAL LETTERS in the logo are safer**
Corning used a logo with capital letters and so does the French company manufacturing PYREX with Borosilicate Glass. The American company making pyrex® (lower case letters) makes their product from Soda-Lime glass.
Here's where the branding comes in. All-caps PYREX, which is sold and made in France, is still made of borosilicate glass. But any Pyrex that's all lowercase — a recent change in branding — is soda-lime glass, which isn't designed to withstand drastic temperature changes.
The 1980s saw the last designs of Decorated Bakeware, Pyrex's beloved opalware line. The last four patterns produced were Autumn Harvest (debuting in 1979), Shenandoah and Forest Fancies (debuting in 1981) and Colonial Mist (debuting in 1983). Production of Decorated Bakeware ceased in 1986.
Corning later licensed the use of the names PYREX and pyrex to two different companies who now produce the glass cookware. You'll now find cooking products labeled PYREX in Europe, Africa, and the Middle East, where they are still made with borosilicate glass.
All Pyrex is stamped on the bottom of the dish with this kind of information. It will say Pyrex and have the number and size stamped with it as well. Mixing Bowls, originally uploaded by jenib320. There are two different types of mixing bowls.
Pyrex is oven-safe up to 425 degrees. However, direct contact with heating elements can cause the glass to shatter or break. Pyrex is not oven-safe when used under the broiler or in a toaster oven.