The original "French White" Corningware was made of their famous pyroceramic glass, which could be used on the gas stove, put directly in the freezer, put under the broiler right from the freezer, and oh yes, also used in a microwave. And it was very unlikely to shatter if dropped. If you pounded on it with a hammer and nail you might have gotten it to break.
When World Kitchens bought the license from Corning, they decided to halt production of a line of cookware that would take anything and last forever, and dupe customers, especially brides, into thinking the stoneware "French White" was the same thing as the wonderful French White pyroceramic cookware previously available. Stoneware is pottery, like a flowerpot. It's sturdy, but if dropped it will shatter, and if the edge is knocked with a spoon it is likely to chip.Repeated trips to the freezer from the over will eventually cause the glaze to craze.
The pattern is attractive and can be used with any decor, but this stuff is not, repeat, really not, what people mean when they say "Corningware."Which, btw, was much lighter weight than stoneware.
Le Creuset can do most of the above mentioned, but it being metal you cannot use it in the microwave.And it's really heavy. Stoneware cannot go on top of the stove, and repeated trips from the freezer to the oven will eventually cause it to craze and crack. And being stoneware, it will also chip, and break if dropped, etc. Pyrex glassware cannot go on the gas stove although you can take it from the freezer to the oven, and also microwave it.
The only product which could do anything was pyroceramic, and World Kitchens has chosen to remove it from the market because it is "too good."
They have recently brought back a few of the old square shapes, with the Cornflower, or plain white, calling it "vintage," but the French White shape is not making an appearance yet. If you want it, email them and ask for it!
Meanwhile, don't buy this stuff. Get Le Creuset for cooking and roasting (yes it is expensive but it lasts forever and cooks beautifully), and reheat things in Pyrex in the microwave.
Click Here to see more reviews about:
CorningWare French White 9-Piece Bake and Serve SetProduct Description: Corningware French White 9-piece set. Includes 1-each2-1/2-quart round dish with 1-each glass cover, 1-each plastic cover, 1-each2-1/2-quart oval dish with glass cover, 1-each1-1/2-quart open oval dish, 3 eachserving cradles. The recipe for a great dish starts, surprisingly, with a great dish!Corningware French White bakeware proves that when it comes to food preparation, few things are more convenient than baking and serving in one dish.With its classic, fluted design, French White oven-to-table bakeware imparts a traditional elegance that is a perfect complement to any decor. Versatile yet stylish, Corningware French White is simple, from start to finish!
Buy cheap CorningWare French White 9-Piece Bake and Serve Set now
I used it to increase the BTU of my turkey fryer/crawfish boiler. It made a huge difference in the time to cook crawfish. On a side note it dose increase your use of Gas. 72 lbs of crawfish from begining to end took 93 mins.
