Sensi-Temp and Corning Ware

[danemodsandy]

In a previous post, I wondered how well the Sensi-Temp burner on my GE J 370 was going to work with my Corning Ware. Corning Ware has very different performance characteristics than metal cookware; a tendency to heat slowly at first, then suddenly reach boilover stage is one common trap for the unwary electric range user.

I am happy to report that a first use of Corning Ware on the Sensi-Temp burner went perfectly. Today, I made a potato-vegetable soup a Bosnian friend told me how to make a couple of years ago; it's a creamy soup with potatoes, ham, carrots, broccoli, cauliflower and carrots. I used my largest piece of Corning Ware; a five-quart casserole in Blue Cornflower.

Sensi-Temp was with me every step of the way, from an initial sauteeing of some onion for the base, to a cooking of first the potatoes, then the vegetables at a gentle boil, to a slow simmer of the finished soup to develop flavor. At no point did I experience any problems; the Sensi-Temp did exactly what I asked it to, the same as if I'd been using metal cookware. The soup, when made on previous occasions, had to be watched closely to prevent boilover, with sudden moves to a cooler burner sometimes becoming necessary. The Sensi-Temp burner made it a "set it and forget it" proposition - very easy.

It was interesting to use both sets of temperature settings for this project; Sensi-Temp has Fahrenheit temperature markings for sauteing and frying, and a set of "Boil" settings for cooking with liquids - "High - Medium - Low - Sim." The temp markings were used for the sauteing of the onions, then the Boil settings were used for the rest. Perfect results at every point.

So, I think I'm over any collywobbles I had about the Sensi-Temp burner; it has proved itself on a cookware that can be a bit tricky.

And the soup is delicious. [this post was last edited: 12/3/2013-20:59]

 

[alr2903]

Sandy, I am so happy you had a positive experience with your new GE and Corningware. My aunt's Flair has the words boil, fry, etc.(as well as the actual temp in F) I do know the last time I made mashed potatoes at her house. I put the pan on cold turned the "heatminder" way up to like 350, when it was red hot I lowered the temp to the L in the word BOIL. They came right up to a rapid boil and dropped down to a nice steady boil. I know the GE and Frigidaire radiant tubes are different animals but I see you are finding your way. I use her stove only infrequently, it is nice to know where on the dial you can trust the heat without a boilover and messy cleanup. As you say, "Set it and forget it". I would imagine these "known" safe spots can vary on the dials of identical ranges. Anyway best of luck.
Arthur

 

[danemodsandy]

Arthur:

What I'm finding very impressive about the Sensi-Temp burner is that it can handle very different cookwares and cookware capacities in its stride. Yesterday's soup was a five-quart pot, and the Sensi-Temp took perfect care of it. But it also does that with one grilled cheese sandwich on the griddle, or one fried egg in a little pan.

What's also notable is the lack of drama - you dial what you want, and the burner comes up to that temperature and stays there, without a lot of obvious cycling and clicking.

I cannot understand why this technology has fallen out of favor - you would think that consumers would be demanding it in droves.

 

[alr2903]

Sandy, I doubt many out there without the appliance bug would know how to use the temp controlled burner. Lot's of folks out there have never seen one. I guess if you never had it you do not miss it. I am so happy that you are enjoying yours.
Arthur

 

[abcomatic]

A silly question perhaps ?

I have 3 Corningware skillets. Here is my question. Can you use Corningware on top of the burners and not just for use in the oven? It won't crack etc. if you use it on the stove top? I have a gas stove and an electric stove. I can use it on both stoves without worry of cracking? Thanks for your answers. Gary

 

[danemodsandy]

Hi Gary:

Vintage Corning Ware made of Pyroceram and current Corning Ware made of Pyroceram are safe for stovetop. The material can go directly from your freezer to a burner turned to "High," no damage. This is because Pyroceram is very, very resistant to heat stress. This is true for both gas and electric burners. In the days when Corning Ware was actually made and sold by Corning, there were ads showing one-half of a piece of Corning Ware frozen into a large block of ice - and a blowtorch being used on the other half that was sticking out of the ice.

BUT - and there's always a but - not everything marked Corning Ware nowadays is made of Pyroceram. The current owners of the Corning Ware trademark, World Kitchens, have begun putting it on non-Pyroceram items made of stoneware, which is not safe for stovetop use.

You have to be careful about reading instructions if there is any doubt on newer items. If you stick to vintage Corning Ware, you'll have no problems with freezer, refrigerator, oven, stovetop, or dishwasher.

I would suggest a visit to the Corelle Corner page, www.correllecorner.com , to become more familiar with classic Corning Ware. The site has a wealth of vintage Corning Ware ads and Use & Care Guides, too.

So long as the Corning Ware you're talking about is Pyroceram, you have absolutely nothing to worry about with stovetop use. Pyroceram's resistance to thermal shock does not change with age, so vintage pieces are just as safe as newer ones. I have pieces going back to the early 1960s, all of them in un-pampered (though cared for) daily driver use.

Here is a link to the Wikipedia article on Corning Ware, with more info:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CorningWare

 

[petek]

After about a 2 month wait I finally found a replacement lid for my 8 inch casserole this morning (50 cents) at the Bibles for Missions thrift..

It's great stuff. I wonder why it sort of fell out of use.

 

[danemodsandy]

Petek:

The reasons for Corning Ware falling out of favor are many.

The biggest, in my opinion, was the 1960s "space age" appearance of the original product. By the '70s, popular taste was turning to things that were more traditional-looking. Corning tried to counter this trend. They introduced new, "homier" patterns such as Spice O'Life. For a time, this was successful; Spice O'Life was wildly popular.

But then people began demanding a traditional look for more than just decoration - they wanted the entire product to look traditional. Corning countered that demand with French White, a product based on the look of traditional French souffle dishes.

French White was successful and popular, but it created an unforeseen problem. The shape lent itself beautifully to casseroles, but not stovetop pieces like skillets. This lack of pieces obviously intended for stovetop use, in my opinion, diluted what the Corning Ware brand stood for - resistance to thermal shock - and caused consumers to forget that Corning Ware was also safe for stovetop use.

That left Corning Ware positioned in the marketplace as an oven-safe line of casseroles, so far as the public was concerned. Since Corning Ware was much more expensive than earthenware or oven glass (Pyrex, Fire King, etc.) and did not perform any better in the oven than they did, consumers had much less reason to buy Corning Ware than before. The regular line of Corning Ware was still available, but French White was what got all the ad dollars and display space, so it was what people began to think of as "Corning Ware," not the regular "P"-series and "A"-series cookware.

There has always been a core body of savvy, enthusiastic Corning Ware users who bought (and still buy) the "A"-series Corning Ware based on the original 1958 designs, but Corning lost the effectiveness of its brand message reaching new consumers a long time ago. World Kitchens slapping the "Corning Ware" brand on items that are not stovetop-safe hasn't helped.

Note that Corning Ware made of Pyroceram is still available through World Kitchens. Current production is made in France; the Charleroi, PA plant that made it in the good old days is now making other products.

 

[tomturbomatic]

I'm glad Sandy's worked on the Sensi-Temp

I don't think Corning Ware fell out of favor as much as the manufacturers realized that the stuff was sort of immortal and almost indestructible. Therefore, they did not need to make any more since there was enough to last as long as people cooked. It does seem weird that as microwave cooking took off Corning Ware took a powder.

One unusual property of Pyroceram is that it does not spread heat sideways very well at all; worse than cast iron. I have actually seen a pancake made in a Pyroceram skillet on an electric surface unit with a raw hole in the middle. That was why the special heating and thermostatic technology with the ribbon heating elements was needed to make the Electromatic skillets cook evenly. It generally gave more even results over a gas flame than a sealed rod electric element although it does well on glass top radiant units. I still use some of my huge horde in the microwave but always hand wash the Pyrex lids so that they don't degrade.

 

[danemodsandy]

Tom:

I think Visions was also a factor. Visions is made from a variation of Pyroceram, though differences in the manufacturing process cause it to be translucent (amber-brown at first, then Cranberry, a truly wretched color) instead of opaque white.

On Visions, Corning was very, very careful to promote stovetop use beginning with the basic design. Pot and pan handles were integrated into each piece, so that they looked like cookware, not casseroles.

Visions had quite a vogue there for a while, until customers learned how temperamental glass-ceramic cookware could be on a stovetop in the hands of the unskilled, which is most people. Real kitchen stores generally would have nothing to do with Visions, due to the product's limitations. Department stores, of course, didn't care.

Visions drained sales away from Corning Ware, and all those pissed-off customers were just a bit less likely to choose a Corning product again. It added up to more erosion for a brand that was starting to slide.

 

[petek]

I jumped on the Visions bandwagon when they were fairly new.. Hated the stuff and relegated it to the back of the cupboard. When we moved back here I can't remember if I threw it out or donated it. Don't care really.. horrible product.

 

[davey7]

FYI it's www.corellecorner.com

Thanks for the link!

 

[polkanut]

<span style="font-family: 'courier new', courier; font-size: 12pt;">I stumbled upon this website this morning while looking for something else.  They also have a link to a sister site that sells flatware.</span>

http://www.corellecollector.com