Customer Reviews

CorningWare 6109785 French White 12-Piece Bake and Serve Set

5 star:		(12)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(9)

 

 

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.

The pattern is very attractive and can be used with any decor, but this stuff is not, repeat, really not, what people mean when they say "Corningware."

Le Creuset can do most of the above mentioned, but it being metal you cannot use it in the microwave. 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.

I would give this product zero stars if I could.

For those who are not familiar with the original U.S.-made glass/ceramic Corning Ware, this cheaply made substitute may seem like a good deal. For those of us who still have pieces of the original Corning Ware, this product is a horrible substitute.

World Kitchen bought the brand in the late 1990's, promptly "redesigned" the product, and shipped manufacturing overseas. WK is trading on the reputation of Corning Ware while offering a product that bears no resemblance to the original in versatility or durability.

I'm switching over to Pyrex. It is an excellent product and manufacturing is still done in the U.S.

From it's inception in the late 50s until Corning, Inc. sold its kitchenware division, Corningware meant pyroceram. Originally used for rocket nose cones, Pyroceram was, and is, something of a miracle material. It is not only heat resistent, like pyrex, but also resistent to huge changes in temperature (you can take it from the freezer and put it on the stove without fear of breakage.) This is just crockery, which is why so many reviewers have complained that pieces arrived broken. In contrast, real pyroceram Corningware was virtually indestructable. I understand that you can get real pyroceram on ebay. Also, check out yard sales. I understand it is still sold new in Asia. What a shame that this wonderful product has been replaced by an inferior imposter.

My wife and I received this item as a bridal shower gift. They sat for a year while we lived in a small apartment, and we were excited to finally use them. Well, as we used each peice, we began to realize that none of the lids fit properly. For us, the whole purpose of getting these was to store leftovers without having to use plastic wrap or aluminum foil. Well, unfortunately, we still have to use plastic wrap or aluminum foil. What a waste.

Update:

When I contacted customer service to explain that the ldis do not fit, I received the following email:

From: Consumer Help Center
Subject: WK FAQ Web Site - Question
To: "Chris McDaniels"
Date: Friday, February 5, 2010, 1:59 PM

Dear Chris,

The glass covers the come with our Corningware casseroles are not designed to seal. They are designed to sit along the rim / lip of the dish. If the dish shifts or is tilted to the side the cover may slide off. There will be a variance between the glass cover and the dish and this allows for ventilation so that a vacuum seal does not occur.

For further assistance, please contact our Consumer Care Center at 800-999-3436. Representatives are available from 8am to 6pm Monday through Thursday and 8am to 5pm on Friday, EST, and will be more than happy to assist you.

Sincerely,
April
World Kitchen Consumer Care Center

Now, don't get me wrong; I was not looking for these to form a seal. I am a reasonable person. I do, however, expect the lids to fit somewhat properly, and not slide off if the dish is shifted, as the customer service representative suggests will happen. So, I suppose, by this customer service representative's own admission, you should only use the lids if the dish is not going to be moved at all, or you risk the cover sliding off. Save yourself the headaches, and buy something that is made with quality in mind, from a company that has even the slightest desire to see that their customers are satisfied.

But don't buy this.

I bought this product based on the years of use I got out of several pieces given to me when I first moved out of the house and got my own apartment. I didn't bother reading any reviews as I thought I was familiar with the product. Boy, was I wrong. This new stuff ain't your mother's cookware. I read the reviews After buying it. When the item arrived I quickly opened it and saw it now says Stoneware and Made in China. The older pieces I have say Corning Ware on it, were made in USA, and look like milk glass, thinner than this new, heavy white stoneware.
The name on the box says Corning Ware, a name you can trust, but its not the special tempered glassware I thought I was buying. Its corning ware in name only. I'm returning it. I really feel cheated.

I bought this and it was 34 bucks with free super-saver shipping. I was like, what do I have to loose? Great price! It arrived VERY quickly but to my dismay, two pieces (both 2.5 qt containers) were broken! I called corningware and explained to them what happened. They quickly sent via Fed-Ex 2 replacement pieces. Overall, it still was a great buy and I am VERY happy!

I bought this set at another store at half price because the box was damaged (all the pieces were fine). I had been thinking about getting the set for a while, but most stores had it for $59.99 and I thought that was a little high. Amazon's price is much better.

I am thrilled with the versatility and astetics of the French White CorningWare. I have baked several caseroles and deserts in these with perfect results. I like that I can take the dish from the oven to the table and they look very nice with my other white dishes and serving sets. I like the timeless look of all the white which wont look dated in a few short years. After a meal it is extremely handy just to pop on a lid and place them in the fridge. They also wash up very nicely. I usually hand wash them due to thier size, but from time to time I have put the pieces in the dishwasher and they come out fine. I always make sure to put the plastic lids on the top rack so they done melt and they have not warped at all.

These also work great in the microwave. I was in a hotel for 6 weeks for work and picked up a second set (smaller) of these to make things in my room. I boiled spagetti noodles in the microwave with good results. Also, the sauce did not stain at all. I also made some salads with a lot of galric and ginger and stored it in one of these with the plastic lid and I was very pleased that the smell did not stick to the dish or the lid afterwards.

Overall, the only complaint I have is that all of the dishes don't come with lids. You can buy some lids on Amazon though, so that helps.

I would definately purchase this again and am actually planning to purchase a few more pieces in other sizes.

This is not the original CorningWare, do not be fooled by this pretenderware. The original could go on the stovetop, the oven, the refrigerator and the freezer. This product is cheap and worthless. Do not buy!!!

THis product arrived in the oringal box, not inside a bigger box with padding. So of course there were broken pieces. The company had no replacement, so i sent it back for a refund. Didn't get the refund after a whole week, had to contact amazon and cooking.com to ask where the refund was, still haven't gotten it......

Wont order things from Cooking.com again.

I can not rate this product because I gave it as a gift. I have a comparable CorningWare bake and serve set that I love. Great for baking and tabletop serving.