Sunday, July 7, 2013

Fortuitous French White Finds - Square Loaf & Lasagna Pans; Who Knew?

As a collector of French White (the REAL stuff) I am often frustrated by the fact that World Kitchen continues to manufacture the design in stoneware.  Thus, my hunt for vintage Pyroceram pieces has become a quest fraught with intoxicating highs and devastating lows.  I am often overcome with excitement upon catching sight of a piece in a thrift store aisle.  Object sighted, I fight my way through a throng of people comprised of little old ladies trying to trip me with their canes, children with runny noses touching everything within reach in order to spread whatever current plague outbreak has occurred in their school, and some strange man who is scratching his nether region in public... eww!  Finally, reaching the item of my desire, I turn it over, only to find a fireing ring.... Curses!   Another piece of stinkin' cheap stoneware.   ARGH!!!!!!!

But, I continue this exercise in futility, for moments like this one.

Behold!  Feast your eyes upon 2 pieces of French White that I thought only existed as stoneware.  At least, up until now, every time I have looked at one of these peculiarly shaped pieces, they have always been made of stoneware.   

Historically, French White pieces are Round or Oval... Not so with these oddly square shaped dishes.

The 3 quart (2.85 liter) Lasagna pan..... (13x9x2)

The 1 3/4 quart (1.66 liter) Loaf pan....... (9x5x2 3/4)

Neither one of them has an "F" model number on the bottom, which is also odd.  They simply have their measurements.  There is a raised ridge on the bottom, but it is no an unglazed firing ring like the stoneware pieces...  It's a little odd looking, but they really are pyroceramic Corningware.  I couldn't get a good picture of it, but you can see the glass ripples in the bottom. 

I wonder if the Consumer Products Division was in the middle of revamping their long running French White line, in the late 1990s, when they were suddenly sold off to World Kitchen and the big switch to stoneware was made?

Where is your Corningware??
~~

5 comments:

  1. You make me chuckle. Love the visual you painted with your words of a typical thrift store experience.

    Denise K.

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  2. It looks like the French White II (2006 - 2012) collection was modeled after those pieces.
    http://www.microwavecookingforone.com/Corningware/CorningwareFrenchWhiteII.html

    I wonder if the French White III collection was made in Pyroceram before they launched it in stoneware too?

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  3. Just found the loaf pan at salvation army for 2 dollars

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  5. A decent arrangement with regards to cookware is the blend between materials, for example, the three layer Stainless Steel cookers, where the external layers are a hard, safe Stainless Steel yet the center layer is a warmth directing, proficient, Copper or Aluminum layer. ceramic frying pans

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