Tea Time! - My P-series Cornflower Collection (Part 5)

I am not really that much of a tea drinker.  Oh, on occasion I enjoy a cup of fresh Ginger Tea or a antioxidant rich Green Tea. When it comes to black tea I love Earl Grey (such a classic) and first flush Darjeeling.   But I really don't brew tea very often.  But that does not mean that teapots gather dust.  Oh no.  They are usually employed to warm stock when I am making Risotto, or in heating milk for Hot Chocolate... Even warming Apple Cider.  Yes, they get a severe workout regardless.

Back Left: P-105 (8 cup)  Back Right:  P-104 (6 cup) with tea strainer   Front: P-103 (3 cup)

I also ran across the P-106-N a few weeks back (which is also a 6 cup) though this is technically a coffee pot.  The P-106-N originally came with a plastic cone that fit in the top for making "pour over" drip coffee.  Alas, bereft of the drip cone, it does duty as a teapot as well.

This is the Deluxe Tea Kettle (P-57).

Which, incidentally, has the same lid as the original Buffet Servers (B-1 & B-1 3/4), though the knob on top is different.

Magic Bananas!!!!  See?

The P-57 Deluxe Teakettle isn't really designed for brewing tea per se. It is a Kettle after all.  By definition (and design) a Kettle's sole purpose is to heat the water; water which is then taken to the teapot for brewing the tea. 

Though the tea strainer came with my P-104 Cornflower teapot, when I actually brew tea, I prefer to use my English Pyroflam teapot.

I think it's much more fitting.

Where is your CorningWare??
~~

Drip, Drop, Drip, Little Coffee Showers - Using a CorningWare 8 cup Drip Coffee Maker

I love me some coffee...  I adore coffee....  I love coffee so much that I collect coffee brewing paraphernalia.  I adore coffee so much that I work in a Coffee/Bakery shop.  I swear, coffee literally runs through my veins.  All this espresso exposure has given me a new appreciation for various extraction methods and how they can bring out the best, or the worst, in coffee.

Truth be told, aside from a beautifully freckled shot of espresso marked ever so lightly with foam (a real Macchiato), my favorite brewing methods, in order of deliciousness, are Siphon (Vacuum Brew), French Press, Moka Pot, Drip, and Chemex (which is technically drip, but a manual process with a thick paper filter)

Sadly, Corning never made an espresso machine.  While I have seen designs for one, they never actually produced a Siphon brewer, though companies like Silex and Cory contracted with Pyrex for their flame resistant glass parts.  They never tried to copy the Moka Pots from Italy either, though they did mold the glass for the Chemex brewer, again from Pyrex glass, but it was still not CorningWare.

Luckily, aside from the Percolators which Corning is famous for, they decided to make some additions to their successful line of teapots.  Thus it was that the P-104 (6 cup) and the P-105 (8 cup) were partnered up with Pyrex Glass water globes with stainless steel plate and basket attached to the bottom to form a semi-manual drip coffee mechanism.

Tis a thing of beauty if you ask me.  Not that Corning's Percolators aren't pretty... I have 5 of them, but everyone knows how to use a percolator.  I still use one when I go camping. (though I will admit my dad has this interesting Coleman drip coffee maker thing that sits on the Coleman stove and somehow it drives a pump that moves water up a tube and drips it over the grounds into a pot, just like an auto-drip, but without electricity.  It still blows my mind.)  But, I am digressing.........

So how does one go about using one of these things?  Well, let me give you a run through.

This particular set consists of a P-105/P-118 teapot that is technically 8 cups as in 2 quarts or 64 oz... The Pyrex glass globe is marked as 8 cups, however, the cup measurements on the globe are actually 5 oz "coffee cups" so what you end up with is about 40 oz of finished coffee, which is really about "6 cups" if you measure them as 8 oz.  Did that make sense?  There is a stainless steel basket that screws to the bottom of the globe to hold the coffee grounds, and a black plastic Water Flow Control Valve that prevents the water from flowing into the grounds prematurely. (this piece is REALLY important)  These above globe parts can be used with any of the P-105 teapot regardless of pattern. (though I am not sure how many different patterns were printed on the 8 cup P-105 teapot)

So, let us begin...  First, fill the teapot with fresh, clean, cold water and place it on the stove over medium-high flame.

Place a thermometer (any kind will do) into the pot so you can monitor the water temperature.  First rule of good Coffee is clean equipment, second rule of good Coffee is fresh clean water at the right temperature.  The water should be about 203-207 degrees and absolutely positively never ever any hotter than that, or your coffee will be over-extracted and bitter. (This is the same as for French Press)

Once the water gets to about 150-170 you can begin with the assembly of the rest of the brewing mechanism.

First, wet the grounds basket with water. (this will prevent some of the finer grounds from sifting down into your brew, though it doesn't stop all of them)

I usually use 1 slightly rounded Tablespoon of Auto Drip grind per cup of coffee I am brewing.  Thus, to make a full pot it takes 8 slightly rounded Tablespoons of Coffee. (This is Peet's Major Dickenson's Blend)

Rinse the Globe with hot water to condition it, though it is made of Pyrex, and perfectly safe to pour 207 degree water into, but I like to at least heat it up slightly so the water in the globe stays at about 202-205 while brewing.

Screw the filter basket onto the bottom of the water globe.

OK, grab the Water Flow Valve.....  This little chunk of black plastic is VERY important... I see a lot of these globes listed on eBay without this valve piece.

Place the Water Flow valve into the globe to prevent the water from filtering through the grounds prematurely. (you'll see what I mean in a little bit)

Now your drip mechanism is all ready to go.

When the water has reached 203-207, remove the teapot from the flame.

Pour the water into the globe up to the 8 cup mark (the black plastic Water Control Valve keeps the water IN the globe and not all over the counter)

Pour any extra water into the sink.

Using the built in handles at the top of the water globe, move the globe onto the hot teapot.

Tilt the Water Flow Valve to one side to break the seal and lift it out of the globe, allowing the water to begin trickling through the Coffee grounds and into the CorningWare Teapot. 

I cannot stress the importance of the Water Flow Valve enough.  While it's true, that you could set everything up and simply pour hot water from a different kettle into the mechanism and let it drip through, the CorningWare teapot the coffee is dripping into will not be hot. (unless you heat it up as well)

That is the key to success with the CorningWare Drip Coffee Maker, heating the water in the teapot heats up the pot itself and, being CorningWare, it holds on to that heat during the drip cycle, assuring you a piping hot cup of coffee that is between 190 and 200 degrees when all is said and done. Which is still PLENTY hot.... Hot enough for a Law Suit, as McDonald's found out.

It will take about 4-6 minutes for the water to drip through the grounds... and what you are left with, is a pot full of deep, dark & rich elixir.

Yes, I know, it's not technically 8 cups... But the globe "cup" markings are "coffee cups" being about 6 oz instead of 8oz, so you end up with about 48 oz of coffee.  Any more and the bottom of the basket would be setting in the liquid and that would lead to over extraction and a bitter, muddy flavor.  

mmmmmmmmm I really wish you could smell this right now.

And THAT, my friends, is how to use a CorningWare Drip Coffee Maker.  The 4 cup globe and 6 cup pot are similar in execution... The water flow valve is designed a little different, but the premise is the same.  Because the filter basket hangs down into the teapot, you can really only make about 4 cups of coffee with the 6 cup teapot.

Where is your CorningWare??
~~

"My Collection" Monday - A Bevy of Beverage Makers

I am very excited.  I asked a couple weeks ago for all y'all to send me pictures of your Corning Ware collections and Max, in Arizona, has the honor of being the first "My Collection" Monday post.

He sent me a picture of all his Beverage Makers.  An awesome collection of Cornflower pieces....

From left to right...  3 cup Teapot (P-103), P-57 Deluxe 2 quart Tea Kettle, 6 cup Teapot (P-104), in the back looks like a P-119 Range Top Percolator (9 cup) and in front of that, a P-116 Range Top Percolator (6 cup) then a beautiful 8 cup Teapot (P-105) with the Drip Coffee Globe (P-118-U) which when originally sold with the accompanying teapot, it was re-numbered as P-118-B instead of P-105. (a little information tidbit).  On the end is the 6 cup Range Top percolator (P-166). 

Last, but certainly not least, 2 awesome Cornflower Blue Coffee Mugs made of Suprema Ceramic Glass. Suprema, while still a ceramic glass, is made of a slightly different formulation than the original Corning Ware formula or the Centura formula. These were released as part of the 35th anniversary celebration of the Cornflower in 1993 along with the "Cornflower" Corelle pattern (made of Vitrelle laminated glass).

An AMAZING Collection, I must say.

Thank you for sharing, Max.

So hey everybody, where is YOUR Corning Ware??
~~

Villainous Vitrification - Turning your Corningware into Obsidian

So, the other day, while I was struggling to clean a particularly stubborn stain from the inside of a 2 quart teapot (P-105), the proverbial "light bulb" went off over my head.

This teapot is pristine on the outside, not a mark, not a scratch.... nothing.

Inside, however, is a different story.  Oh, it's clean....   Especially after I finished with the Barkeepers Friend and then heated up Oxyclean in it and let it soak for 24 hours... But there were still grey "spots" in the bottom.  Thinking they might be hard water stains, I then soaked with CLR for 24 hours.  They were still there.  So, in desperation I decided to try the Pfaltzgraff Cleaner, even though I was pretty sure that they weren't utensil marks... How would you get utensil marks in the bottom of a teapot?  Especially round blotch utensil marks.  Well, the Pfaltzgraff cleaner didn't do anything either, the spots are still there......

So, I took a closer look at the 2 annoying spots in the bottom.

Closer...

A little closer..... 

THERE, that's close enough.  Can you see it too?  Is it translating well in the photos?  The "grey" looks like it's slightly translucent.  You can still see "white" swirled around within this translucent spot.   My working theory is that these are spots that have vitrified.

OK, maybe I should take a step back for a second and do a little explaining.

When you melt something like, say Sugar, on the stove and it becomes an amber liquid, then you pour said liquid onto a sheet pan and allow it to cool, you have not only formed a hard caramel, you have "vitrified" sugar.  Basically, creating sugar glass.  This happens with rocks as well.  Obsidian, for all intensive purposes, is a vitrified "rock".  ALL rocks, when exposed to intense heat, will vitrify to some degree.

All it really means is that something is melted and cooled in such a way that it remains in an amorphous state instead of re-crystallizing.  Some amorphous mixtures allow more light to pass through them than others.  Such is the case with a mixture of Sodium Carbonate (Soda), Calcium Oxide (Lime), and Silicon Dioxide (Silica Sand); better known as Soda-Lime Glass.

Corningware is based on the DE-vitrification of glass.  Meaning, that it is purposefully crystallized to make "Ceramic-Glass".  This, however, happens after the glass has first been formed and is in an amorphous state. 

The difference is that the glass used to make Corningware has been "seeded", in this case with Titanium Dioxide, so that when the glass piece is heated treated, after the initial forming, the Titanium Dioxide forms millions of little nuclei.  This nucleated glass is heated again and crystals form around the nuclei.  The amount of crystal growth depends on the temperature it is heated to and the duration of the heating.  There you have it, the purposeful de-vitrification of glass.  Pyrex Opal Glass uses some of this same principals but the crystal content is significantly less than that of Corningware, being less than 10%.  Pyrex Tempered Opal Glass (as in mixing bowls and such) are also not formed of Borosilicate, it's a tempered Soda Lime Glass (always has been) and, I believe, it is seeded with Tin Oxide.

In the case of this teapot, I think that it was boiled dry one too many times on the stove, and these areas have UN-crystallize, turning back into glass. Basically, its vitrified.  At least in those spots.  Mind you, this is made of "Borosilicate" low expansion glass to begin with, so I don't think it really harms anything.   It just looks weird on the inside.

As far as why it is ONLY on the inside and not on the outside, I think that has to do with the way that heat moves through and radiates from an object... There were, more than likely, minerals in the water that was being boiled dry that may have had something to do with it as well.

But my theory doesn't extend any further at this point, and I honestly think I pulled a muscle in my brain as it is.   ;-)

Where is your Corningware??
~~

Custard alla Corningware - Baked Breakfast Custard

I have been running into a bunch of vintage French White Corningware pieces lately don't have model numbers on the bottom.   First the Loaf Pan and, what I can only guess to be, a 13x9 Lasagna Dish.  NOW I have run across 12 ramekins.

These aren't the standard F-16-B 16oz ramekins that you usually see.  They are tiny little 4oz ones, that have "4oz - 115ml" printed on the bottom.  The only other indicators on the are the "Made in USA" and "Corningware" labels.  No "F-something or other-B" or any other such alpha-numeric indication of what piece it is.

I don't really have use for 12 ramekins, but at .50 cents each, I went ahead and purchased them all; then gave 4 to my aunt.   It was just too good of a deal to pass up and since I had no idea that they ever made ramekins this small in pyroceram...

Sure I have seen them in stoneware all over the place.  In fact, World Kitchen makes 7oz as well as 24oz sizes.  Alas, up to this point, I have never seen them in vintage pyroceram.

This morning, armed with the perfect sized ramekins, I decided to make some comfort food.  Simple baked custard is one of my favorite breakfast foods.  Lightly seasoned with nutmeg and not too sweet (I like my breakfast custard a little less sweet and more on the refreshing side, thus I only use 1/4 cup sugar most of the time)

Growing up on a goat dairy, and having chickens as well, left us with an abundance of both milk and eggs. Thus, we ate a lot of custard when we were kids.  Mom use to bake a gigantic bowlful of it. (I think it was even a Pyres bowl)  She would set the bowl in the middle of the table and we would simply scoop out a bunch with a big spoon.    Ah, memories......  Honestly though, making custard in individual size means shorter baking time and easier serving.  I'm just sayin'  ;-) 

Baked Custard

2 cups Whole Milk
Pinch of Salt
3 large Eggs
1/3 cup Granulated Sugar
Nutmeg for Garnish
2 quart Tea Ketle (P-105)
1 quart Saucemaker (P-55-B/P-64-B) 
French White Lasagne Pan (no "F" model number) or F-21 Open Roaster
French White 4 oz Ramekins (no "F" model number)

Preheat oven to 350F degrees and position the oven rack in the center of the oven.
Fill a 2 quart Teapot with fresh water and place over medium flame, bringing the water to a simmer.

Set six (4 oz) French White Ramekins into a French White Lasagne Pan (or an F-21 Roasting pan) or other  large baking dish.

Place Milk, along with a pinch of Salt, into a 1 quart Saucemaker and set over medium heat.

Place Eggs a medium bowl (That is a Pyrex Forest Fancies 402 1 1/2 quart, BTW).

Add Sugar..... (If you like your custard a little less sweet, go with 1/4 cup instead of the 1/3)

Whisk until thoroughly combined.

When steam wafts from the Milk, it's ready.

Slowly pour the hot Milk over the Egg/Sugar mixture, whisking constantly.

Strain the resulting mixture back into the Saucemaker, for easier pouring. (I always strain custard to make sure the chalaza is filtered out)

Fill each of the 4 oz Ramekins a little over 3/4 full (up to the flare on the rim) and place back in the lasagne dish.

Sprinkle with freshly grated nutmeg.

Move the lasagne dish to the oven rack.

Carefully pour the hot water from the 2 quart Teapot into the Lasagne pan.

(fill past 1/2 way, this will protect your custard better)

Cover with Aluminum foil to prevent the custard from forming a crust.

Bake for 20-25 minutes.... The outer edges should be set, while the center should still be slightly jiggly.

Remove the Lasagne dish from the oven.
Remove the Ramekins from the hot water, immediately, with canning tongs. (Best thing ever invented!)

Place the ramekins on a cooling rack and allow to come to room temperature (about 1 hour)

Cover with plastic wrap and chill for 2 hours. (you may store custard for up to 2 days)

mmmmmmmmmm  Comfort Breakfast Food!

Where is your Corningware??
~~