Guacamole on the Half Shell? - My P-Series Shell Oil Avocado Medallion Collection

In late 1970 or early 1971 (it is not known for sure which date is correct) the Shell Oil Company's Credit Card Division began offering a special pattern of Corning Ware to it's card carrying customers.  The "Macrame" pattern, as it has become known, was available in either Avocado Green or Cornflower Blue until 1974.  Thus, the pieces available span the P-series as well as the A-series cut over in 1972.  This brings on a few problems when trying to determine exactly WHAT pieces were made.

Personally, I have a deep seated love for the P-series era of Corning Ware anyway, so I only collect pre-1972 pieces. It helps that the Petite pans, Pie Plate, Roaster and Loaf pan retained their P-series designation, even during the A-series era, post 1972.   Thus, there are technically MORE P-series pieces than there are A-series ones.

Thus far, I have been able to find the following pieces in Green Macrame......

This includes the P-2 1/2-B, the P-9-B, the P-41 Petite Pans, the P-332 Roaster, the P-315 Loaf Pan as well as the P-81 and P-82 Menu-ettes.  Sadly, I know the P-83 out there as well, cause I sold one 3 years ago on Ebay. (I can be SUCH an idiot sometimes!)

As far as the infamous 2 books are concerned... Neither mentions the Menu-ettes at ALL.  The P-309 Pie plate (I know for a fact it exists in blue) isn't mentioned either.

However, Kyle lists a P-1.5/A-1.5, a P-10/A-10 skillet, an A-84 (4 quart), though he states that it's a 5 quart.  Which means he's talking about the P-34.  (Very confusing, I know) He also mentions the P-43 Petite pan, but doesn't mention the P-41s which are in my photo above.  I would have thought it might be a typographical error in the book, but I have seen a photo of a P-43 petite on the corellecorner.com web site.  Randy & Debbie mention the roaster and the loaf pan, along with 2 covered saucepans, but not the sizes, as well as a skillet and a petite pan (instead of both sizes). 

The basic point, is that I don't think anyone knows for sure which pieces were actually made in this pattern.... I don't think they made the large roasters (P-21 & P-76) but you never know...   As I stated, neither of the books mentions the Menu-ette set or the pie plate, so your guess is as good as mine.

As far as the A-series pieces go, I know that production included an A-1 1/2-B as well as an A-8 skillet (I have them for sale on Etsy right now.)

Where is your Corningware??
~~

Wonderfully Winsome Wheat - My W-Series Wheat Menu-ette Set

Yes, it is official now.   The Corning Ware Menu-ette Set was manufactures in the infamous Wheat pattern.  I have tracked down all three of them over the last few months.  It all began with the W-81 (the 1 pint P-81-B menu-ette) that I found in Medford, OR.   The "hunt" began, though I was worried that it may have just been a promotional piece and that the full set have never been produced.

Success!

It is interesting to note, that the W-81 & W-82 both have the 1960s marks on them.....

While the skillet has the later 1970 mark on it with the little Cornflower and "For Range & Microwave" added.

This only shows that the Wheat pattern lasted at least until 1970... though not past 1972 when the A-Series began.  Since none of the books mention a definitive timeframe of production, nor do they list which pieces were produced.  Wheat is still kind of an enigma.

Where is your CorningWare??
~~

The Corningware Menuette - Quartet or Duette?

In 1966, Corning released the Menuette set....

Originally only a trio, the set consisted of a 6 1/2 inch skillet, a 1 pint and a 1 1/2 pint pans.  At the time, these were a revolution in Corning, for all of these pans had permanent handles sticking out of their sides.

The P-81-B with P-81-C lid.... 1 Pint (2 cup/16 oz)

The P-82-B with P-81-C lid... 1 1/2 Pints (3 cup/24 oz)

The P-83-B with P-83-C lid... 6 1/2 inch Skillet... (which is perfect for steam-basting eggs BTW)

Then, in 1978 (though one source claims it was 1971), there was a newcomer that stormed onto the scene....  the P-89-B, again with a P-81-C lid.  My assumption is that the decision was made to add this little guy to the product line since the 1 quart Saucemaker (P-55/P-64) production ended in 1978.  The 2 quart model (P-65) left the scene in 1970. This new saucepan is significantly smaller than 1 or 2 quarts, that is for sure.

This dapper fellow was really a P-82-B with a molded spout on one side.

This had an effect on the amount the P-89 could hold, reducing it's capacity to a mere 1 1/4 Pints (2 1/2 cups/20 oz).  Right smack dab in between the P-81 and the P-82.

And the Trio becomes a "Quartet".....  1 Pint, 1 1/4 pint and 1 1/2 pint saucepans with a 6 1/2 inch skillet.

Though technically, the P-89 was never sold as a "menuette", it was paired with the 6 1/2 skillet (P-83) and sold as a "Duette" set.

Menuette/Duettes were available in, what I like to call, the "legacy patterns", being the 60s & 70s.  So be on the lookout for good old Blue Cornflower, seen above, and Spice O' Life, Floral Bouquet, Country Festival, Wildflower as well as the Blue and Green Macrame made for Shell Oil and the Blue Snowflake/Five Pointed Star design made for American Oil.  (Sorry, no Black Trefoil, Renaissance, Platinum Filagree or Natures Bounty)  There are even some of the Christmas designs done in the individual pieces from menuettes, but not as a whole set. (sad)

The "menuettes" as a whole disappeared from the market in about 1983. However, when Corning released the RangeTop line (as opposed to current "Stovetop" line or the late 70's "Rangetoppers" - This is another post) they included a .5 Liter saucepan... basically the P-81-B along with the 1.5 & 2.5 liter saucepans.  It received a new designation as the S-81-B...   So far I have seen Shadow Iris, Pastel Bouquet, Country Cornflower and Peach Floral which places the designation switch to about 1983.

To make matters more confusing, the P-81 showed up again in the Peony pattern that was available in 1989, then it disappeared again.

Where is your Corningware??
~~

Give Me an N!! Give Me an S!! What Does That Spell? Confusion - 70's Rangetoppers vs 80's Rangetop Saucepans

I found yet another find the other day and decided that I should do an exposé to clear up any possible misconceptions out there in Corningware-Land.  It has to do with the saucepans; more specifically, the round saucepans with handles that are shaped like the Visions saucepans.

There are 2 types of round Corningware saucepans.

Rangetoppers, (all one word) with aluminum clad bottoms, and regular ones that do not (have an aluminum clad bottom that is) called RangeTop (minus the "pers")

You would think that it would be fairly straight forward, but it's not.  The problem is that not all Rangetoppers have a "Clad" bottom.  (sigh)   My assumption is that the exposed aluminum was blackening after being run through the dishwasher as well as rubbing off when abraded by certain cleaning methods.  Thus, Corning's answer was to "embed" the aluminum in the bottom.  These are fairly rare, as I think this was shortly before the line was discontinued, but they ARE out there.  There is no way to differentiate these pieces from regular saucepans by looking at the bottom, cause the white pyroceram conceals the aluminum.

This is my 1 1/2 quart (N-1 1/2-B) with the exposed aluminum bottom. Which is what I made the Tomato & Bechamel sauces in awhile back.

This is my recent find, a 2 1/2 quart Rangetopper (N-2 1/2-B) with the aluminum embedded under the pyroceram glass.

This is where knowing your codes comes in handy.  ALL Rangetoppers are marked under the handle with an "N-standard #-B".  They will also say "Not for Microwave Use", regardless of what the bottom looks like.  True, microwave browners contain "metal" as well, but Tin Oxide (tin rust) reacts a little different in the microwave than raw Aluminum does.

The Rangetop Saucepans, on the other hand, were produced AFTER the Metric switch over.  These are designated with an "S-decimal #-B" because they are in Liters and not in the Standard Quart measurements that had been used previously.

This is my mothers S-1.5-B in Shadow Iris.  Meaning it is a regular non-Aluminum containing saucepan that is 1.5 liters as opposed to 1 1/2 quarts.

The model numbers for these pans are found in the same location as those of the Visions line.  Being, embossed on the top of the handle.

Now I would say that the "S" stands for "saucepan", and that may be true, since V was used for Visions, F was used for French White and W was used for the Wheat pattern.  That would not explain why an "N" was chosen for the Rangetoppers though.  I assume that "R" was out of the question because it looks too similar to a "P" and "A" for aluminum was already taken by the post-1972 main product line.  Why not "T"?  or RT, since Corning chose K & KA for their Flat Ground bottom Cookmate line.  Then again, K & KA are not derived from "Cookmate" either...  So who knows how they came up with this stuff.
 
Oh, incidentally, though I do not have one, I have seen them in the thrift stores on occasion, though they are usually in a pattern that I do not collect like Country Cornflower or Spice of Life.  The S-2.5-B or 2.5 liter saucepan has a lug handle opposite the long handle so you can move the saucepan with both hands.

(Photo Courtesy of eBay)

I should clarify that this information regarding S & N model numbers has nothing to do with the Menu-ettes; being the 1 pint (P-81-B), 2 1/2 cup with pour spout (P-89-B), & 1 1/2 pint (P-82-B) saucepans as well as the 6 1/2 inch skillet (P-83-B).  The Menu-ettes never switched from their original "P" designation just like the Petite Dishes (P-41 & P-43), even after 1972 when the larger pieces had their model numbers converted to "A".

Gratuitous picture of Rangetopper Saucepans (This is how the instruction materials suggest storing them, instead of placing one pot down inside the other.)

Now, if I could just find the 1 quart (N-1-B) and a 5 quart (N-5-B) and maybe the 10 inch skillet (N-10-B)  The search continues.......

Where is your Corningware??
~~