Can You Use Pyrex on a Ceramic Cooktop?

History

• The Pyrex brand is best known for Pyrex glass tea kettles, bakeware and casserole dishes. Introduced in 1915, the cookware originally was marketed as being safe for stove tops. Pyrex stopped advertising the products as safe for the stove top when it dropped its popular Flameware line in 1979. Pyrex introduced stainless steel pans and heavy-duty nonstick pans for safe stove-top cooking. These lines are not made with Pyrex glass, although the lids for the products are.

Expert Advice

• Induction ranges such as ceramic cooktops work best with pots and pans made from stainless steel, cast iron or magnetic steel, notes Utah State University Housing and Equipment Specialist Dr. Leona K. Hawks. When using Pyrex metal pans, use only medium to low heat to avoid melting the pan. Discard any damaged metal cookware. It is not safe for cooking.

Warnings

• Never use Pyrex glass products on the top of heat sources such as toaster ovens, campfires or ceramic cooktops. This causes uneven heating of the Pyrex bottom, which can cause it to break. Place Pyrex glassware only in a preheated oven. Never place Pyrex directly on countertops, tables or sinks. Place it on a cooking rack or towel until it cools off. Also, never place Pyrex glass lids directly onto a heat source like a ceramic cooktop.

Considerations

• The brand name Pyrex has become synonymous with borosilicate glass in the public mindset. A consumer asking a store clerk for Pyrex usually refers to the glass products and not the lesser-known nonglass products. Older customers may remember when Pyrex glass products were used on top of stoves instead of just inside stoves. They may mix up Pyrex metal bakeware with Pyrex glass products and use the glass products as they would saucepans or skillets.