December 22, 2025 – A consumer has reported an incident where a Pyrex 9×13 glass baking dish shattered unexpectedly in their oven set to 350F while preparing a Thanksgiving meal. The incident, which occurred on November 26, 2025, resulted in glass shards scattering throughout the oven and the loss of over $100 worth of food ingredients. The consumer noted the dish was at room temperature prior to use and had no visible damage. This report highlights growing concerns among consumers regarding similar shattering incidents with newer Pyrex glass bakeware.
Product Details
Incident Overview
The consumer reported placing a Pyrex 9×13 deep glass baking dish into an oven preheated to 350F to cook a Thanksgiving dish. The dish was at room temperature and had no apparent damage before being placed in the oven. During normal use, the dish suddenly shattered into numerous small pieces, scattering glass throughout the oven interior and contaminating the food being cooked. The incident led to the loss of ingredients valued at over $100.
Following the incident, the consumer conducted research and found many other reports of similar shattering incidents involving newer Pyrex dishes, suggesting a potential recurring safety issue with dangerous consequences. The consumer submitted the report to document this incident as a product safety concern.
Safety Concerns
The shattering of glass bakeware during normal use, especially in a hot oven, presents several significant safety concerns:
- Immediate Dangers: The primary and most immediate danger is the risk of cuts and lacerations from flying or scattered glass shards. If the oven door is opened shortly after shattering, hot glass fragments could cause burns or eye injuries.
- Contamination and Food Loss: As demonstrated in this incident, the contents of the dish become contaminated with glass, rendering the food unsafe for consumption and leading to financial loss.
- Oven Damage: Glass fragments can lodge in oven crevices, heating elements, or fan mechanisms, potentially causing damage to the appliance or creating a fire hazard if not thoroughly cleaned.
- Hidden Hazards: Small glass pieces can be difficult to spot and remove entirely, posing a risk of ingestion if they contaminate other food items or are transferred to kitchen surfaces.
- Unpredictability: The sudden and unexpected nature of such incidents, even with dishes at room temperature and without visible damage, raises concerns about the reliability and safety of the product under typical kitchen conditions.
- Manufacturer’s Perspective on Tempered Glass: While the manufacturer notes that tempered glass is designed to shatter into smaller, less sharp pieces as a safety feature, the event of spontaneous shattering itself remains a significant safety concern for consumers, due to the unexpectedness, the force of the breakage, and the immediate clean-up required.
What Consumers Should Do
If you own Pyrex glass bakeware or similar products, especially newer models, and are concerned about potential shattering incidents:
- Immediate Steps After an Incident: If your glass bakeware shatters, do not attempt to clean it while hot. Allow the oven and glass to cool completely. Carefully remove large pieces, then thoroughly vacuum the oven interior to ensure all small shards are removed, paying attention to hidden crevices. Do not consume any food that was in the dish or near the shattering incident.
- Check Your Product: Identify if you own Pyrex tempered glass bakeware, particularly newer dishes. Review the care and use instructions that came with your product.
- Prevention Measures:
* Always ensure bakeware is at room temperature before placing it in a hot oven.
* Avoid sudden temperature changes, such as placing a hot dish on a cold or wet surface, or adding cold liquids to a hot dish.
* Do not use glass bakeware on stovetops, under broilers, or in toaster ovens unless explicitly stated in the manufacturer’s instructions.
* Inspect your bakeware for any chips, cracks, or scratches before each use, as even minor damage can weaken the glass and increase the risk of breakage.
* Avoid using abrasive cleaners or metal utensils that could scratch the glass surface.
* Always follow the manufacturer’s specific care and use instructions diligently.
- Reporting Procedures: If you experience a similar incident, report it to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) at SaferProducts.gov. You should also contact the manufacturer directly to report the incident and inquire about product replacement or further investigation.
Manufacturer’s Response
Corelle Brands LLC, d/b/a World Kitchen, provided a detailed response on December 15, 2025, to the consumer’s report:
- Lack of Inspection: Corelle Brands stated that the consumer had not contacted them directly, submitted the glassware for inspection, or responded to their attempted contact. Without inspection, they could not verify if the product was indeed manufactured by Corelle Brands or determine any potential defect, misuse, or other cause of failure.
- Compliance with Industry Standard: Corelle Brands asserted that their glass bakeware is manufactured in compliance with the applicable industry standard set forth in Chapter 24 of the Cookware Manufacturing Association Engineering Standards for Cookware and Bakeware.
- Consumer or Retailer Misuse: The manufacturer suggested that in their experience, consumer misuse, failure to follow instructions, or retailer mishandling are the causes of the majority of glass product failures industry-wide. Examples included hitting the glass, improper cleaning, stovetop use, placing a hot dish on a wet or cold surface, adding liquid to a hot dish, improper stacking by retailers, or using in a too-hot oven. They believe misuse could have contributed to this incident.
- Tempered Glass Bakeware Explanation: Corelle Brands explained that their glass bakeware is tempered (heat-strengthened). Tempering is designed to strengthen glass and, in the event of failure, cause it to shatter into many smaller pieces, which they describe as a safety feature to prevent serious injury. They state the consumer’s report of shattering into many pieces indicates the product failed as designed for tempered glass, rather than evidence of a defect.
- Warnings Provided: The manufacturer highlighted warnings in their care and use instructions, stating that “Failure to follow these warnings may cause the product to suddenly fracture into many small pieces… Scratches… can weaken bakeware causing unexpected breakage when exposed to sudden temperature change.”
- Product Safety Record: Corelle Brands emphasized that it has never had any of its products recalled by the Consumer Product Safety Commission.
Corelle Brands verified the accuracy of its comments and requested their publication in the CPSC database.
Legal Help Available
If you or a loved one has been injured by a defective product or suffered property damage due to a product malfunction, you may be entitled to compensation. The experienced product liability attorneys at Farzan Law understand the complexities of defective product cases and can help you navigate the legal process.
Contact us today for a free consultation: 424-325-3112
Our legal team has successfully represented clients in product liability cases involving defective appliances, automotive defects, medical devices, and consumer products. We work on a contingency fee basis, which means you don’t pay unless we win your case.
Note: This information is based on incident reports provided by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission. If you find information that is incorrect, please contact us immediately so we can correct the post to reflect accurate information.
Disclaimer: The information provided in this post is not intended to be legal or medical advice. This article is based on publicly available incident reports. The incidents mentioned have not necessarily been independently verified or adjudicated.