The Magical Exploding Glass Baking Dish! KA-BOOM!!!

Actually, I was standing right there. I was EXTREMELY fortunate that I was not cut by any of the flying glass or burned from the grease! From what I've been reading and now that I've been reminded of an email I received a long time ago, Anchor-Hocking is notorious for exploding ever since the Chinese took it over and began making it with cheap materials. I actually looked on the packaging before I bought it to see if it was made in China. Since it did not say anything about China, I thought it was okay to buy. I can't believe they are still selling this stuff in this country!!! They were sued because they were notorious for exploding! And yet, we still buy them, they're still being imported. Unbelievable! Now, about using this thing, Saturday was the first time I had ever used it. I did not have it in the refrigerator before putting it in the oven. I took it out of it's packaging, washed it, then prepared the dish and put it in the oven. It exploded because of the defect built into it by the Chinese. I will not only NEVER buy Anchor-Hocking again but I plan to go back to the store and put notes on every single Anchor-Hocking product telling people that these things have a high probability of exploding. If I can keep even one person from being hurt by this inferior and dangerous product, I'll be happy.

Oh, it also calls for butter but I use the healthiest choice of margarine that I can find instead of butter. It works just fine.

Oops, sorry, I put that last response in the wrong comment. Sorry!!!

There were no precautions on the label, junrapmian. I read the entire labeling because I was looking to see if these dishes were made in China. I do not buy things that I know are made in China because they are almost always made very cheaply and are far inferior to our USA made products. I would have bought anything from any other country, actually, just not China. The label said nothing about being made in China but I have since learned that these Anchor-Hocking products are. I also learned that they make these glass products with the least expensive material possible which is why they are so unstable. The only thing I can do now is to remember to never buy Anchor-Hocking products again. I will NOT be using the ones I do have now, not for what they are intended for. I might use them under plants to contain the runoff when I water them or to start seedlings in them but I will NEVER put any of them in the oven again, ever! We were extremely lucky that no one was hurt. I don't want to take the chance on getting hurt if this would ever happen again so I won't be using these products. I think I'll do like you do and use metal/aluminum baking pans from now on.

Aha! So, it's a problem with Anchor-Hocking! You know, you may have sent me that email but, with my memory, ahhh well. All I could remember, when this happened, was reading something about not heating water in a microwave. I had looked all over the packaging when I bought these dishes to see if it was "made in China" because, if it had said that, I would NOT have bought it. I'm trying very hard to eliminate everything from my life that I buy that comes from China and replace them with American (or Canadian ) made products. I've just decided that I'm going back to the store where I bought these and tape a note to every one they have on the shelves for people to be warned about the possibility (or probability) of them exploding. It may not stop people from buying them but it might. I might save even one person from getting those same cuts on their face as you did or even worse if they don't wear glasses. Spring is trying to spring here, too, but winter keeps poking it's nose in. Yesterday was 64 but today it's in the 40's and raining and we may get SNOW on Saturday! Grrrrrr! We had one day in the upper 70's already and I was in heaven! My daffodils are all up and most are in bloom. Hyacinths and tulips just recently poked through the surface but aren't ready to blossom yet. My forsythia bush is in full bloom. When the time is right, I plan to take cuttings from it to root and, hopefully, get a lot more forsythia bushes. I THINK I have successfully rooted a bunch of Ranier cherry tree cuttings. They're showing green growth so I'm hoping they're rooting. I've been watering them with water I've had willow branches sitting in (natural rooting hormone) so I have my fingers crossed. I LOVE Ranier cherries. More seeds? Umm, well, not really. I just gave some of my seeds to a friend of mine, although they were mostly veggie seeds, only a few flower seeds and none of what you gave me. I still have a few that you sent and I HOPE they'll grow this year. We've had such horrible weather the past two years! First too wet, then too dry. This year looks to be better. I not only have a few of what you sent me but I bought others to grow those flowers with the pretty seed pods to sell to florists and craft shops. I may even be able to sell some seeds to small bakeries around here. Hmmm, actually, if you have more of them I could use a few more. We've been talking with the neighbors about "prettifying" our property on the other side of the road. It slopes steeply but I think flowers should do okay there. Are you still allowed to grow them? I checked into it here and, although it's not quite allowed, heads generally turn in the other direction when they're being grown for the seed pods or seeds. I'm going to attempt to grow those shell vines that I bought seeds for. If they grow, I'd love to send you some of those seeds. I remember you saying how much you like those vines.

don't worry about Zayzay, i'll take care of him. if i can't make it, Bebie will surely be in to the rescue.

Oh, I forgot to add one thing, I love you guys, too! Take care and tell Zayzay his Auntie Marti knows when he's being a little devil () so he'd better be that little angel we all know he can be!

Marty, After reading the other responses, if there is a faulty cookware dish then it should have been removed from the shelf. I agree the first place is to contact the Anchor Hocking people and explain your experience. Then go from there. I miss so many of you but am not well so hopefully things will get better soon. Love Ya Leenie

YES!!! I do have the receipt!!! THANK YOU for mentioning that. I hadn't even thought about the receipt! Awesome! I'll definitely be contacting Anchor-Hocking and also contacting Walmart's headquarters (that's where I bought these things) and express my dissatisfaction at their continuing to sell these things even after they have been deemed "hazardous" by the FDA! Yep, they have. When the FDA gets involved in things like this and says they're hazardous, I listen! I just wish I had read that before I bought them. Oh, well, better late than never, huh? Metal pans for me from now on!

Wow! I'm sure glad to hear that no one was in the room when that glass broke! Someone could have been hurt seriously! You were all very lucky!!!

Thank you very much, dc. That was an unexpected, but very nice, compliment! I try to write so that everyone feels they're right there with me. (I've been working on a novel for about 10 years now. LOL) After I wrote this discussion, I did some research and learned that these Anchor Hocking bakeware dishes are notorious for exploding. (They use the word "shattering" but this thing exploded!) They were even sued because of the numerous cases of this happening and lost the suit, yet they continue to sell these inferior products. Ever since the Chinese took over the company, the quality went way down, using inferior products and manufacturing techniques. I will never buy any of these glass bakeware dishes ever again. Even though I like them less, I'll be using metal pans from now on.

Sad thing is that most of the other options aren't much better. Everything's being made overseas of infirior quality now.

You know, I specifically looked for "Made in China" on the packaging before I bought it because I will not intentionally buy anything from China. I didn't see that anywhere. NOTHING indicated that these were being made in China, yet they are. There must be a code somewhere on the packaging that means that it's made in China. Yep, as soon as China took over this company (originally American), they began using inferior (the cheapest possible) materials to make the glass which, of course, leads to the potential for hazard. I learned that they have been sued because of this problem, and lost. How they are still selling these things is beyond me and why any American company would be selling them, well, it just hurts my brain to try and comprehend. Even the FDA has deemed them to be hazardous. From now on, I don't buy anything until I've researched it online first! I will definitely NOT be buying any more Anchor-Hocking products!

Wow! thanks for the link. Bet the recipe is terrific! It will probably be a while before I use it due to finanaces. Once I get my bills paid, it's high on my list. Thanks!

Hahaha! Well, yeah, picking the chicken up off the floor is not the ideal way to eat this dish, especially when it's full of glass. Someone else asked me for the recipe and I found it online, even though I got it long ago from a magazine. It's really easy to make, assuming you don't have or use an exploding baking dish. Here's the link for it if you really would like to try it: http://www.cooks.com/rec/view/0,1639,149183-238192,00.html There are a lot of varieties of this dish but this one is the one I always make. It really does taste great! If you do make it, let me know how you like it!

This one came from Walmart, Cats, so be careful when buying any glass bakeware from there! They apparently sell all brands, at least the ones that aren't extremely expensive. They do sell Paula Dean stuff there, though. That's a bit pricy but it looks so nice! LOL I won't mention the dishes that belonged to your husband's late mother. My lips are sealed! My hubby came complete with a bunch of stuff his ex had bought and left with him and I always hated that stuff, too. Slowly, ever so slowly, it's been "disappearing". I'm not upset that she bought it, I just can't stand the looks or colors of everything she bought. (Most things were red and I am an "earthy color" kinda gal.) After reading some of the comments here, I looked up Anchor Hocking and learned that, ever since the company was bought by a Chinese company, they've been using inferior materials and manufacturing procedures to make them. The older ones were much safer, although anything made from glass or ceramics can be dangerous. But, the FDA has deemed Anchor Hocking products and also Pyrex made after 1998 to be "hazardous". I'll be using metal pans from now on. If I need an extra pan every now and then, I'll just get one of those disposable aluminum pans. I'd most likely wash it and use it at least one more time because I hate throwing anything away like that with only one use and they do make those aluminum pans very strong. I hope you're doing well these days and your infection is all cleared up! I remember how bad a time you had of it awhile back.

Note to self: hang on to those older pyrex dishes!!!

Hi yoyo. I doubt they'll improve the quality. I have recently learned that Anchor-Hocking, since being made in China, has been sued for this very problem and lost, yet they continue selling these inferior, hazardous things. I have also just learned that the FDA has deemed them hazardous. That's good enough for me! I won't be buying anything from them ever again. I don't care how much of a hurry I'm in, it's not worth risking my health! The other pan I used is Pyrex. I've had that forever and never had a problem with it or any Pyrex dish I own. I like them and also Corningware. Paula Dean has her own brand of ceramic baking dishes and they look nice but I haven't heard anything, good or bad, about them. I'll wait until the reports come in on that before I buy any. I will be sending a complaint to Anchor-Hocking but it will most likely just end up in the trash (on their end) since they probably get complaints every day. Apparently, they don't care who they hurt or maim. That's another very good reason for me to NEVER intentionally buy anything from China again.

Yes and that's the sad part. Sometimes, we simply cannot make our American-made products cheaper because of the quality of what goes into them. Other times, it's pure greed on the part of our American retailers. It is very sad that we can't afford our own products, as a whole. There's something in the Constitution that states, "for the people, by the people." Sadly, our American motto really looks like it's "Every man for himself." If we could only come together as one people, one country and help each other this country would be a much better place and easier on the wallet for everyone. I'd LOVE to see every American buying only American but that's just not going to happen because, as you said, we simply cannot afford them. This is one reason I refuse to go to any sports games or even watch them on TV. The players get paid WAAAAAY too much money, way more than any human could ever need. Yet, those who continue to buy tickets, even though they complain about the price of those tickets and usually complain about not being able to afford other things, are paying the salaries of those sports figures. I think that is the most ridiculous thing I've ever seen, especially with the economy being so bad these days.

Ceramics or clay seem to be safe although I'm careful about not buying those that are heavily painted. You never know what's in the paints anymore. The sad part about all of this is that we're going to see more and more goods coming out of China. People do realize that the American made products are of better quality but they're more expensive and with everyone's pocketbooks getting flatter and flatter, they are going to be buying the cheapest.

Geez, I'm sorry! I never even thought to do a search to see if this type of discussion had been done before! Now that I know, I'm telling everyone I can about it. I've even gone so far as to go back to the store where I bought these things and put post-it notes on some of the Anchor Hocking products, warning anyone who is thinking of buying one about the potential hazard. I learned that the FDA has deemed anything made by Anchor Hocking as being hazardous. My other Anchor Hocking dishes are now going to be delegated to my gardening stuff. I'll use them to put under plants or to start seedlings in. That's the ONLY way I'll be using them from now on! Metal pans for me from now on, too!

oh no worry. mine was 3 yrs ago and people really needs to be told about or reminded of this over and over, lest someone either dont know or has forgotten. good to help- keep our friends safe

Hey Opal! I have done some research and found out that the Chinese took over the company not too long ago and, ever since then, the quality and safety has dropped dramatically. They use cheaper materials and manufacturing processes than they used to be made with. The FDA has deemed them to be hazardous! These things have exploded in the oven, in the sink, right after being hand-washed, after having cooled down enough to be handled, any old time. I will NOT be using the other ones I bought with this one that exploded. I'm using metal pans from now on. I also filed a complaint with Anchor Hocking. I doubt they even read these things because they sure get enough of them but at least it made me feel better. Since they don't care who gets hurt (it could be a child or baby!) or how badly so they're not going to care about my complaint. It's so sad that the standards have dropped so dramatically since we were little, huh? Back then, people took pride in making quality, SAFE products.

Hi momma. I found out that this problem is inherent in Anchor-Hocking products. They were also sued because of it (and lost). Since the company was taken over by a Chinese company, they began using inferior materials to make the glass which, of course, leads to the greater potential for a dangerous situation. Why we continue to import these things is something I just can't wrap my brain around. I will definitely not be buying ANY Anchor-Hocking product again.

As i said before i had replaced most of my pans. I never heard anything like this till i did. I switched because of the fact that i started eating from the pans. Thats is also why i leave it sit awhile before taking it from the microwave. Im always carefull about temperature changes when moving it. In fact when i get ready to eat from it i place it on top of one of those basket weaved paper plate holders instead of the table top.

Ah, yes, the single life. I used to eat out of pots when I didn't feel like messing up a plate or bowl. Leaving them in the microwave or oven is an excellent idea. At least if it's going to explode, it won't do it in your hands or right in front of your face. I have since read a LOT of complaints about the same thing happening. It seems that Anchor Hocking company left the US for China. Since then, the manufacturing standards, plus the materials, have been, well, less than safe. Even though they have already been sued because of these things causing injuries, they still manufacture them in the same, substandard way. The FDA has deemed them as hazardous so I will never buy another one. I'll use metal pans from now on.

I've already written to Anchor-Hocking and to the store's headquarters about this. I'm not concerned about getting my money back but I want my voice heard about this dangerous product. After I wrote this discussion, I did some research and found that Anchor-Hocking is now a Chinese company and, ever since then, these products have been produced with cheaper materials and manufacturing processes. The company has already been sued but have still not started making these products safer. What totally amazes me is that our US companies are still buying these imports to sell! I also went back to the store and put Post-It notes on most of the Anchor-Hocking products, saying Do not buy Anchor-Hocking products; deemed hazardous by the FDA and they explode and could blind you, cut you and/or burn you. I'll keep doing it, too! Yeah, yeah, I know I'm a troublemaking rebel.

That store must reeeeeealy love seeing YOU drop by! Post It Notes...hehehe, that's a good one. Mind you, I don't blame you one bit. I'd probably do the same thing. Good for you girl. You tell 'em! cdrxo

Hi Jen. After posting this discussion, I did some research and found a lot of very interesting information I wish I had known before I bought this stuff. The Anchor-Hocking company was sold to the Chinese and, since that time, the standards of the materials and manufacturing process has dropped drastically. They obviously care more about money than they do human lives. They have even been sued because of the frequency of these products exploding ("shattering" is the word they use) but continue to use substandard materials that make these products hazardous. The FDA has also declared Anchor-Hocking products to be hazardous. I have written to Anchor-Hocking already. I know nothing will come of it but I wanted my story to be added to the thousands of exploding baking dishes. These things have exploded while still IN the oven, even if they had not been in the freezer or refrigerator right before. They have exploded after being hand-washed! Whatever the Chinese are doing to make these things, they are obviously much more unstable than they were years before. The older products, the ones made in the U.S. before the company was sold, are as safe as any glass baking product can be. It's just the newer ones that have this exploding issue.

Hi greenfeathers. I couldn't wait to get to your comment because I love your username! Do you raise parrots? I used to raise cockatiels and lovebirds and loved it. I don't have the energy for it anymore and I really miss them. Anyway, you are very correct about the newer stuff. I did some research after posting this discussion and learned quite a lot. Since the company was sold to China, they changed the materials used in making the glass and also in the manufacturing process. This has happened so often that they've been sued but continue to make the products as cheaply as possible. (I would be nice and say "inexpensively" but these people do not care if they maim a child or baby, let alone an adult, so they get no respect from me!) I won't be buying any more of these Anchor Hocking dishes. It's funny, your mentioning buying bakeware at the local thrift stores because I mentioned doing that in a previous comment here. What they have in the thrift stores is more than likely old enough to be made with integrity and pride, not to mention SAFE materials! I sure do miss the days when things were made with pride of workmanship. Where the heck did that go? (P.S. shhhhh, don't tell, but I'm the same age as you so I know you can remember those days, too. )