Corelle Dinnerware For The Rest Of Your Life By Joan Young on - Updated Oct 15, 2011
We've had this Corelle for about 30 years. It has survived three boys, hundreds of other teenagers, and many, many falls to the floor. Over that time only 2 plates have ever broken, and one bowl has a small chip.
I seriously think that you will get really tired of the pattern on Corelle dinnerware long before it wears out. Unlike the strategy of “planned obsolescence,” Corning Glass decided to create a product that would really endure. The leaders in the glass industry developed a way to laminate glass, and just as plywood is stronger than a plain board, the layered glass is incredibly sturdy.
With constant use over 30 years, only 3 items have failed. One plate broke in the dishwasher long ago. I suspect that it might have been one that had been somewhat stressed from a number of trips to the floor.
The most interesting and possibly alarming thing that happened was that I had put a stack of plates in the cupboard and closed the door. About 30 minutes later we heard a strange noise and went to the kitchen. One plate, in the middle of the stack, had exploded. That might have been serious if it hadn't been in a closed cupboard.
And one bowl has a slight chip in an edge. I have no idea when that happened, but it's not sharp.
Mine is the ‘”Old Town” pattern, which is basically a variation on the classic Blue Onion design. It also comes in various shapes and dozens of patterns and colors.
Corelle is lightweight, and feels nice in the hand and to eat from. The colors in the patterns don't fade hardly at all. To be honest, there is only one piece out of the 45 or so (plates, bowls, serving bowls) that we started with that looks any different from the rest.
They are microwave and dishwasher safe. The only things you shouldn't really do is move them quickly from heat to cold or vice versa, and don't use metal scrubbies on them because they can scratch.
I have noticed when I see the stack in the cupboard that the edges look a little grayish- just not pristine any more. Well, they have a right to be a little bit tired after constant use for 30 years!
The company offers a 3-year warranty on regular Corelle and 5 years on the Vitrelle 2 products. Replacement pieces for discontinued patterns are available to order.
16-piece starter sets run about $40 at current prices.
You can't ever go wrong with Corelle for everyday use!
About The Author:
Corning Glass Corelle Dinnerware Purchased at: various Price: various
The store i work in has hard tile floors and cement under them, i have dropped these dishes on the floor, and they just bounce, no chipping, or shattering!
I think they look so sweet. I really love the durability factor too. The Corning factory is actually about 45minuets from where I live and it is really neat there. You can take a tour and they even have special events where you can make your own glass something. Hmmm... I should go there to do a review! Thanks for the idea...lol.
Ally- I grew up not far from there myself and have toured the facility many times. It is a truly awesome educational and artistic experience!
I like Corelle pieces; their designs are simple but really beautiful.
I have ancient Corelleware, too. They used to offer a lifetime guarantee that if one of their dishes broke, they would replace it for free. I took them up on that guarantee when one of my bowls broke a few years after I bought the set. It took a couple of months, but they did replace the bowl. Since then, I've broken all but two coffee cups, that I still use today because they're my favorite cups, and I've broken about half of the dishes. I'm waiting for the other half to break before I buy a new set :-)