Can You Microwave Pyrex? (Find Out Now!)

Pyrex has been manufacturing top-of-the-line kitchenware for years, and few, if any, can measure up to their track record. One of the most appealing qualities of Pyrex kitchenware is that it’s heat-resistant.

Sure, Pyrex kitchenware can withstand high heat, but can it be used in the microwave? After all, the microwave heats in a unique way. Let’s find out!

Microwaving Pyrex shouldn’t give you any issue, but you should be aware of the Pyrex’s temperature before you put it in the microwave. If the Pyrex is extremely cold when it goes in the microwave, this sudden switch from hot to cold could cause the Pyrex to crack, shatter, or explode. Otherwise, Pyrex is reliable kitchenware.

Pyrex has explicitly endorsed using its products in the microwave, though they acknowledge you should avoid “shocking”. If, for example, you take a Pyrex dish out of the freezer and immediately stick it in the microwave, such would be shocking; the dish is going from one extreme temperature to the other in a very short amount of time.

And it’s not just the microwave. You should avoid pouring hot water in cold Pyrex and avoid placing cold Pyrex on a hot surface, like a cooktop or stove. Glass products—as well as products made of other materials too—can crack and/or shatter when they go through shocking, and such is why you should avoid this when using dependable Pyrex.

Pyrex is definitely sturdy glass, but even this can’t handle a rapid temperature change in most cases. Uneven, quick expansion will most likely result in breakage of some kind. But aside from shocking, Pyrex can endure a lot. No wonder it’s been sought for decades!

Microwaving Pyrex—when the Pyrex hasn’t been sitting in the freezer for the past several hours—is a different story completely. You won’t have anything to worry about when you do this, and such can’t be said for products made of other materials.

Pyrex has always stood by the durability of its products, and they’ve definitely shown that their products can withstand the test of time. But one still needs to follow the manufacturer’s recommendations when using Pyrex, or else they could subject their Pyrex to a situation that it can’t handle.

When it comes to microwaving Pyrex, you don’t have any cause to worry about melting. Pyrex is constructed using borosilicate glass, and this reinforced material can not only withstand microwave heat but oven and stovetop heat as well. This glass is made of silicon and boron, and this combination creates a toughness that other glasses can’t deliver.

But what’s especially great about Pyrex is that even though the glass is durable, this doesn’t come at the cost of practicality or appearance. You can have a kitchen full of Pyrex products and get durability along with visually appealing consistency.

According to the company, Pyrex melts at 1510°F or 820°C. Most appliances in the kitchen can’t heat to even near this level, so you really don’t have to worry about melting when you’re using Pyrex. Even if your microwave was malfunctioning, there’s no way it could reach a temperature of this elevation and destroy your Pyrex.

If you can’t avoid the transition from cold to hot, then you should gradually heat your Pyrex. This applies to Pyrex dishes, jugs, cups, bowls, etc. When pursuing this method, you should avoid setting heating-time increments that are longer than 15 seconds.

After you heat the Pyrex for 15 seconds, take it out and let it sit for a moment. After a brief inspection, pop it back in the microwave for another 15 seconds. If you hear what sounds like crackling, cracking, or someone popping bubble wrap, then you should take the Pyrex out immediately and lower the heating-time increments; 10 seconds will probably be sufficient.

These noises may indicate that the Pyrex is not withstanding the temperature transition well, and the whole item may shatter if you’re not watching things carefully. The longer Pyrex is left to warm naturally after being in an extreme temperature, the less you’ll have to worry about heating damaging it.

In most cases, a cool piece of Pyrex will not pose the same risk that a piece of frosted Pyrex will. In other words, if you’re taking Pyrex out of the refrigerator and putting it in the microwave, you don’t have to worry as much as if you were taking it out of the freezer and putting it in the microwave.

Pyrex is sturdy glass, and while most materials can’t withstand rapid swings from one temperature extreme to the other, it can withstand a moderate temperature change—like the one that would come from a refrigerator to microwave transition.