Pattern Profile: Winter Frost White (1970)

Winter Frost White has been available continuously since 1970 when Corelle Livingware was first introduced.  There are other 'patterns' of undecorated Corelle with different rim shapes, but a Winter Frost White plate can be identified by its coupe shape which rises smoothly from centre to edge with no step-up to a flat rim.

As the most basic design in the Livingware line, the largest selection of Vitrelle is available in this pattern.  Generally the more unusual Corelle shapes are more easily found in Winter Frost White, including: 9½" oval plate, 6 oz deep bowl, divided plates, 6¾" & 7¼" shallow bowls.  The latter two pieces, plus the odd-sized 7¼" coupe side plate are from the mid-1990s.

Suprema Mug (flared), Corelle Hook Handle Cup with Saucer.

Certain 34 piece sets exist with the name Just White on the box.  It is not clear why a different name should be used in this case, but it is certain that the majority of boxed sets and all open-stock pieces are still labelled as Winter Frost White as they have been for decades.

The Pyrex Compatibles range for Winter Frost White is limited to a few Tabletop Ware accessories only.  Plain white ovenware & nesting bowls were not purposely made to match Winter Frost White, but from the 1950s to the 1980s, various Pyrex items were produced in undecorated opal Pyrex, including: 400-series nesting bowls, pie plates, cake pans, loaf pans, 022/023 round casseroles, 1063 divided dish, and 501 & 502 refrigerator dishes.

On the Corning Ware side, there is a wide selection of basic white cookware dating from the 1960s through to the 1980s, identified as either White or Just White.  Shapes include regular square cookware as well as round Buffet Servers.

Corelle 6 oz Deep Bowl, Pyrex round-bottom Cup with Saucer. 

(Photo below right: Corning Ware 6 cup teapot, White or Just White.)

Corelle Dinnerware:

Dinner Plate (10¼")
Luncheon Plate (8½")
Side Plate (7¼")
Side Plate (6¾")
Saucer (6¼")
Divided Dinner Plate (10¼")
Divided Luncheon Plate (8½")
Pie Plate, Multi-Dish (10¼")
Oval Plate (9½", rimmed)

Centura Cup (round-bottom, 8 oz)
Open Handle Cup (6-7 oz)
Pyrex Cup (round-bottom, 8 oz)
Suprema Mug (flared, 9 oz) * 

Dessert Bowl (10 oz, 5-3/8")
Soup/Cereal Bowl (18 oz, 6¼")
Shallow Bowl (8½", coupe)
Shallow Bowl (7¼", coupe)
Shallow Bowl (6¾", coupe)
Flat Rim Soup Plate (8½")
Deep Bowl (6 oz, 3¾")
Deep Bowl (12 oz, 5")   
Deep Bowl (28 oz, 6¼") 
Rimmed Bowl (4 oz, 4-5/8")

1 Qt Serving Bowl (8½")
2 Qt Serving Bowl (10¼")
Oval Platter (12½")
Open Handle Cream & Sugar

(Photo above right: Shallow bowl, 6¾")

* This mug shape, with a slightly different handle, has been used more recently for plain white stoneware mugs.  These have been sold in open stock, but have not been included in boxed sets.

Pyrex Compatibles Tabletop Ware:

Cream & Sugar (new style - large)
Napkin Rings (clear undecorated, not labelled as Winter Frost White)
Margarine Dish

Pyrex Pitchers:  Certain pitchers were available undecorated with white plastic lids.  The Pyrex name and product warnings are printed in white on, or near, the bottom.  There may be other styles and sizes not included in this list. 

Juice Pitcher:  1 Qt & 1½ Qt (open handle)
Beverage Jug:  '1½ Qt' 56 oz (no handle, rippled neck)

Open Handle Cream & Sugar, 1 Qt Serving Bowl in Winter Frost White.

Notable Absences:

1410 Mug
Cream & Sugar (old style - small) **
Salt & Pepper
Gravy Server
Butter Dish ‡ 

** Although the original small Pyrex cream & sugar set was not packaged and sold as Winter Frost White, it is theoretically possible to assemble an appropriate set.  Both pieces are restaurant ware shapes and these were very occasionally available without decoration.  The bowl's original purpose was as a bouillon cup (no lid), so a cream & sugar set could be completed with a spare sugar bowl lid. 

‡  It is unknown whether there are genuine undecorated opal Pyrex butter dishes.  They do not appear in catalogues, but a small number seem to exist.  But it is possible that these examples used to be turquoise Butterprint until their pattern washed away.  A Winter Frost White Pyrex Butter Dish in its original box would prove its existence conclusively, but one has never been seen.  In contrast, patterned ones in original boxes do appear frequently.  So far, the issue cannot be proven one way or the other.
 

Others:

Usually in this paragraph, the products of other manufacturers are discussed.  This hardly seems applicable in the case of Winter Frost White, because with no pattern there is nothing to prompt an association with Corelle. 

But some Gemco pieces do exist in plain white, and they were probably made in response to Winter Frost White since their style and shape place them in the correct time frame, early to mid 1970s.  Gemco's pattern name was "Pristine White".

Anchor Hocking's Placesetters Collection also included a plain white pattern choice.


Related Articles:

Centura Cup (1970)
Open-Handle Cup (1972)
Pyrex Cup (1981)
Suprema Mug (1986)
Plate Styles: Coupe
Soup Plate Pattern List
Pie Plate Pattern List
Pyrex Juice Pitchers & Jugs
1972 Catalogue
1974 Advertisement
1976 Brochure
What is Suprema?

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