The Pyrex Compatibles

Family Circle Magazine, November 1972Introduced in 1972, the Pyrex Compatibles product line was designed to complement Corelle Livingware.  It encompasses nesting bowls & ovenware for preparing and baking, as well as serving accessories in the Tabletop Ware range.  Specifically, this includes: 1410 Mugs, Cream & Sugar sets, Salt & Pepper sets, Napkin Rings, Gravy Servers, Butter Dishes and Margarine Dishes.

 

Corelle patterns which include Pyrex Compatibles plus Tabletop Ware are: Butterfly Gold, Snowflake Blue, Spring Blossom Green and Woodland Brown

Just the Tabletop Ware was available for Old Town Blue, but Homestead was a suitable match: "It doesn't go with Old Town Blue exactly; it goes beautifully." 

Winter Frost White includes only a few Tabletop Ware pieces. 

Colonial Mist has matching ovenware & nesting bowls, but no Tabletop Ware. 

Interestingly, Autumn Harvest is not a Corelle pattern, but it does have Tabletop Ware items, the only Pyrex pattern to do so, post 1972.  It is mentioned here by virtue of its connection to the other Compatibles.

 

For Nesting Bowls and Ovenware in a specific pattern click the pattern name at the right.

Butterfly Gold
Snowflake Blue
Spring Blossom Green
Homestead
Woodland
Autumn Harvest
Colonial Mist

 

To see Tabletop Ware pieces for a specific pattern, consult the individual Corelle Pattern Profiles listed at the right. These items are more closely related to the dinnerware than the ovenware.   

Butterfly Gold
Snowflake Blue
Spring Blossom Green
Winter Frost White
Old Town Blue
Woodland Brown
Autumn Harvest


Clear Pyrex Shakers
Clear Pyrex Salt & Pepper Shakers.

 

It is worth mentioning that the Pyrex Compatibles items, even the Tabletop Ware, had a much shorter lifespan than the Corelle dinnerware of the same pattern.  Pattern continuity is a priority in the realm of dinnerware, not so much for bakeware.  If consumer demand was insufficient for a certain Pyrex item, Corning had no obligation to continue supplying it.  It didn't matter if the pattern was still current in the Corelle Livingware line. 

For example, by 1982 Butterfly Gold nesting bowls and ovenware were no longer made, but the Corelle would still be going a decade or more later.  In fact, the only Compatibles still in production in 1985 were 1410 mugs.  The same can be said of Spring Blossom Green.  Pyrex round-bottom cups and cream & sugar sets were more integral to the dinnerware sets and had a slightly longer life, however.  These items technically were in the Livingware line rather than the Compatibles line.  Opal Pyrex ceased production in 1987, but most ovenware and nesting bowls were officially discontinued in 1986.

Precise dates for every piece are not known, but the following estimates may be helpful.  More specifics can be found also in the profile of each pattern; this page is a general overview.  The dates and patterns listed for each set are those with a direct or indirect relationship to Corelle.  Certainly, there are other Pyrex patterns made between 1972 and 1987, but they don't fall within the purview of this site.  As always, the pieces and patterns which are listed here are definite confirmed sightings.  There may be others too.

 

Ovenware & Nesting Bowls:

-400/300 Round and 440 Cinderella Nesting Bowls are perennial items and were made from 1972 until 1986 when the bulk of the opal Pyrex ware was discontinued.  However for the 1970s patterns, they disappeared early 1980s.  Butterfly Gold and Spring Blossom Green were updated with new colours and designs in 1979.

Available Patterns:  Butterfly Gold (Original & New), Snowflake Blue, Spring Blossom Green (Original & New), Homestead (Blue & Brown), Woodland, Autumn Harvest, Colonial Mist.

 

Pyrex Nesting Bowls
Pyrex Round Nesting Bowls.  Four 401's and a 403.

 

-470/480 Round Cinderella Casseroles were available from 1972 and were made continuously until 1986.  As above, the 1970s patterns in this style of casserole were discontinued early 1980s.  Butterfly Gold and Spring Blossom Green were updated with new colours and designs in 1979.

Available Patterns:  Butterfly Gold (Original & New), Snowflake Blue, Spring Blossom Green (Original & New), Homestead (Blue & Brown), Woodland, Autumn Harvest, Colonial Mist.

 

-Baking Pan Sets consisting of a Loaf Pan, 8x8 Pan and 9x13 Pan were there at the beginning, but may have lasted less than four years.

Available Patterns:  Butterfly Gold, Snowflake Blue, Spring Blossom Green.

 

-4 Quart Round 664 Casseroles seem to be available for just a few years mid 1970s.  They were last seen in 1976.

Available Patterns:  Butterfly Gold, Snowflake Blue, Spring Blossom Green, Homestead.

 

-Oval 943/945 Casseroles may have been there at the beginning and the 943 was last produced in 1979.  However, the 945 was not available after 1978 (except as a promotional item).  Initially these had opal decorated lids, but in 1978 they were shown with clear lids for the first time.

Available Patterns:  Butterfly Gold, Snowflake Blue, Spring Blossom Green, Homestead, Woodland, Autumn Harvest.

 

-963 Divided Dishes are an older item, possibly from 1972, but were last seen in 1976.  They have opal decorated non-divided lids and the dish is solid coloured with no pattern.

Available Patterns:  Butterfly Gold, Snowflake Blue, Spring Blossom Green.

 

-500 series Refrigerator Dishes were likely available in the early years, but all the decorated opal dishes were replaced by the clear colourless type in 1982.  For Butterfly Gold and Spring Blossom Green however, they were dropped by 1979.

Available Patterns:  Butterfly Gold, Snowflake Blue, Spring Blossom Green, Homestead, Woodland, Autumn Harvest.

 


Tabletop Ware:

-1410 Mugs decorated with Corelle patterns were first available in 1972.  They were still around mid 1980s, but only in Butterfly Gold and Spring Blossom Green.  This is despite the other relevant patterns still being in production.

Available patterns:  Butterfly Gold, Snowflake Blue, Spring Blossom Green, Old Town Blue, Homestead, Woodland Brown, Autumn Harvest, Summer Impressions (Ginger, Blueberry, Honeydew), Ribbon Bouquet, Burgundy.

 

-The old style small Pyrex Cream & Sugar sets were discontinued after 1973 in favour of the hook-handle style.  It is not known when this first Pyrex style was introduced, perhaps 1972.

Available patterns:  Butterfly Gold, Snowflake Blue, Spring Blossom Green, Old Town Blue.

 

-The new style large Pyrex Cream & Sugar sets were introduced soon after the Pyrex round-bottom cups in 1981.  They were discontinued in 1986.

Available patterns:  Winter Frost White, Butterfly Gold, Spring Blossom Green, Old Town Blue, Woodland Brown, Flirtation, Harvest Home, Spice O' Life, Sunshine, Summer Impressions (Ginger, Blueberry, Honeydew), Morning Blue, Ribbon Bouquet, Burgundy, Holly Days.

  

Pyrex Napkin Rings, Margarine Dish, White Shakers
Pyrex Compatibles Napkin Rings, Margarine Dish, Shakers with white finish

 

-The first Salt & Pepper Shakers from 1972 had a white finish, but the clear style was introduced certainly before 1976.  The shakers were discontinued completely between 1982 & 1984.

Available patterns (White):  Butterfly Gold, Snowflake Blue, Spring Blossom Green, Old Town Blue.

Available patterns (Clear):  Butterfly Gold, Snowflake Blue, Spring Blossom Green, Old Town Blue, Woodland Brown, Autumn Harvest.

 

-Napkin Rings were introduced in July 1974 and were last seen in 1977.  Interestingly they were sold in sets of six; service for four was more usual for Corelle place settings.

Available patterns:  Clear Undecorated, Butterfly Gold, Snowflake Blue, Spring Blossom Green, Old Town Blue.

 

-Gravy Server sets appear to be new in 1978.  They were still available in 1982 but had disappeared by 1984.

Available patterns:  Butterfly Gold, Spring Blossom Green, Old Town Blue, Woodland Brown, Autumn Harvest.

 

-Butter Dishes with Corelle patterns were original from 1972, and the decorated opal kind was dropped between 1982 & 1984.  Other Pyrex Butter Dishes still available in the 1980s were the clear colourless type and the brown clear amber ones from the Fireside product line.

Available patterns:  Butterfly Gold, Snowflake Blue, Spring Blossom Green, Old Town Blue, Woodland Brown, Autumn Harvest.

 

-Margarine Dishes were first seen in 1977 and were discontinued late 1979.  During that time, these dishes were also part of a promotion with Parkay Margarine.  They are just the right size to accommodate the small plastic tubs.

Available patterns:  Winter Frost White, Butterfly Gold, Spring Blossom Green, Old Town Blue.

 

-The open-handle Juice Pitcher was available at the launch in 1972.  Exact dates for the flask-shaped Juice Bottle with slanted top are not known, but that style was definitely seen in the early 1970s with other patterns.  The Beverage Jug was available in 1977, but may have lasted only a couple of years.  The Beverage Jug in a slightly different shape was available again over a decade later.  There are also a great many Pyrex pitchers and jugs decorated with unrelated patterns.

Available patterns (Open Handle Pitcher):  Butterfly Gold, Snowflake Blue, Spring Blossom Green.

Available patterns (Juice Bottle):  Butterfly Gold, Snowflake Blue, Spring Blossom Green, Old Town Blue.

Available patterns (Beverage Jug, smooth neck):  Butterfly Gold, Spring Blossom Green, Old Town Blue.

Available patterns (Beverage Jug, rippled neck):  Country Cornflower, undecorated/white lid.

 

Glas-Snap for Spring Blossom Green - 1972 advertisement-Glas-Snap mugs with a solid-coloured plastic pedestal base were made for a few years beginning in 1972.  They have an 8 oz capacity and are intended for hot or cold beverages.  There are similar Pyrex items called Drinkups with a round spherical shape, but the pedestal footed type was acknowledged to be an official Compatible.  They were described as: "The perfect complement to your Corelle Livingware by Corning."

Available patterns:  Butterfly Gold, Snowflake Blue, Spring Blossom Green.

 

 

Polls

Which section has been most helpful?
 

Pattern Poll

What is your favourite pattern or product line?