Baking in glass is a good thing. Many people are aware of the health benefits of choosing glass over a non-stick surface when baking or cooking. Once heated, non-stick bakeware, will quickly reach temperatures at which toxic fumes release into the air. Those fumes are from PFOA, a toxic chemical linked to a host of health issues including serious damage to organs. And it doesn't take much heat to do this – the coating begins to break down and release toxins at a temperature you're likely to be baking your lasagna.
Using glass is also a terrific alternative to aluminum, a "reactive" metal which tends to react with salty or acidic foods. Aluminum is more readily dissolved by acid forming foods, such as cheese, meat, cabbage, tomatoes, turnips and spinach and lemons. Research has shown that the longer you cook food in aluminum pots, the more they corrode, and the more aluminum is absorbed into the food and further, into the body.
Glass also has a huge capacity to absorb and retain heat and though it heats up slowly, once glass is hot, it stays that way. Of course this is great news for fans of deeply browned crusts! While it takes about five to ten minutes longer for glass to heat up than it does metal, glass also holds its heat longer than metal materials. So, if you're taking your cooked or baked goods to a picnic or potluck where the temperature of the food needs to remain stable, you would be better off choosing glass. And to compensate for this, lowering the temperature and reducing the baking time will prove sufficient.
Another benefit, though an obvious one, is that the material is clear! This allows you to see if certain ingredients have collected in just one area. Glass is also visually attractive in appearance making it suitable to go from oven to table top...and then into the dishwasher!
Finally, glass that is tempered for baking means that it can withstand temperatures up to 425 degrees. And if by accident the dish was broken, the glass would crumble into small granular chunks instead of splintering into jagged shards, making it far less likely to cause injury.
Re-Cap of the many benefits of using Anchor Hocking glass bakeware:
- Non-toxic AND non-leaching
- Non-porous: odors and flavors cannot be absorbed
- Faster baking at lower temperatures
- Browns better: yummy corners!
- Holds heat longer than metal
- Non-scratchable
- Easy to clean: dishwasher safe
- Microwave safe
- Made of tempered glass
- Manufactured in US
- Aesthetic!
