« Remove your Writer's Block with Writer's Blocks | Main | Monty Python Autobiography »
December 26, 2003
Do Not Taunt Duralex
I was reminded of the classic Saturday Night Live fake TV advertisement Happy Fun Ball by the "use and care" instructions that accompanied a set of 6 small glass prep bowls that we got for Christmas. Beyond the fact that Duralex appears 25 times in the instructions, some of the more bizarre statements from the 5-page instruction manual include:
• "Duralex...is made of tempered glass. This is actually not the same as ordinary glass." Hence the word "tempered."
• "Duralex, even though particularly resistant by its inherent qualities, is still glass." Wait a minute...you just said...
• "...if subjected to severe impact, can break either immediately or later, without apparent cause." Fun for amateur mentalists wanting to impress their friends.
• "The breaking of the glass may be accompanied by a loud noise. It will break in small fragments, contrary to ordinary glass." I'm still confused...is this glass or not?
• "Use only plastic or nylon sponges." What about sponge sponges?
• "Never stack one glass inside another unless the glass is specifically called "Stackable." :-\
Methinks the manufacturer may be taking his glass bowls a bit too seriously.
Comments
Thank you! You have solved the mystery of the exploding bowls once in the cupboard around 1AM
(accompanied by a loud band) and most recently a year later,last night around 10 PM. My wife was convinced that the former owner who had died on the propoerty was revisiting the house each winter! You have allowed us to live in peace now that I have trown OUT the "stackable", "chip resistant", "glass"!! Cheers, Allyn
Posted by: Allyn at January 15, 2006 10:15 AM
Thank you. You've explained our amazing exploding glasses. They sometimes explode in your hand while pulling them from the dishwasher! Very exciting, to say the least. No serious injuries yet, but they are going in the trash after I call William-Sonoma. Thanks again.
Posted by: Bruce Hamilton at May 28, 2006 1:20 PM
My glass exploded while removing it from the dishwasher last night. I was holding it in my hand when all of a sudden it exploded. I screamed and my husband came running in. It sounded like a gunshot. I kept looking at my hand amazed that it was still intact. I am already looking in to buying a new, non-tempered set of glasses.
Posted by: erica at June 24, 2008 6:55 PM