I think it’s a rule. Everyone must have at least one of those clear glass Pyrex measuring cups. They are pretty much standard equipment in every kitchen. In fact, I’m starting to think they come as part of every kitchen. When a kitchen is built, Pyrex elves visit in the middle of the night and leave one or several of these glass measuring cups around.
They are certainly not a new thing, which in some ways is what got me thinking about this. Last night, I needed to measure something in the kitchen. One of those times when a close guess just won’t do. I grabbed a measuring cup and noticed it had no metric equivalents on it. How old was this thing? Obviously it was older than the mid-70s, when we sort of, kind of switched to metric. Then I started thinking of all the version of the Pyrex measuring cup I have.
I have a one cup, a two cup, a three cup (which is really a slightly larger two cup, but if you fill it to the top it really is three cups) and a four cup. There is also an eight cup version which I don’t have. I may have to get one just to complete the set.
Some have metric equivalents, some don’t, depending on when they were made. Which is one of the ways you can tell the rough age of them.
The really early ones don’t have the red markings on them. The measure is marked right into the glass. These would be made before 1940.
Through the 1940s and early 50s, they started using the red markings, but the word Pyrex is on the spout side of the cup, and it has the closed D shaped handle.
From the mid-50s through the 60s and into the early 70s, the name Pyrex was moved to the side with the measuring lines. But there are still no metric measurements.
Between 1975 and 1982, they started making them with metric and imperial measures both on the side, but they still have the closed D shaped handle.
From 1983 and beyond, they started using an open handle.
Most of the ones I have around seem to be from the 1975 t0 1982 period. I do have one or two from after 1983, and there is at least one that is from pre-1955 because it has the Pyrex under the spout.
So my collection is varied. But I still think they came with the kitchen.
