# Corelle revisited **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [July 19, 2017, 4:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/corelle-revisited/791656 "2017-07-19T16:39:03Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Doug\_K](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b5ac83/32.png) [@Doug\_K](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doug_K)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2017, 4:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/corelle-revisited/791656/1 "2017-07-19T16:39:03Z")
I had an incident just a few minutes ago that brought back t[his thread](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=799636). Little backstory: About a month ago I completed 12 rounds over 24 weeks of chemo. My fingers and toes are still numb and tingly. My wife just handed me a Corelle plate with the remains of some sauce and wanted me to set it on the floor for the dogs to lick. When I got bent down to where it was about 12-18 inches from the floor it slipped out of my fingers and immediately exploded into millions of tiny pieces of very sharp shrapnel. There was not even one piece big enough to pick up safely with fingers. I have no idea where the common notion that they’re unbreakable came from. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2017, 4:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/corelle-revisited/791656/2 "2017-07-19T16:40:43Z")
A bowl of hot mashed potatoes shattered when dropped. Was you plate hot? ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2017, 4:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/corelle-revisited/791656/3 "2017-07-19T16:54:42Z")
Corelle is shatter _resistant_, not shatter_proof_. They hold up pretty well, but when they do shatter (it depends on how they hit the floor), they break into a thousand shards. ---
**Author:** ![gaffa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e68b1a/32.png) [@gaffa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gaffa)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2017, 4:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/corelle-revisited/791656/4 "2017-07-19T16:58:58Z")
They’re much more rugged than ordinary glass, but they have this nasty tendency to turn into a thousand flechettes when they finally do break. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2017, 5:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/corelle-revisited/791656/5 "2017-07-19T17:01:05Z")
> [@RealityChuck](#): > > Corelle is shatter _resistant_, not shatter_proof_. They hold up pretty well, but when they do shatter (it depends on how they hit the floor), **they break into a thousand shards**. Is that a function of the shatter-resistance? I know squat about materials science, so I could be totally off on this, but do shatter-resistant items fragment more completely when they reach their limit than non-shatter-resistant items? My guess would be yes. Anybody want to educate me on this? ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2017, 5:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/corelle-revisited/791656/6 "2017-07-19T17:36:47Z")
I only know Corelle does this, but given the example of [Prince Rupert’s Drop](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xe-f4gokRBs), it’s possible that the strength comes from the material being under tension, and if that tension is snapped, it will shatter. ---
**Author:** ![Channing\_Idaho\_Banks](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/channing_idaho_banks/32/250_2.png) [@Channing\_Idaho\_Banks](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Channing_Idaho_Banks)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2017, 6:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/corelle-revisited/791656/7 "2017-07-19T18:20:51Z")
> [@carnivorousplant](#): > > Was you plate hot? Are you suggesting cruelty to animals? ---
**Author:** ![kath94](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/67e7ee/32.png) [@kath94](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kath94)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2017, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/corelle-revisited/791656/8 "2017-07-19T18:26:55Z")
Corelle generally bounces, but I have heard that older Corelle tends to shatter. Fortunately, I haven’t experienced this yet myself. But my set is quite old. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2017, 6:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/corelle-revisited/791656/9 "2017-07-19T18:41:17Z")
> [@Channing\_Idaho\_Banks](#): > > Are you suggesting cruelty to animals? Sir, I am a member of the SPCAES. ---
**Author:** ![gnoitall](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/bb73d2/32.png) [@gnoitall](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gnoitall)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2017, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/corelle-revisited/791656/10 "2017-07-19T18:52:42Z")
> [@silenus](#): > > Is that a function of the shatter-resistance? I know squat about materials science, so I could be totally off on this, but do shatter-resistant items fragment more completely when they reach their limit than non-shatter-resistant items? My guess would be yes. Anybody want to educate me on this? [Corelle](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corelle) and other shatter-resistant glasses are typically [tempered glass](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toughened_glass), which is a specific heat-treatment regime that toughens the glass (reduces overall brittleness). When pushed to failure, internal stresses make the glass break into smaller shards rather than long jagged dagger-like ones. Automotive glass is also typically tempered glass, which is why broken car glass typically breaks up into glass nuggets instead of glass swords. ---
**Author:** ![wolfman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/a8b319/32.png) [@wolfman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfman)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2017, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/corelle-revisited/791656/11 "2017-07-19T19:26:14Z")
They are nicely chip resistant, Not fully drop resistant from my experience. When you hear a noise behind you while washing, and instinctively turn with plate in hand, clipping the sink or faucet, they do very well compared to other plates. ---
**Author:** ![Balthisar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/balthisar/32/2825_2.png) [@Balthisar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Balthisar)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2017, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/corelle-revisited/791656/12 "2017-07-19T19:46:57Z")
> [@RealityChuck](#): > > I only know Corelle does this, but given the example of [Prince Rupert’s Drop](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xe-f4gokRBs), it’s possible that the strength comes from the material being under tension, and if that tension is snapped, it will shatter. Safety glass breaks safely because of tension, though. It sounds like the OP’s plate shattered into death shards. ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2017, 7:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/corelle-revisited/791656/13 "2017-07-19T19:55:59Z")
> [@carnivorousplant](#): > > A bowl of hot mashed potatoes shattered when dropped. I had a plate of grits break almost perfectly in half while reheating in the microwave. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2017, 8:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/corelle-revisited/791656/14 "2017-07-19T20:13:20Z")
> [@Balthisar](#): > > Safety glass breaks safely because of tension, though. It sounds like the OP’s plate shattered into death shards. Safety glass (in cars) has a layer of plastic between the panes of glass, which keeps the broken shards from flying around. ---
**Author:** ![wolfman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/a8b319/32.png) [@wolfman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfman)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2017, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/corelle-revisited/791656/15 "2017-07-19T20:21:12Z")
> [@Skywatcher](#): > > I had a plate of grits break almost perfectly in half while reheating in the microwave. I had a round pizza stone break into a perfect Yin-Yang(well, no eyes, but other wise perfect) ---
**Author:** ![Sherrerd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sherrerd/32/8_2.png) [@Sherrerd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sherrerd)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2017, 8:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/corelle-revisited/791656/16 "2017-07-19T20:35:46Z")
> [@wolfman](#): > > They are nicely chip resistant, Not fully drop resistant from my experience. When you hear a noise behind you while washing, and instinctively turn with plate in hand, clipping the sink or faucet, they do very well compared to other plates. ^This. I’ve been using Corelle for years; on average I break a piece once a year or so, but I’ve _never_ had a chip occur. ---
**Author:** ![Doug\_K](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b5ac83/32.png) [@Doug\_K](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doug_K)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2017, 2:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/corelle-revisited/791656/17 "2017-07-20T14:30:18Z")
> [@RealityChuck](#): > > Corelle is shatter _resistant_, not shatter_proof_. They hold up pretty well, but when they do shatter (it depends on how they hit the floor), they break into a thousand shards. But I see no evidence that they’re shatter resistant at all. In my experience, if you drop one on any surface other than carpet it almost certainly WILL break, usually spectacularly. Even, as I mentioned in the previously linked thread, if it’s brand new being taken out of the box for the first time. ---
**Author:** ![Balthisar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/balthisar/32/2825_2.png) [@Balthisar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Balthisar)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2017, 6:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/corelle-revisited/791656/18 "2017-07-20T18:43:29Z")
> [@RealityChuck](#): > > Safety glass (in cars) has a layer of plastic between the panes of glass, which keeps the broken shards from flying around. I wasn’t thinking of car safety glass, but tempered glass. Like my deck table top. The one that the wind blew over, causing it to drop onto the deck and shatter in thousands of not at all dangerous pieces. Actually, even in cars I think it’s only the windshield and rear glass that are laminated. I think the side windows are designed to be impacted and shatter into safe pieces, like my aforementioned table top. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2017, 6:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/corelle-revisited/791656/19 "2017-07-20T18:54:37Z")
> [@Skywatcher](#): > > I had a plate of grits break almost perfectly in half while reheating in the microwave. Whose fault was that? ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2017, 7:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/corelle-revisited/791656/20 "2017-07-20T19:04:55Z")
> [@Balthisar](#): > > I think the side windows are designed to be impacted and shatter into safe pieces, like my aforementioned table top. I recall seeing side windows cracked into comparatively large pieces that stayed together. But I digress. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/corelle-revisited/791656.md?page=2)