The design of Pyrex’s new ‘Optimum’ range was led by insights gained during consumer research. One of these insights centred on a reluctance to take the Pyrex from oven to table
To celebrate the Centenary of Pyrex, the resilient glass cookware brand, International Cookware – exclusive licensee of Pyrex – appointed design consultancy Cambridge Design Partnership (CDP) to develop a new generation of Pyrex premium ovenware.
At the start of the design process, CDP carried out detailed interviews and observations with everyday kitchenware and Pyrex users to gain insight into the current experiences and challenges of end users.
Requirements uncovered included deeper dishes, handles promoting a more secure (typically gloved) grip, and easier cleaning. Additionally, an aesthetic that promoted oven-to-table serving was desired.
CDP took these findings into consideration when the design team began work on the new Optimum range.
Elegant arcs flow from the handle into the dish walls to balance aesthetics with careful consideration of mould design, mass-production techniques and commercial needs
The design process included the incorporation of new features, such as longer, ergonomically curved handles with ribbed grip details underneath so that the upper surfaces remained easy to clean, and notably deeper dish sides.
Collaborating closely with Pyrex marketing and engineering teams, CDP worked with the factory in France to ensure alignment of the new designs with efficient mould design and borosilicate glass mass-production techniques.
Borosilicate glass was chosen as it offers excellent thermal shock resistance meaning that the Optimum range is able to withstand temperatures from -40°C to +300°C.
The launch of the new Pyrex Optimum range
Speaking about the new development Ben Strutt of CDP said, “It’s been a privilege to work with a brand as world-renowned as Pyrex, and it’s incredible to know that our development will soon be in kitchens all over Europe.
“We had to walk a fine line between respecting the premium values that built the 100-year-old identity, with bringing the brand’s core range into the 21st century for both existing loyal users, and a new generation of cooks.”
