I'm another survivor of a Corning Visionware cooking disaster -- in my case, a covered skillet that cracked from side to side, dumping the contents onto the stovetop. God, what a mess, and very fortunate that it happened before I had lifted the pan clear of the stove where it could splash stew and broken glass all over my feet and legs.

I gather that the problem was material fatigue accelerated by exposure to extreme direct heat.

A cast-iron skillet is still the Directing Staff solution to most frying and stewing problems, up to that dreaded moment when age and arthritis weaken the cook's ability to hold the skillet over a dish with one hand while serving, especially the stage when you tip it to scrape out the last drops.