The Rare CorningWare Pattern You Should Snag If You're Lucky Enough To Find It

Chances are you've seen a pattern like Blue Cornflower. Corelle made it for decades under their CoringWare line, and even today, you can find one of those familiar casserole dishes to bring your kitchen retro charm. Corning's short-lived Starburst patterns, known as Starburst and Atomic Starburst, are a very different story. Both had a limited production run compared to other patterns, appearing on a coffee percolator, heat-proof carafe, and cookware. 

It's a rare CorningWare pattern collectors dream of finding, and appeared in the 1950s to 1960s as America entered the "space race," and Americans became obsessed with celestial patterns. The percolator features one large, four-pointed star in the center, with curved lines radiating from it. Two smaller stars sit underneath like little light bursts in the distance. Corelle introduced Starburst in 1959 and discontinued it in 1963 for the coffee percolators. The carafe features a series of metallic starbursts on the glass, and likely was discontinued around the same time. Yet another version of a Starburst is found on various cookware that has popped up on eBay, though there is little recorded history on this design. That design features a single silverish-black atomic star in the center. 

A vintage Starburst percolator with all its parts can sell on eBay for around $80, while an incomplete model fetches around $55. The glass carafes aren't as pricey, often going for $15-$25 depending on condition. Finally, the mysterious Atomic Starburst pieces (sometimes called "Black Star" or "Black Atomic Star") are the big tickets, ranging from $125 for a casserole to $325 for a roaster. 

There are two popular colorways for the Starburst pattern: black and platinum, both printed on Corning's familiar opaque white glass-ceramic. Many of these were originally sold through Sears. However, the Starburst percolators were swept up in a massive 1979 U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission recall because the handle's epoxy could fail and cause burn injuries. The recall covered essentially the whole line of about 18.5 million pots, with many shipped back to Corelle for destruction.

The real mystery concerns the Atomic Starburst casserole, roaster, and other dishes. Collectors aren't sure as to where these pieces come from, but several have popped up over the years. One collector said he was told anecdotally by another collector that these may have been thank-you gifts for Ford Motor Customers or employees because of the similarity of the design to the brand's hood ornament, but that has yet to be verified. What we do know is that the pattern appears on 1 quart, 1¾ quart, and 2½ quart saucepans, a 4-quart Dutch Oven (P-34),a P-10-B Skillet, a 13-inch P-21 Roaster, and the 1-quart Saucemaker, according to CorningWare411. Most owners have scored them on eBay, but you might get lucky at a random yard sale or thrift store. 

As for the percolators, there's a reason these percolators can be tricky: the recall. Not every Starburst percolator was recalled, and you can't tell just from looking at the pattern. Corelle made several different models, and some Black and Platinum Starburst versions are considered safe, while others were recalled. The P-106 and P-108 Starburst percolators are listed by collectors as non-recalled models made in 1959, before a design shift. Other models, including the P-116 and P-126, were recalled. However, it is best to use these as decorative pieces only, just to be safe. 

You may have better luck looking for the Starburst pattern on small appliances and coffee pots at estate sales, because most people head straight for glass items at estate sales, and percolators are less popular among collectors. If you see an online listing for a CorningWare Starburst casserole, be skeptical, since the pattern wasn't produced in that form. It also gets confused constantly with Pyrex Atomic Starburst, which is a turquoise Cinderella casserole and an entirely different product line. Ask for a photo of the backstamp before you pay a premium for either. CorningWare411 has a helpful guide to Corning stamps.