CORNING LE CLAIR

NOTE: This identification guide is best viewed in landscape orientation on mobile devices.

Stacks Image 551
"The Art Of Cooking Beautifully"

In 1977, Andre Andrieu and Serge Renault working for Corning France, patented the claim that would form the basis for amber-tinted, transparent Pyroceram "VISION" cookware. It was produced in France and released for the European market in 1979 to instant success.

In the United States, the cookware received a more protracted roll-out. In 1981 and '82, Corning Glass Works test marketed the cookware as an imported product under their "Corning Designs" subsidiary. However, due to a trademark conflict over the name "VISION", an alternative brand was chosen - "Le CLAIR”.

Eight French models were chosen to represent Le CLAIR in the USA, four casseroles (1.5L, 2.5L, 3.5L, and 5L) and four saucepans (0.7L, 1.0L, 1.5L, and 2.5L).

Stacks Image 569
The four casseroles are notable for having flat lids made of Pyroceram, just like the cooking vessels themselves. The covers can be flipped over and used as skillets, baking pans, and serving trays. While these covers were common in Europe and other regions, they were only available in the USA during this two year period. Indeed, none of these casseroles made it out of the testing period and are rather rare in the USA.

Of the saucepans, the 1L and 1.5L were carried over as regular Visions models in 1983. The 0.7L saucepan features a more triangular lip than the version eventually produced for the US market. Interestingly, the Le CLAIR 2.5L saucepan would initially be replaced by a different model for the official Visions roll-out but was used as the basis for that size when all saucepans were revised in 1984.

Stacks Image 688
Initially, Le CLAIR pieces were modified to omit all branding from the cookware itself. Many pieces are only marked "France" with little to no other identifiers (although near the end of its run, standard pieces marked "VISION" seem to have been used to fill orders).

Once the trademark obstacles were overcome, the Le CLAIR brand name was abandoned and "VISIONS" cookware finally received an official rollout in the second half of 1983.




CORNING LE CLAIR CASSEROLES w/COOKING LIDS

Dramatically beautiful Le CLAIR casseroles come in a range of sizes, from 1.5 to 5.0 Litre, to accommodate almost every cooking or serving need… and you can cook in the casserole lids, too!

Select a thumbnail to enlarge the image.
  •  VO-15

    VO-15

MODEL:
VO-15
ERA:
1981-1982
FACTORY:
France
SIZE:
1.5 Liter
LID:
Pyroceram
CW Variant:
None

"1.5 Litre Casserole w/Cooking Lid"

MARKING: FRANCE

DIMENSIONS: 7.25” wide at rim (10.25" w/handles) x 4.5" tall (3.75” w/o lid)
  •  VO-25

    VO-25

MODEL:
VO-25
ERA:
1981-1982
FACTORY:
France
SIZE:
2.5 Liter
LID:
Pyroceram
CW Variant:
None

"2.5 Litre Casserole w/Cooking Lid"

MARKING: FRANCE

DIMENSIONS: 8.5” wide at rim (12" w/handles) x 5.5" tall (4.25” w/o lid)
  •  VO-35

    VO-35

MODEL:
VO-35
ERA:
1981-1982
FACTORY:
France
SIZE:
3.5 Liter
LID:
Pyroceram
CW Variant:
None

"3.5 Litre Casserole w/Cooking Lid"

MARKING: FRANCE

DIMENSIONS: 9.5” wide at rim (13.5" w/handles) x 6" tall (4.5” w/o lid)
  •  VO-50

    VO-50

MODEL:
VO-50
ERA:
1981-1982
FACTORY:
France
SIZE:
5.0 Liter
LID:
Pyroceram
CW Variant:
None

"5.0 Litre Casserole (Stew Pot) w/Cooking Lid"

MARKING: FRANCE

DIMENSIONS: 9.5” wide at rim (13.5" w/handles) x 8" tall (6.5” w/o lid)



CORNING LE CLAIR SAUCEPANS

Le CLAIR saucepans came in four sizes: 0.7 Litre saucepan (V-7), 1.0 Litre Covered Saucepan (V-15), 1.5 Litre Covered Saucepan (V-15), and 2.5 Litre Covered Saucepan (V-25)

More information on these saucepans, including photos, will be added shortly…


CORNING LE CLAIR BOXED SETS

Stacks Image 691
In addition to pieces sold individually, Le CLAIR cookware was offered in two boxed sets.

  • VS-5 5 pc. set (Including V-7, VO-15, VO-25)
  • VS-9 9 pc. set (Including V-7, V-10, V-15, VO-15, VO-50)







LE CLAIR VS-5 5 PIECE SET: BOX AND USE & CARE PHOTOS


Thanks to YouTube Creator "Ikura Prime" for photos of the Le CLAIR VS-5 box and Use & Care guide. Released in 1981, the packaging style was created by the Corning Designs subsidiary. Ikura Prime also posted an unboxing video when he first received this package. You can watch that video here.

Support this page

Do you find this website a useful resource? Please consider contributing a small amount to assist with maintenance, updates, and the costs associated with keeping it online (hosting, domain renewals, etc).


Go To: Intro - VISIONS [Guide : Info : Media] - ARC - Usage - Care - Facebook - Outro

We use cookies and other tracking technologies to improve your browsing experience on our site, analyze site traffic, and understand from where our audience is originating.