How hot a surface is too hot for Pyrex?

Executive summary: Have no cooking device. Have no refrigeration device. (Have no 110v power, which explains the first two statements.) Live on canned pasta, peanut butter and tuna as a result--these are the only things that are even close to being edible if they're not heated.

I DO, however, have a diesel engine with a flat valve cover in this truck, and it produces lots of heat. Imagine the old "cook on your iron" thing you guys did in college and we vets did in the barracks, but this iron's loud and red. I have a Pyrex bowl. If I put the Pyrex bowl on top of my valve cover after I get parked for the night, is the result going to be a delightful warm meal or food all over my engine?

I don't know what the max temp is but I do know that I cracked a pyrex doing that very thing many years ago. I was at the (what used to be) the 76 Truck Stop in West Memphis Arkansas. Terrible bang, beans everywhere.

Foil wrap works really well though.

aA
kesha

work well. Cover with tinfoil (aluminum wrap) and it warms up evenly.

:)

Right now I am sitting in West Memphis!

One of our yards is in West Memphis. I got a note on my Qualcomm: bring your trailer to West Memphis because it's overdue for DOT inspection. I looked at the trailer well when I picked it up, so figured I'd be there about an hour. Wrong! The mechanic decided to replace all the tires and oil seals on the back axle. If the trailer wasn't loaded I would have just taken another one and gone about my business, but with my load in it I had to wait. They fixed the trailer, I ran the load, then got another one: drive back to West Memphis (the consignee was 90 miles from the yard, which compared to some of the deadhead I've done isn't outrageous), pick up another trailer and run it to Chicago. Consignee will not accept deliveries on weekends. Ugh. So...tomorrow at 2pm I'll crank up and drive up there. I could have split the drive into two days, but if I wait until 2 I get a 34-hour restart.

Sounds like a saucepan is in order.

And you should probably consider getting medical attention to deal with the shrapnel.

Go with the cast iron. My MIL exploded one full of scalloped potatoes by accidentally sitting one on the burner of an electric stovetop she had forgotten to turn off. She was lucky no one was hurt.

And Pyrex was sold out to a cheapass holding company and they use substandard materials to make their baking dishes now. There have been many reports of them exploding the oven where they are supposed to be safe to use.

Pyrex isn't meant for direct contact with the heat source.

Foil is good. Maybe you can adapt the instructions for cooking with foil on an auto engine..
http://www.howtodothings.com/automotive/how-to-cook-food-on-your-car-engine

http://www.wisebread.com/cooking-great-meals-with-your-car-engine-the-heat-is-on


It looks like that site mainly uses aluminum foil. I'm not sure I'd want a cast iron pan bouncing around in my engine compartment.

do spend the little bit extra for heavy duty foil. The cheap thin stuff will be a total disaster, too.

I do salute your wanting to try this, tho. :hi:

It's the uneven heating that will break the Pyrex. Use some sort of pot or pan that would typically be used on a stove top, preferably one without a non-stick coating.

A certain temperature differential shatters the glass. Never put a hot pie plate down on a cool wet surface, for example.