Erlenmeyer Flasks

We have several erlenmeyer flasks for making drinks in. We originally had three but now we are down to two (due to a potted plant disguised as a snow pile that was going to be used to chill some lemonade). One of the things that was wondered about this morning during our glass conversation at breakfast was whether there are differnt glasses used to make the flasks that are better and ones that are worse. Also what companies make good quality flasks and which ones make shitty ones?

There most definitely are different grades of glass.
'Soda Lime' glass is the cheaper low quality glass.
"Borosilicate glass' is the better quality stuff.
Any glass labware I buy now is borosilicate only.
I have used Bomex and Simax brands and both seem as good as each other to me.

Mat

Sam Barber wrote:We have several erlenmeyer flasks for making drinks in. ....what companies make good quality flasks and which ones make s ones?

ProTip: Look for Pyrex Not cloned from China (ie: My 'Coffee Mug'...



..Made in Germany. Simax and Bomex are also good choices. But Non-Chi Pyrex is still viable.

.02

From what I can ascertain, Kimble markets the 'Kimax' label of Ehrlenmeyers that are borosilicate and manufactured by Karter Scientific.  The Pyrex versions are borosilicate as well and manufactured by Corning.  I've used both Kimax and Pyrex in professional laboratory work and they remain a pretty important standard at least in North America and possibly world-wide.  They are impact-breakable, but hold up to heating/autoclaving very well.  Note however that the graduations marked on the side of beakers and Ehrlenmeyers (100 ml, 200 ml, etc.) are not terribly accurate.  For greater accuracy in liquid measuring, use a graduated cylinder...also available in Pyrex. But if you don't mind synthetic, polypropylene graduated cylinders are very chemically inert and unbreakable and autoclavable.   Many of your 'Nalgene' camping bottles are made from polypro.

As a science teacher... I absolutely oppose using anything that looks like lab glassware for food or beverages.. because future confusion could be dangerous.   But that's just me.

Future confusion is only theoretical.
I'm much more concerned with my current confusion.