“World Kitchen in 2000, recognized that the cookware didn't need to be quite as strong, and — to make it accessible to the average customer — it needed to be more affordable.”

Some pretty strong bullshit vibes from this section. Feels a lot more like they decided to make the product worse because they knew the brand name would be enough. I doubt price is a significant factor compared to durability for the average home cook.

There are a few other downsides to borosilicate vs soda lime in a home kitchen (I still have euro and vintage only); if borosilicate breaks it is somewhat more dangerous.