Six Great Pie Tools
Though the only tools you really need to make a pie crust are your bare hands and a trusty pan, there are a few basic but useful pieces of equipment that can help home cooks nail that flaky crust and ensure a successful pie, no matter the type of filling. Here are six essentials.
Mrs. Anderson's Pie Crust Shield
With long-cooked pies, like apple or pecan, the edges of the crust can cook faster than the filling and sometimes burn. Mrs. Anderson’s Pie Crust Shield, an aluminum ring that sits on the perimeter of the pan, protects the crust’s edges and ensures against them burning. Mrs. Anderson’s Pie Crust Shield, $4.99 at Bed Bath & Beyond
JK Adams Plain Dowel
To roll out dough smoothly to an even thickness, we reach for the thick, straight JK Adams Plain Dowel. Unlike pins with handles attached, there are no crevices or extra parts that can catch bits of dough, resulting in smooth, clean rolling. JK Adams Plain Rolling Dowel, $16 at The JK Adams Kitchen Store
Bench Scraper
Dividing and manipulating sticky dough becomes simple on any surface with a straight-sided bench scraper. Bench scraper, $13.50 at JB Prince
Fox Run's Ceramic Pie Weights
For a pie filling that doesn’t require a long cook time, a recipe may call for the dough to be blind-baked before the filling is added. Fox Run’s Ceramic Pie Weights conduct heat evenly and keep the crust from warping as the dough cooks. A quick wash is all it takes to ready them for the next pie. Ceramic pie weights, $4.99 at Kitchen and Company
Pyrex 9″ Glass Pie Plate
While ceramic pie pans may look pretty, they make it impossible to tell when the bottom crust is ready. Instead, we reach for this clear Pyrex 9″ glass pie plate, a practical solution: It allows us to sneak a peek at the pie’s underside and remove it from the oven the moment its bottom reaches a perfect golden brown hue. Pyrex 9″ pie plate, $3.99 at World Kitchen
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