Choosing a Pie Pan

With fall weather here, and Thanksgiving fast approaching, we can't stop thinking about baking big beautiful pies! But after you decide between apple, pumpkin, or pecan, you also have to decide which pie dish to use. Most metal pie plates are made of aluminum, usually coated with some form of non-stick. Aluminum conducts heat well, so these dishes heat and cool quickly, making them ideal for pies that require blind-baking or par-baking — but they can scratch easily, so avoid using a knife or pie slicer in the dish. Glass dishes are the most popular choice, and tend to perform well while being inexpensive and readily available. Since glass heats slowly and steadily, pies tend to bake and brown evenly, and since it's clear, you can watch the browning through the pan — though blind baked crusts can "slip" and shrink before the dough sets.

Ceramic plates perform similarly to glass dishes, but they're often the more attractive option for serving, and many are freezer-to-oven safe, which is great when you want to assemble pies ahead of time. Their thicker rims can cause decorative crusts to over-brown though, and they tend to be the more expensive option. The right pie dish for you is probably a matter of personal preference, but in general, we usually recommend glass or ceramic, unless your pie crusts require blind baking, in which case metal is probably a better way to go. Whichever dish you choose, don't forget the whipped cream!