Metal Pie Plates

[Andy M.]

I have always used glass pie plates (primarily because SO came with glass pie plates), both regular and deep dish. They generally turn out great pies.

My one issue with glass is that, for some pies, the bottom crust doesn't cook as well as I'd like.

I have been wondering about metal pie plates. They would heat up faster and should produce a better cooked bottom crust.

So my question is, what are the pros and cons of metal pie plates over glass or ceramic?

If I switch to metal, am in just facing a different set of problems? Trading a headache for an upset stomach?

 

[taxlady]

I'm interested in the answers of people who have done both and paid attention. I usually use glass and set the oven to 25°F less than the recipe says. I was told one should do that with glass. I have occasionally used aluminium pie plates and used the temp in the recipe. I don't remember noticing differences, but I don't think I was trying to notice them.

 

[GotGarlic]

I use a stoneware Pampered Chef pie dish. The crust gets nice and crispy because the porous stone wicks away moisture. I had a metal one but it got scratched over time and I got rid of it.

 

[Just Cooking]

I use aluminum pie and cake cookware, mostly Wilton brand and have not encountered any issues..

Ross

 

[pepperhead212]

I used to use pyrex pie pans, but years ago I switched over to using deep tart pans, with removable bottoms, which seem to create less soggy crust. They aren't the kind of pans top crust pies are made in, but I can't remember the last time I made one of those! In fact, recently, I gave most of those old pans to a friend, to sell at a flea market - only one left down there.

I always pre-bake crusts, for much longer than usually recommended, but they don't get too dark in the metal pans. I can't stand soggy crusts!

 

[Katie H]

I've always used glass and had good results.


I think I would speak with the resident bakers at King Arthur Flour and get their advice.


I have had good responses from them with my cooking/baking questions.

 

[CWS4322]

I use glass pie plates. My Dad uses metal. What I do is (1) make the bottom crust is slightly thicker than the top, (2) brush the underside of the bottom with an egg white wash, (3) blind bake it for about 6-7 minutes before filling (the exact timing takes a bit of practice because you want to be able to still seal the top to the bottom crust), (4) put it on a quarter sheet pan lined with aluminum foil, and (5) bake in the lower 1/3 of the oven. I hadn't really ever thought about why the bottom crust isn't soggy. Oh, always toss the fruit with the sugar. Myt grandma taught me how to make a pie when I was 8/9 years' old. I have been making pies this way for .... well, I don't want to reveal my age, but suffice it to say, since the late 1960s. My Dad always sprays the pie pan with Pam. I don't do that.

 

[Cooking Goddess]

...I have been wondering about metal pie plates. They would heat up faster and should produce a better cooked bottom crust.

So my question is, what are the pros and cons of metal pie plates over glass or ceramic?...

I use aluminum pie and cake cookware...

Ding! Ross for the win!

BraveTart to your rescue, Andy. Stella Parks over at SeriousEats did an exhaustive comparison of pies baked in different composition pie pans. She preferred the results she got from baking in cheap, disposable aluminum pans. Makes me sorry I tossed my Mom's collection of Poppin' Fresh Pies and Baker Square pie tins she never got around to returning for her quarter. Instead, I hung on to all of her Corning Ware pie plates she collected as Christmas gifts (she liked to have unbaked pies in the freezer ready to go on a whim) and all of her old Pyrex plates to add to my lonely one. I usually used a pottery pie plate bought on our first trip to Cape Cod in the 1970s from an old windmill-turned-pottery shop. I wore that thing out.

Here are all the details from Stella Parks: How to Choose the Right Pie Pan

 

[bbqcoder]

I use both Pyrex and ceramic pie plates. Never had an issue with both. The key might be the recipe. I usually make the apple pie recipe from Berenbaum’s Pie and Pastry Bible book. A few key points from the recipe: the apple slices are mixed with sugar, lemon, and cinnamon and they sit for a couple of hours. The juices are collected into a pot which is then reduced to a syrup. This is poured back over the apples when assembling the pie. Also some corn starch is also mixed into the apple slices prior to putting them into the pie.

 

[Andy M.]

Ding! Ross for the win!

BraveTart to your rescue, Andy. Stella Parks over at SeriousEats did an exhaustive comparison of pies baked in different composition pie pans. She preferred the results she got from baking in cheap, disposable aluminum pans. Makes me sorry I tossed my Mom's collection of Poppin' Fresh Pies and Baker Square pie tins she never got around to returning for her quarter. Instead, I hung on to all of her Corning Ware pie plates she collected as Christmas gifts (she liked to have unbaked pies in the freezer ready to go on a whim) and all of her old Pyrex plates to add to my lonely one. I usually used a pottery pie plate bought on our first trip to Cape Cod in the 1970s from an old windmill-turned-pottery shop. I wore that thing out.

Here are all the details from Stella Parks: How to Choose the Right Pie Pan

Thank you CG. This is a big help.

 

[Andy M.]

Thank you all for your contributions.

 

[CarolPa]

One more, Andy. I use aluminum because my mother always did. I have glass that DH brought from marriage #1. I use the glass for cream refrigerated pies. I bake my pies on the bottom rack to avoid undercooked crusts..

 

[eparys]

I use glass because that is what I have but my solution to your problem, where the bottom is not as cooked as you would like it to be, is start the pie on the bottom rack (I have a elec oven) for 10 - 15 min then move it up in the oven to finish. However both my Grandmother and Mother used nothing but metal pans for their pies and swore by them.

 

[msmofet]

I use glass plates. I brush inside of bottom crust with egg wash and bake on bottom oven rack.

 

[Andy M.]

I have been baking my pies on the bottom rack of the oven to avoid undercooked crusts too. Often I start the oven off at 450ºF then turn it down to 350ºF to finish cooking.

 

[Andy M.]

I bought a SS pie plate to see if it gives me a better result with the bottom crust.

We had just about 3 pounds of various apple varieties left over from apple picking so I decided to try out the new pan. I also tried a new crust recipe from Martha Stewart.

Well, I got mixed results. I had trouble with the crust (as I usually do) and had to do some quick repairs. The decorative edge was a bit clumsy. I baked the pie at the bottom of the oven on a half sheet pan (turned out this was a very good idea) @ 450ºF for 30 minutes then dropped the temp to 350ºF for another 30 minutes.

Those apples must have been super juicy because there was a puddle of juice in the sheet pan. That excess juice also got under the bottom crust and caused some sticking in a few spots.

The good news is that the bottom crust seemed to be well cooked and the pie tastes great. How could it not; apples, sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg.

 

[GotGarlic]

Looks good to me! #rustic

 

[Chief Longwind Of The North]

If you brush the bottom crust with s thin coating of egg
wash, and blindbake it at 425 f degrees F, the bottom crust can't absrb moisture from the filling before it thickens. That mosture is what makrs the bottom crust become soggy. It really dorsn't matter whether the pan is Pyrrex glass, coated steel, stainlrss Steel. Or ceramic. I have, and use all three of those types depending on the size pie I am making, as my different pan typrs are in different sizes. If purchasing glass pie pans, make sure they are borosillicate, and not sodium glass. The borosillicate doesn't shatter when subjected to rapid tempetature change. Sodium glass resists breakage caused by impact better, bit will shatter with rapid temperature chage, and can't be used unde the broiler, or over direct flame. Fot instance, if you were to take a hot sodium glass pie pan from the oven, and place it on a wet, room teperature surface, the tempetature differential, coupled with water's high energy tranefer rate, the pie plate woud fail catastrophically and shatter. I jave shattetrd glass cookwesr. It makes a mess and can be downright dangerous

But I am off topic. The corrrct answer is that all of the pan materials can give you great crusts, top and bpttom. Andy, this question suprises me coming from you. You are one of the most knowlegeable cooks on D.C. That being said, I hope you figue out how to get the crust results you desire.

Seeeeeya; Chied Longwind of the North