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The 12 Best Pie Pans, According to Our Tests

Here's a range of gorgeous options for any type of pie

A variety of pie pans containing pie crusts

The Spruce Eats / Jenny Kellerhals

Pies may seem simple when compared to their taller, sweeter, and more colorful cousin—cake—but anyone who’s perfected one knows it’s all about the details. And that includes finding the right pie pan. While pies may be relatively straightforward to make, there’s a notable variety of pie plates available to choose from. Whether you’re baking your very first pie, or it’s your go-to weekly baking project, having a reliable pie pan will make the process more enjoyable and yield better results. 

Our baking expert tested each side-by-side in her home oven, for the most authentic pie baking results in a real-world setting. We looked at how long it took to blind bake a standard pie crust, as well as how evenly custard and fruit pies baked in the pan, in order to find the very best pie pans.

Amazon Emile-henry-french-ceramic-ruffled-pie-dish

Amazon

Our Ratings
  • Design
    5/5
  • Quality
    5/5
  • Performance
    5/5
  • Ease of Cleaning
    4/5
  • Overall Value
    5/5
What We Like
  • Incredibly attractive shape

  • Appropriate for shallow or deep dish pies

  • Durable scratch-resistant glaze

What We Don't Like
  • Pricey

There’s no doubt about it: the ruffle makes a statement. It also makes decoration a little easier for you since your pie crust can be formed right on the ruffles. That's not what makes this pick the best pie pan, though. It’s also designed to do hard work. The ceramic provides great heat retention for a perfectly browned pie crust that’s evenly baked from center to edge. It’s also resistant to temperature changes, and can be used in the oven up to 520 degrees and under the broiler. And, of course, it’s just downright pretty and looks great on the buffet table.

We found that the Emile Henry ruffled pie dish was a perfect fit for almost any style of pie. Shallower custard pies that are made with a smaller pie shell won't look like they're being swallowed by the pan since there isn't a formal rim, and larger pies have plenty of room to grow. We also found that the dish has a whopping 6-cup capacity, meaning you can comfortably load your next apple pie up with well over four pounds of sliced apples.

The taller sides are a huge benefit, which we learned when baking an especially juicy blueberry pie. The height and angle of the ruffles kept the blueberry syrup from boiling over the sides of the pan and making a sticky burnt mess on the sheet tray below. It also cuts down on sticky syrup seeping between the pie shell and the pan, so it's easy to remove slices of pie without having to sacrifice any crust that's stuck to the bottom.

You can feel comfortable serving pie straight out of this dish because we found that the glaze didn't show any marks from cutting, nor did the inky blueberries stain the glaze. The dish was easy to wash by hand with just a few minutes of soaking to loosen any sticky bits. We enjoyed baking with this dish so much, that we can see ourselves breaking it out for casseroles, quiches, and anything else that could benefit from a little bit of flair.

Dimensions: 10 x 10 x 2 inches | Weight: 2.4 pounds | Dishwasher Safe: Yes

Lindys-stainless-steel-9-inch-pie-pan

Amazon

Our Ratings
  • Design
    3.5/5
  • Quality
    3.5/5
  • Performance
    4/5
  • Ease of Cleaning
    4.5/5
  • Overall Value
    4.5/5
What We Like
  • Strong stainless steel construction

  • Conducts heat well for bottom crust cooking

  • Pies cook evenly

What We Don't Like
  • Cutting slices may scratch polished surface

  • Not microwave safe

The price is right, and the pan is practically indestructible. Made from stainless steel with a mirror finish, this won’t rust, crack, bend, shatter, or wear out. It can handle the heat of the oven and the chill of the freezer—and it can go directly from the freezer to the oven with no fear of thermal breakage. The mirror finish looks attractive for serving, and it helps the crust release easily from the pan for perfect slices every time. Not just for pie, this can also be used to roast a few vegetables or a small roast. And since it’s unbreakable, it’s great for transporting goodies to potlucks and parties, too. When the food is gone, this pan can go into the dishwasher for easy cleaning.

We measured the diameter of each pan from the inner edge of the rim and found that the Lindy's pan isn't a true 9-inch pan, but comes close at 8.5 inches. You'll want to keep that in mind when making pies, as you'll probably use slightly less filling than a recipe calls for. It produced a perfectly par-baked shell in less than 25 minutes at 350 degrees Fahrenheit. The custard pie that we baked came out smooth and creamy without overcooking, scrambling, or uneven browning. Unfortunately, cutting slices of pie directly in the pan can leave marks on the bottom of the pan, but it doesn't detract from its overall functionality.

If you bake pies to give to others or take to events regularly, it might be worth it to buy a handful. They're sturdier and more attractive than disposable pie pans while still being lightweight, but you haven't lost much of an investment if the pan doesn't get returned to you later on.

Dimensions: 9.75 x 9.75 x 1.5 inches | Weight: 7.8 ounces | Dishwasher Safe: Yes

Custard pie in a Lindy's Stainless Steel 9-Inch Pie Pan displayed on a wooden surface

The Spruce Eats / Jenny Kellerhals

Great-jones-sweetie-pie-ceramic-pie-pan

Great-jones-goods

Our Ratings
  • Design
    5/5
  • Quality
    5/5
  • Performance
    5/5
  • Ease of Cleaning
    4/5
  • Overall Value
    5/5
What We Like
  • Bakes evenly with no soggy bottoms

  • Trendy retro design

  • Edge makes finger crimping easy

What We Don't Like
  • Slightly larger than standard pie plates

  • Heavy

Who knew that a pie plate could be a super-effective baking tool and ultra-trendy at the same time? Great Jones strives to design bakeware for serious home cooks with equally serious style. The 10-inch “Sweetie Pie” is a 2-inch deep pie pan that can handle both the freezer and the boiler. The heavy-duty ceramic dish evenly distributes heat across the base of your pie to avoid soggy bottoms, while the smooth, glossy finish on the inside of the pan will keep your crust from sticking. 

We baked both a delicate coconut cream pie and a hearty apple pie in this dish, and were impressed with the results of both pies. We immediately noticed that the tight fluting around the edge makes a great guide for a consistent finger-crimped pie crust. The coconut cream pie released cleanly and evenly from the plate in perfect slices, while both the top and bottom crusts of the apple pie cooked all the way through.

The only flaw was that the unglazed bottom of the plate makes it difficult to slide across an oven rack or turn while baking (although, it's nice that the dish doesn't easily slide on countertops). Luckily, the fluted rim and tall sides made it easy enough to handle with side towels while turning your pie in the oven.

Available in three colors, the retro design plays up the nostalgic feeling of a fresh-baked pie straight out of your grandma’s oven—which is really half the point of a comforting homemade pie in the first place. And if taken care of, it's likely that this pie dish might last generations and actually be someone's grandmother's pie dish one day.

Dimensions: 10 x 10 x 2 inches | Weight: 2 pounds | Dishwasher Safe: Yes

Coconut cream pie in a Great Jones Sweetie Pie Ceramic Pie Pan displayed on a wooden surface

The Spruce Eats / Jenny Kellerhals

OXO Good Grips Glass Pie Plate with Lid

Amazon

Our Ratings
  • Design
    4/5
  • Quality
    5/5
  • Performance
    5/5
  • Ease of Cleaning
    5/5
  • Overall Value
    5/5
What We Like
  • Sturdy enough for travel

  • Easy to see crust while cooking

  • Microwave and dishwasher safe

What We Don't Like
  • Standalone pie plate not super attractive

A little leftover pie is a wonderful thing, but storing the leftovers can be a bit of a challenge, particularly if you’ve made a pie with a tall and fluffy meringue top. This pie plate solves the storage problem neatly with a plastic snap-on lid that will keep the pie safe until the last crumb is gone. The lid has vent holes to release heat in case you have to cover your pie while it's still warm—reducing moisture build-up that could make the crust soggy.

As far as size goes, this particular pie dish is one of the largest in our lineup. The inside diameter of the pan is closer to 9.5 inches, and at 2 inches deep, it can hold a substantial amount of pie. When blind-baking a pie shell, we were pleased to see that the pie shell didn't stick to the plate, making it a breeze to cut and serve perfect slices of pecan pie directly out of the pan. The whole setup is a little large, but if storage space is an issue, we found that the lid also snaps onto the bottom of the pie dish, cutting the vertical storage space needed in half. We also think it's a great place to store your pie weights between bakes to keep your essential pie tools all in one place.

The pie plate's borosilicate glass is resistant to thermal shock and lets you monitor the crust’s browning as it bakes. It’s microwave-safe if you want to reheat leftovers, and it’s dishwasher-safe when the last bite of pie has been eaten (although it's also extremely easy to clean by hand).

Dimensions: 9 x 9 x 2 inches | Weight: 2.5 pounds | Dishwasher Safe: Yes

Pie with dollops of whipped cream inside the OXO Pie Carrier displayed on a wooden surface

The Spruce Eats / Jenny Kellerhals

Farberware Baker's Advantage Ceramic Pie Dish

Amazon

Our Ratings
  • Design
    4.5/5
  • Quality
    5/5
  • Performance
    5/5
  • Ease of Cleaning
    4.5/5
  • Overall Value
    4.5/5
What We Like
  • Great for sweet and savory baking

  • Ruffled edge for easy crimping

  • Evenly cooks large pies

What We Don't Like
  • Hand washing recommended

Deep-dish pie means you can have more filling in your fruit pie and more meat in your shepherd’s pie with enough room left for a generous topping of mashed potatoes. This pretty deep-dish ceramic pie plate has a cheery blue exterior with creamy white on the inside of the pan and on top of the rim.

To test out just how much filling could fit in this pie pan, we loaded it up with 4.5 pounds of apples, which is on the large side even for an apple pie. We were impressed to see that the apples baked perfectly even all the way through the pie without turning into applesauce, and the crust cooked nicely on the bottom without being soggy. When comparing this plate side-by-side with the Great Jones pie plate, we thought the plates looked and performed nearly identically, with only a few minor cosmetic differences. This one is slightly deeper, though.

This pie pan is freezer-safe for prepping ahead, and it’s microwave-safe for reheating leftovers. Hand washing is recommended, but the ceramic glaze releases food easily for simple cleanup. We noticed a few light marks on the surface of the ceramic from cutting pie slices (and eating a few forkfuls straight out of the pan), but all of the marks washed off easily with soap and water.

Dimensions: 10.24 x 10.24 x 2.17 inches (9.5-inch pie diameter) | Weight: 2.94 pounds | Dishwasher Safe: No

Coconut cream pie in a Farberware Baker's Advantage Ceramic Pie Dish displayed on a wooden table

The Spruce Eats / Jenny Kellerhals

Pyrex-easy-grab-pie-plate

Target

Our Ratings
  • Design
    4/5
  • Quality
    5/5
  • Performance
    5/5
  • Ease of Cleaning
    5/5
  • Overall Value
    5/5
What We Like
  • Easy to see crust cooking

  • Ruffled edge for easy crimping and decoration

  • Pies release cleanly

  • Inexpensive

What We Don't Like
  • May break if dropped

The biggest perk of a glass pie plate is being able to see what’s going on with your crust while it’s baking. Even when the top crust seems nicely golden brown, the bottom crust may need a few more minutes to fully cook, especially with juicy fruit filling in an insulated dish. A glass plate like the Pyrex Easy Grab Pie Plate takes the guesswork out of knowing if your crust is fully cooked. 

With this, the clear view of the crust while cooking was incredibly helpful, and we were pleased when both pies we baked came out cleanly without any crust sticking to the plate. The first was a pumpkin pie, baked without cooking spray, only a light dusting of flour. After chilling completely, it was easy to remove from the plate whole without losing any pieces of crust. The second pie we tried was an apple pie, and while some of the juices boiled out while baking, the crust still released cleanly from the pan after cooling. The glass plate smoothly slid across the oven rack while going in and out of the oven, and was as easy to handle as advertised with both potholders and side towels.

Not only is this pie plate relatively easy to find, but it also comes at a price that won’t leave a hole in your wallet. It all comes with the reliability of Pyrex’s signature tempered glass, used in their entire line of kitchen and bakeware—from measuring cups and casserole dishes to storage containers and dinnerware.

Dimensions: 9.75 x 9.75 x 1.5 inches (9.5-inch pie diameter) | Weight: 2.9 pounds | Dishwasher Safe: Yes

Pumpkin pie with whipped cream in a Pyrex Easy Grab Pie Plate displayed on a round marble tray

The Spruce Eats / Jenny Kellerhals

Lodge 9-Inch seasoned cast iron pie pan

Courtesy of Amazon/Lodge

Our Ratings
  • Design
    4.5/5
  • Quality
    5/5
  • Performance
    5/5
  • Ease of Cleaning
    5/5
  • Overall Value
    4.5/5
What We Like
  • Heavy duty for indoor and outdoor cooking

  • Affordable

  • Pre-seasoned

What We Don't Like
  • Hand wash only

  • Not intended for stovetop use

Cast iron might not be the very first thing that comes to mind when considering which pie pan to buy, but it's an option that we found to be worthy. As you might expect from a cast iron pie pan, the style is more rustic, although the gently wavy top edge is a nice touch that makes it feel like it's intended for baking delicate things. Since it's cast iron, it's also a little heavier than other pie pans, weighing a little over 3.5 pounds. But considering several of the other pie plates on this list weigh nearly 3 pounds, we were a little surprised that this option wasn't much heavier.

The depth of this pan is more of a deep-dish size than a standard pie pan, making it a great choice for thicker fruit pies and even chicken pot pies. We also noticed that the handles on the sides of the pan were especially useful when moving our pies in and out of the oven, and rotating during cooking. Even with bulky oven mitts on, the handles come out far enough to get a good grip on. The only downside is that the wider handles make the pan too large to fit into a standard-sized pie carrier.

Since you're baking with cast iron, it'll be a little harder to see when your pie crusts have cooked all the way through. But given how well cast iron pans distribute and conduct heat, you can bake confidently knowing that your crust is very likely cooking all the way through. We tested this pie pan with traditional pie crusts, graham cracker crusts, and even dinner roll—all of which came out beautifully browned and cooked-through, without the first soggy bottom and virtually no sticking.

Very few crumbs clung to this pre-seasoned pan making it easy to quickly rinse and wipe down by hand. Like other cast iron pans, it must be washed by hand to preserve the seasoning and keep it from rusting.

Dimensions: 10 x 1.69 x 12.44 inches | Weight: 3.66 pounds | Dishwasher Safe: No

Lodge Cast Iron Pie Pan

The Spruce Eats / Donna Currie

Williams Sonoma Goldtouch Pro Non-Stick Pie Dish

Williams Sonoma

Our Ratings
  • Design
    4/5
  • Quality
    3/5
  • Performance
    4.5/5
  • Ease of Cleaning
    4.5/5
  • Overall Value
    4/5
What We Like
  • Attractive gold finish

  • True 9-inch deep dish pie pan

  • Practically indestructible

What We Don't Like
  • More expensive than other metal pans

  • Nonstick coating may scratch

One of the biggest struggles bakers encounter is baking a beautiful pie, only to have the slices stick to the bottom of the pan when it's time to serve it, destroying all of the delicate work that was done to make the pie. The nonstick coating of this pan helps put your mind at ease. It's constructed with a strong, gold-colored aluminized steel that conducts heat to the crust while baking evenly and quickly. We noticed that this pie pan pre-baked pie crusts faster than the other metal pie pans we tested and kept them from sticking without using any additional cooking spray.

The custard pie that we baked in this was evenly cooked without scrambling or overbaking on any particular side. Unfortunately, the gold coating did show signs of wear when cutting slices with a sharp knife, so it's suggested that you use wood, silicone, or plastic pie cutters when serving your cooled or chilled pie. While Williams Sonoma says this pan is dishwasher safe, it's easy to wash by hand, which will also extend the life of the nonstick coating. This pan is oven-safe up to 450 degrees Fahrenheit and can also be stored in the refrigerator and freezer if you don't manage to finish your whole pie in one sitting.

Dimensions: 9 x 9 x 1.5 inches | Weight: 1 pound | Dishwasher Safe: Yes

Custard pie in a Williams Sonoma Goldtouch Pro Nonstick Pie Dish displayed on parchment paper and a wooden table

The Spruce Eats / Jenny Kellerhals

Sweese-521003-porcelain-mini-pie-pan-set-of-6

Amazon

Our Ratings
  • Design
    5/5
  • Quality
    5/5
  • Performance
    5/5
  • Ease of Cleaning
    5/5
  • Overall Value
    4/5
What We Like
  • Perfect personal portions

  • Attractive color palette

  • Versatile

What We Don't Like
  • Pricey

Just because these pie plates are smaller than typical plates, doesn't mean they perform any less. Mini pie plates are ideal for baking pies as individual treats, whether that's a classic sweet pie or a savory one like quiche and chicken pot pie. You can store these pie plates in both the refrigerator and the freezer to extend the life of your baked goods directly in the pie dish they're baked in. 

Glazed in six different cool tones and finished with attractive fluted edges, these pro-grade porcelain pie plates retain heat for even baking. If the blue tones don't match your kitchen's aesthetic, the set is also available in white. We baked both mini pumpkin pies and apple pies in the pans and found that the crusts cooked just as evenly as the pies we made in full-sized pie plates. It took just as long to par-bake shells in these plates as it does in regular-sized pie plates, but it took slightly less time to bake the filled pies. The pumpkin pie took around seven minutes less than a full-sized version, while the apple pie was about 10 minutes less.

The final products were admittedly very cute, and fun to share. Three pie plates use about the same amount of filling as one full-sized pie, so all six pie plates would equal about two full-sized pies. Each mini pie served two people who really like pie, but we imagine it could also serve three to four people who just want a bite of pie.

Dimensions: 6.5 x 6.5 x 1.7 inches | Weight: 15 ounces each | Dishwasher Safe: Yes

Pumpkin pie in a Sweese 521.003 Porcelain Mini Pie Pan displayed on a wooden surface

The Spruce Eats / Jenny Kellerhals

Hic-harold-import-co-rose-levy-beranbaums-perfect-pie-plate

Amazon

Our Ratings
  • Design
    5/5
  • Quality
    5/5
  • Performance
    5/5
  • Ease of Cleaning
    3/5
  • Overall Value
    5/5
What We Like
  • Easy to use

  • Scratch-resistant glaze

  • Attractive fluting design

What We Don't Like
  • Heavier than other pans

For beginners, this pie pan does a lot of the work for you when it comes to decoratively shaping your pie crust. This beautiful, fluted pie plate is part of cookbook author Rose Levy Beranbaum's line of baking gear. The ruffled edge easily gives your pie an artistic flair, even if you’re not good at crimping the crust or finishing it with a fancy edge. The flutes also let you lift the pan easily from below, so you won’t mess up the crust as you retrieve the pie from the oven. This pie plate can even be used under the broiler if your crumb crust is a bit too pale.

The plate itself is the size of a standard 9-inch pie pan, although you can still fit a larger pie like an apple pie with about 2.5 pounds of apples into it. We baked an extremely juicy blueberry pie in this plate and were impressed when the edge of the crust that rested firmly on the fluted edge prevented boiling blueberry juices from getting underneath the crust. After it cooled, impressively very little of the crust stuck to the plate. The pecan pie that we baked in this pan didn't stick at all.

Since our initial tests, we've gone back to this pie plate time and time again to make dessert pies and quiches on a nearly weekly basis. Even with constant use, we've found our pie crusts still release smoothly, and leftover pies don't get soggy when wrapped and stored directly in this pan in the refrigerator. A little bit of soaking removes any stuck-on syrup and crust, and it's easily washed by hand if you don't have a dishwasher.

Dimensions: 9 x 9 x 1.9 inches | Weight: 1 pound | Dishwasher Safe: Yes

Pecan pie in the HIC Harold Import Co. Rose Levy Beranbaum’s Perfect Pie Plate

The Spruce Eats / Jenny Kellerhals

Best with Removable Bottom

HOMOW Nonstick Heavy-Duty Tart Pan

HOMOW tart pan

Amazon

Our Ratings
  • Design
    5/5
  • Quality
    5/5
  • Performance
    5/5
  • Ease of Cleaning
    3/5
  • Overall Value
    5/5
What We Like
  • Great for graham and chocolate cookie crusts

  • Easy to remove pie safely

  • Rolled edges prevent cuts

What We Don't Like
  • Cleaning fluted cavities can be tedious

  • Not microwave safe

While pies are normally served directly from the pan, tarts are often removed from their pans before they're plated. Flipping a pie or tart out of a traditional pie pan would be nearly impossible, but tart pans are made of two parts to make the process go more smoothly. Just a push up from the bottom pops the tart out of the pan's ring, so you can slide it onto a plate to be admired from all angles. This pick is made from steel with a nonstick coating so your pastries slide out easily, and it’s dishwasher safe, so you don't have to think about cleanup when there's tart to be eaten.

Available in several different sizes, we tested the 11-inch tart pan and found that this holds about 6 cups of filling, similar to a typical 9-inch pie. We also noted that the nonstick coating on the pan lives up to its name, as both of the tarts that we baked released smoothly with a swipe of an offset spatula underneath the crust. We really liked the rolled edges on both the top and bottom of the tart pan ring, which protects hands from slices while fitting the dough into place and washing the ring after use.

It took a little bit of effort to clean the fluting of the tart ring by hand, but there were no large pieces of crust stuck to the pan. We did observe that if the tart is cut while still in the pan, the knife will slice into the nonstick coating, so we highly recommend completely removing the tart from the pan before cutting.

Dimensions: 11 x 11 x 1 inches | Weight: 15.3 ounces | Dishwasher Safe: No

Part of a custard tart in a HOMOW Nonstick Heavy-Duty Tart Pan with a knife resting on top of the pan

The Spruce Eats / Jenny Kellherhals

MontoPack Heavy-Duty Disposable Aluminum Foil Pie Plates

Amazon

Our Ratings
  • Design
    2.5/5
  • Quality
    3/5
  • Performance
    4/5
  • Ease of Cleaning
    5/5
  • Overall Value
    5/5
What We Like
  • Great for large-scale pie production

  • Recyclable

  • Cost-effective

What We Don't Like
  • Not attractive for serving

When you’re donating pie to a bake sale or for a potluck, you definitely don’t want to give away your favorite pie plate with your pie. Sure, a stack of 50 pie pans seems like a lot, but if you bake a lot, these 9-inch pans can also be used for freezing stacks of unbaked pie crusts so you’ll have them on hand when you need them.

These aluminum pie pans blind-baked just as evenly and quickly as the other metal pie pans we tested. However, we did notice that these particular pans need to be baked on a sheet tray for extra support. They aren't as stable as more substantial pie pans when filled with pie weights, and far too delicate to turn and move in and out of the oven when filled with a liquid custard filling. Two aluminum pie pans will comfortably fit on a half-sheet pan, so you can still bake several pies at once. Also, use care when cutting your pie, as a sharp knife will slice through both the pie and foil pan.

Dimensions: 9 x 9 x 1.5 inches | Weight: 0.46 ounces each

Raw dough pressed into stacked MontoPack Heavy-Duty Disposable Aluminum Foil Pie Plates

The Spruce Eats / Jenny Kellerhals

Final Verdict

If you're looking for the best all-around pie pan, our top pick is the Emile Henry Ruffled Pie Dish, which looks beautiful and performed well in all our tests. If you're planning on traveling with your pie, the OXO Good Grips Glass Pie Plate with Lid is ideal for both baking and transporting pies, even if they're piled high with toppings.

How We Tested

After researching the top-selling and highest-rated pie pans in every style and material currently on the market, we tested and evaluate each of these options side-by-side. The pans were used to test several different types of pies, from blind-baked shells to custard pies, crumb crust pies, and large double-crust fruit pies. We paid special attention to:

  • The size of the pans, including the true diameter of the pan as well as the depth and overall volume.
  • How thoroughly the crusts cooked in each pan during pre-baking, as well as completely raw double-crust pies. We judged doneness based on the final crust color, crispness after the pie cooled completely, and how well the crusts sliced and released from the pans. Additionally, we noted if the crusts cooked at the same rate as the fillings, or if either needed additional time.
  • How well the pans distribute heat, especially when baking custard pies, evenly cooking the filling from the center to the edge without over or under-baking the filling.
  • How nonstick the pan materials and surface finishes were when baking pies with and without first greasing the pan, based on how cleanly pie slices released from the pan.
  • How easy the pans were to soak and wash by hand, especially with any stuck-on bits, and whether or not they were dishwasher safe.
  • The durability of the pan materials and surfaces, if they were easily marked or damaged when slicing the pies, and the stability of the pans when transporting pies.
  • Any special features that set the pan apart, including handles, lids, size, transparency, or aesthetic design.
  • The cost, and the pan's overall value for the price based on its performance.

Our Testers

  • Jenny Kellerhals is our resident pastry and baking expert who tested our pie pan recommendations in her home kitchen. She completed a Baking & Pastry Program at the Art Institute of Philadelphia, and has worked in professional kitchens for over a decade.
  • Abigail Abesamis Demarest is a freelance writer, editor, and former New Yorker based in sunny Panama City Beach, Florida. She still loves her Emile Henry Ruffled Pie Dish.
  • Donna Currie, a seasoned food writer, cookbook author, and recipe developer, has tested hundreds of products for us over the past seven years.
Several different pie pans displayed on a wooden table

The Spruce Eats / Jenny Kellerhals

What to Look for in a Pie Pan

Material

Pie pans come in ceramic, glass, metal, steel, cast iron, and porcelain. Each material has its pros and cons. Ceramic pans are well-insulated, hold the heat, and the pies bake and brown evenly. A glass pan lets you monitor the crust while baking so you don’t overbake or underbake it. Metal pie pans are inexpensive and conduct heat very well but that can lead to a brown crust well before the filling is done. The heavier a metal pan, the less likely it is prone to warping.

Especially when you intend to place frozen pies in the hot oven, make sure the material is resistant to thermal shock, which is usually indicated among the product specifications.

Disposable pies made of aluminum are a convenient option for freezing pies or giving them away as gifts. However, despite aluminum being recyclable, its drawback is that it is a less sustainable single-use product. 

Pies baked in metal pie pans usually cook faster than in ceramic and glass pans. Because metal conducts heat faster, the outside of the pie is likely to cook faster than the inside of the pie, which is most noticeable when cooking custard pies. The crust is also likely to brown faster in a metal pie pan, sometimes requiring you to cover the rim of the crust with foil when baking especially large pies, like apple pie, that take longer to bake. Pies baked in ceramic and glass plates tend to cook uniformly across the pie, since the pie plate provides more insulation than metal and heats up at the same speed as the pie filling. Pies may take anywhere from a few more minutes to half an hour longer to cook all the way through compared to metal plates.

Size and Depth

Most pie pans are 9 or 10 inches in diameter, but there are also models in between, which is a good compromise for any standard-size pie. A 2-inch-deep pie plate works best for double-crust pies and single-crust pies with a generous filling. A 1.5-inch-deep pie plate can be used both for double-crust and single-crust pies.

Pies, once they are cut, can look a bit messy. For a nicer presentation, or to freeze single servings, get a set of mini pie pans.

Two pie pans with pecan pies displayed on a cooling wrack on a wooden table

The Spruce Eats / Jenny Kellerhals

Versatility

Additional features also make a pie pan more versatile. If you like to prepare pies ahead, buy a freezer-safe pie pan. Or, to reheat leftovers, check if the pie pan is microwave safe. Also, a pie pan that comes with a lid is convenient for handling leftovers. A pie pan with ruffled or fluted edges lets you create a pretty crimped edge, even if you are a less-experienced pie baker.

Serving Style

Pies, both sweet and savory, are usually served in the pan they were baked in. That’s why looks matter more for pie pans than for other baking pans. Many manufacturers offer different color options and attractive designs.

Tarts, on the other hand, are not served in the pan, that’s when a nonstick coating and removable bottom are helpful to release the tart and transfer it safely to a cooling rack or serving plate.

Cleanup

If easy cleanup is an important consideration, choose a pie pan that can be put in the dishwasher over one that requires hand-washing.

FAQs

Should you grease a pie pan?

There are a lot of different opinions about whether or not you should grease a pie pan, but generally speaking, a quick spritz of cooking spray on the bottom of a pie dish will help keep your pie from sticking to the bottom of the pan—but there's no need to overdo it. Many people believe that greasing a pie dish will change the texture of your pie crust, making it less flaky. So if you're more concerned with a flaky crunch than easily removing slices of pie, feel free to skip the cooking spray. If your pie does manage to stick to the bottom of the pan, gently heating the bottom of the pan by dipping the bottom in a shallow pan of hot water should help loosen the crust from the pan.

Half of a coconut cream pie in the Great Jones Sweetie Pie Ceramic Pie Pan

The Spruce Eats / Jenny Kellerhals

How do you measure a pie pan?

To get the correct diameter measurement of a pie pan, you'll want to measure across the center of the pan from the inside rim to the opposite inside rim. Do not include the thickness of the lip of the pan, handles, or any other decorative elements. To find out if your pie dish is standard or deep-dish, measure from the top of the rim to the crease of the pan at the bottom.

Three pumpkin pies in different pie pans

The Spruce Eats / Jenny Kellerhals

How deep is a deep-dish pie pan?

A deep-dish pie pan can be anywhere from 1.5 inches to 2 inches deep. The depth of the pie dish is typically related to the diameter, with larger 10-inch pie dishes having a deeper measurement and an 8- or 9-inch pie dish having a slightly shallower measurement.

Can you use a pie pan to bake a cake?

Yes, you can use a pie pan to bake a cake, but you should be aware that pie pans typically have angled sides and cake pans have straight sides. Because of this difference, if you're making a layered cake, the edges of the cake will be harder to frost. The cakes can be trimmed to get rid of the angled edges but may still be difficult to frost. Generally, cake pans should be used for baking cakes, but in a pinch, a pie pan will do if you aren't interested in how good the final product looks.

How do you take a pie out of the pan?

A pie is typically served in the pan that it is baked in. For serving, a slice of pie is cut with a sharp knife and a pie server is inserted under the crust to lift the piece out to serve. If you want to remove the entire pie from the pan, the pie should be completely chilled or frozen first. A chilled or frozen pie is easier to handle and less likely to break. Once thoroughly chilled, use a knife or pie server to loosen the pie from the pan and either lift the pie out or carefully invert the pie to remove it. If you're planning on removing the pie from the pan in advance, a disposable aluminum pie pan is the easiest to cut through and remove your pie with the least amount of damage.

Single slice of custard pie in the Williams Sonoma Goldtouch Pro Nonstick Pie Dish

The Spruce Eats / Jenny Kellerhals

How do you put a pie crust into a pie pan?

After you've rolled out a pie crust, you will need to transport it to your pie pan quickly and smoothly to keep the rolled dough from tearing. If the dough is relatively small, you can move it by sliding your hands and arms underneath the dough, lifting it, and quickly transferring it to the pie plate. If the dough is larger or you'd like more support while moving the dough, you can loosely roll the dough over your rolling pin to move it, then unroll the dough over your pie dish.

Once the pie dough is resting on the pie pan, you begin shaping it by smoothing the dough across the bottom surface of the pan and then fitting the dough into the crease of the pan. Next, you'll press the dough against the sides of the dish, allowing any extra dough to hang over the lip. Trim the dough about half an inch past the lip of the dish, and crimp the edge of your pie crust as you like.

Why Trust The Spruce Eats?

Donna Currie has written for The Spruce Eats since 2016. A seasoned recipe writer and gadget tester, she also wrote the cookbook Make Ahead Bread.

This article was updated by Jenny Kellerhals, who also tested all of the pie pans on this list for The Spruce Eats. She is a professional pastry chef in New York City and a freelance food writer. At home, pies are her go-to dessert and always a crowd favorite.

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