19 Essential Tart and Pie Making Tools Every Home Baker Needs
Updated: Jan. 03, 2020Make pie baking easy as pie with these must-have products. With a good rolling pin, a few pans and some fun pie making tools, the sky's the limit with your recipes.
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Baking a pie has got to be easy as pie, right? With the right tools, pie baking can get a lot simpler. Find out what gadgets our Test Kitchen and editors love for baking up their favorite pie recipes, from classics to new favorites. New to baking? Here are the essential baking tools every home cook should own.
Pastry Blender
Cutting butter into pie pastry is essential for flaky pie crust. Make this process simple and keep your hands off the dough with a pastry blender ($8). When you’re done making pie, you can use it to cut butter into your biscuit dough. Show off your skills by making our recipe for classic butter pie pastry.
Silicone Pastry Mat
It sounds silly, but bakers know this is the truth: Rolling out the right size crust for your pie can be the trickiest part of the whole process. A silicone pastry mat ($20) can solve all those problems. This mat has printed guides to help you measure the right size round for your pie or tart pan. Soon this will become one of your favorite baking tools.
Rolling Pin
Rolling pin picks are personal. Some folks like a hefty marble one, some prefer grandma’s hand-me-down rolling pin, others still like the French option. If you’re looking for a good all-purpose rolling pin, though, go simple with this wooden rolling pin ($16).
Pastry Cutter
If you’re topping your apple pie with a lattice crust, grab this nifty gadget. This double-sided pastry cutter ($10) helps cut perfect strips of crust for decorating pies. One side cuts straight lines like a pizza cutter and the other makes fluted edges for a bit more panache.
Pie Crust Cutter
If you struggle to roll your dough out to an exact circle, this handy gadget ($10) is for you. It precisely cuts your crust anywhere between 3 and 14 inches in diameter.
Ruler
Sure, you could use any old ruler to cut your pastry into perfectly straight lattice strips. Or, you could pick up (for the same price as a cup of coffee!) this handy kitchen ruler ($5) that also doubles as an oven rack puller.
Marble Pastry Board
When you’re making pie crust, or any kind of pastry, keeping your pastry cool is critical. Cold butter means flaky layers, melted butter means a mess. Using a marble pastry board ($70), especially one that’s been chilled, will ensure that your pie crust stays cool to form those irresistible flaky layers.
Basic Pie Pan
A basic yet durable metal pie pan ($14) is a must in a baker’s cupboard. And while it works well for any pie, we think it works best for pies with crumb crusts, like these simple ice cream pies.
Deep Pie Dish
For some recipes where you just can’t get enough filling, you’ll want a deeper pie dish. This glass pie dish ($13) is just a bit deeper than its classic counterpart and is perfect for accommodating all kinds of fillings, especially fruit.
Pastry Brush
To get a shiny glaze on top of your pies and tarts, you’ll need a pastry brush. For the delicate crust and fragile fruits, we recommend a natural fiber brush ($7 for 1″ size). It helps give all your bakes a pretty finishing touch.
Tart Pan with Removable Bottom
A tart pan with a removable bottom ($14) is invaluable for avid tart bakers. The removable bottom makes it simple to get your prettiest tart recipes out in one piece and still look gorgeous.
Pie Stamps
Give your pie a decorative edge with a set of pie crust cutters ($15). These sweet stamps make it easy to create beautiful patterns around the edge of your pie.
Tartlet Pan
Skip the slices. Everyone can enjoy their own individual treat with these adorable tartlet pans ($21). The hardest part is deciding which mini pie recipe to make first.
Pizza Pan
A pizza pan for tarts? You betcha! A large, round pan like this from our Taste of Home bakeware line ($20) is great for galettes and other rustic tarts.
Pie Bird
When you make double-crust pies, over-filling is always an issue. You don’t want the insides to bubble over and mar the gorgeous crust. A pie bird is an old-fashioned device that can remedy this problem. Set this birdie ($13) into the top of your pie for a vent that will help release steam and prevent filling from seeping out of your pie. Read more about the pie bird here.
Pie Weights
Many pies and tarts require you to blind bake the crust prior to filling. But you can’t just pop an empty shell into the oven—you need to put some weight inside to keep the bottom nice and flat. That’s where these reusable ceramic pie weights ($12) come in handy. You can use dried beans in a pinch, but the extra heft of these specially designed weights keeps everything in order.
Pie Shield
Sometimes the crust of your favorite pie starts to brown faster than the filling can bake. Don’t fret! Prevent your crust from browning (or burning) with a pie shield. This adjustable silicone one ($10) fits any round pie pan and is much simpler to use than strips of aluminum foil.
Pie Server
We all know that the first slice of pie is the trickiest to remove from the pan, but with a flexible pie server, the job gets a lot easier. The flexible silicone of this OXO server ($8) bends easily to scoop up every bit of filling and crust.
Storage Box
You’ve made a beautiful pie, now where do you put it? Try this stunning storage box ($25). Its airy design won’t smother your filling, and the flat, sturdy bottom makes this box an ideal option for traveling.
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