22 Essential Tart and Pie Making Tools Every Home Baker Needs
Updated: Oct. 28, 2021Make 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 which 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.
Stoneware Pie Plate
After you’ve chosen a pie recipe, the next thing your mind might go to (besides grocery shopping) is what you’re going to bake it in. This Taste of Home pie plate is pretty and practical. It’ll fit just about any classic pie recipe and the markers around the edge guide you to cut perfect slices.
Want to expand your pie plate collection? Here are some of the best pie dishes around.
Rolling Pin
Rolling pin picks are personal. Some folks like a hefty marble one, some prefer grandma’s hand-me-down rolling pin. If you’re starting from scratch, try a French rolling pin like this. It’s versatile and great for rolling out pie crust.
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. 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 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.
Pastry Wheel
If you’re topping your apple pie with a lattice crust, grab this nifty gadget. This double-sided pastry wheel 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 is for you. It precisely cuts your crust anywhere between 3 and 14 inches in diameter.
Ruler
A plain, ol’ school ruler is a must in the kitchen. You’ll find yourself reaching for this basic ruler over and over to measure the diameter of your crust, the thickness of cookie dough or double-check the dimensions of a pie pan. It’s an invaluable tool and easy to stash right in the drawer with your other gadgets.
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, especially one that’s been chilled, will ensure that your pie crust stays cool to form those irresistible flaky layers.
Deep Dish Pie Pan
For some recipes where you just can’t get enough filling, you’ll want a deeper pie dish. This Emile Henry pie pan is just a bit deeper than its classic counterpart and is perfect for accommodating all kinds of fillings, especially fruit fillings.
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. It helps give all your bakes a pretty finishing touch.
Tart Pan with Removable Bottom
A tart pan with a removable bottom 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.
Pizza Pan
A pizza pan for tarts? You betcha! A large, round pan like this from our Taste of Home bakeware line is great for galettes and other rustic tarts. And when your galette is done baking, clean up the pan and try making homemade pizza.
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 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 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 fits any round pie pan and is much simpler to use than strips of aluminum foil.
Cast-Iron Skillet
Nope, that cast-iron skillet isn’t just for dinner. This piece of cookware is also a must for rustic cast-iron pies. These deep-dish pies are homey and packed full of delicious flavor. Learn how to make one yourself!
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 bends easily to scoop up every bit of filling and crust.
Bench Scraper
You’ll find dozens of uses for a bench scraper in your kitchen, but this small tool comes in especially handy when making pies. Use this tool to divide your pie crust, move bits of pastry or clean up your work top.
Hand Pie Molds
OK, these little molds aren’t absolutely essential when it comes to pie-making tools, but they are so darn cute! These hand pie molds from Williams-Sonoma create adorable mini pies that go way beyond the basic shape. Just think how adorable these would be lined up for brunch or a dessert table.
Tamper
When making a graham cracker crust for pies, you really need to compact those crumbs so they form a solid crust. A glass will do in a pinch, but this wooden tamper is the precise tool for the job. Use it to press down on the crumbs to form a solid base. The small side is also great for making mini pie crusts or even tassies.
Tartlet Pan
Skip the slices. Everyone can enjoy their own individual treat with these adorable tartlet pans. The hardest part is deciding which mini pie recipe to make first.
Wood Pie Box
You’ve made a beautiful pie, now where do you put it? Try this stunning storage box. Its airy design won’t smother your filling, and the flat, sturdy bottom makes this box an ideal option for traveling. This also makes for a great gift for bakers.
CMU Unit
