Page 19 - United States of Pie

All the pies in this book are made in 9-inch pie plates. This is the
standard—not too big, not too small. As you might imagine, I have
quite a few pie plates: metal (and disposable aluminum foil),

ceramic, and, of course, Pyrex. They all have their merits, but
usually I find myself returning to my Pyrex plates. A plain old Pyrex
pie plate may not be the fanciest looking of the bunch, but it’s the
workhorse of any baker’s kitchen.
My grandma used metal pie plates, and they are lightweight and
usually inexpensive. The downside of metal pie plates is that
typically they’re made of aluminum, which can react badly with acidic
fruit fillings, potentially creating off-flavors if the juices in the pie

bubble over. And metal pie plates don’t heat evenly, which can lead
to a pie crust that is blotchy, not evenly golden brown. If you are
committed to using this type of pie plate, look for the ones that have
a dark interior surface—this helps the pan retain its heat.
If you’re looking for a glitzy pie plate, one that is brightly colored

and has a delicately fluted edge, ceramic is the way to go. However,
while ceramic retains heat more efficiently than glass or metal, I’ve
found that ceramic pie plates are slow to heat up. You may find that
the pies baked in a ceramic dish actually need a longer time in the
oven to get that burnished finish. Ceramic dishes tend to be the most
expensive as well.

This leads us to the Pyrex pie plate. This oven-safe glass—which
is so durable it’s used in spacecrafts—heats up and retains that heat

beautifully. Pyrex dishes are fairly inexpensive and can even be
found in most grocery stores. Another plus in the Pyrex column? For
the inexperienced baker, the transparent dish means it’s extra easy
to check the underside of the piecrust for browning and doneness.
Just as a warning: Pyrex pans can suffer from thermal shock, or

cracking, due to extreme temperature change. They also scratch, so