Non-Toxic Pie Dishes: Glass, Ceramic & Stainless Pie Pans
Pie season is here, and plenty of metal pie pans are nonstick-coated. Glass, glazed ceramic and stainless steel all bake a great crust without a coating. Here are the pie dishes we'd pick, plus what to use for blind baking.
A pie dish spends a long time in a hot oven, often with butter and acidic fruit in it. Many metal pie pans have a nonstick coating. The good news is that the classic options, glass and glazed ceramic, never had one. Stainless steel is the uncoated metal choice.
What to look for
- Uncoated material. Glass, glazed ceramic or stoneware, or stainless steel. If a metal pan's listing says “nonstick,” it has a coating.
- Size. Most recipes are written for a 9-inch or 9.5-inch dish. Deep-dish plates hold more filling, so you may need extra.
- A wide rim or handles make it easier to crimp the crust and to lift a full, hot pie.
- Glass care. Pyrex publishes safety and usage rules for its glass: avoid sudden temperature changes, don't use it on a stovetop or under the broiler, and stop using any dish that's chipped, cracked or badly scratched.
Glass pie plates
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Product photos from the brand or retailer listings. Tap a photo to see that pick on Amazon.
Pyrex Easy Grab 9.5" Glass Pie Plate
Plain glass with wide handles, so you can see the bottom crust browning and grip the plate with oven mitts.
Why we picked these
- Pyrex Easy Grab 9.5" Glass Pie Plate Best glass pie plate Plain glass with wide handles, so you can see the bottom crust browning and grip the plate with oven mitts. There's no coating, and it's a size most pie recipes are written for. Worth knowing: Pyrex says to avoid sudden temperature changes: don't move it straight from the freezer to a hot oven, and set it on a dry towel or rack when it comes out, not a wet or cold surface.
- Pyrex C-209 9.5" Fluted Rim Glass Pie Plate Classic fluted glass The classic fluted-rim glass pie plate, listed as made in the USA. The fluted edge gives you a guide for crimping.
- Anchor Hocking Oven Basics 9.5-Inch Deep Pie Plate Deep-dish glass A deep glass pie plate for tall apple pies, quiche and deep-dish pumpkin. Plain glass, no coating.
Setting a hot glass pie on a cold granite counter or a wet towel is how glass dishes break. Use a dry towel, a wooden board or a cooling rack.
Ceramic and stoneware pie dishes
Product photos from the brand or retailer listings. Tap a photo to see that pick on Amazon.
Emile Henry Ceramic Ruffled Pie Dish, 9"
A glazed ceramic pie dish made in France.
Why we picked these
- Emile Henry Ceramic Ruffled Pie Dish, 9" Ceramic pie dish A glazed ceramic pie dish made in France. Emile Henry lists its pie dishes as oven, broiler, microwave and dishwasher safe. The ruffled edge makes a pretty crust without much crimping skill.
- Le Creuset Stoneware Heritage Fluted Pie Dish, 9 in. Stoneware gift pick Glazed stoneware with a fluted edge, pretty enough to go straight to the table. Le Creuset's stoneware listings describe it as freezer, oven, microwave, broiler and dishwasher safe. Worth knowing: Le Creuset's listing for this same dish in another color gives a range of -9°F to 500°F.
Emile Henry lists its pie dishes as made in France from fired clay and safe for the oven, broiler, microwave and dishwasher. Glazed ceramic is our pick when the pie is going to the table, like a Thanksgiving pumpkin or apple.
Stainless steel pie plates
Product photo from the brand or retailer listing. Tap a photo to see that pick on Amazon.
Hammer Stahl 9" Stainless Steel Pie Plate, 2-Piece
Stainless steel pie plates, so there's nothing to chip or crack.
Why we picked it
- Hammer Stahl 9" Stainless Steel Pie Plate, 2-Piece Stainless pie plates Stainless steel pie plates, so there's nothing to chip or crack. A pair is handy for holiday baking when you're making two pies at once. Worth knowing: Stainless doesn't release as easily as glass, so butter the plate well and let pies cool a bit before slicing.
Stainless is a good choice if glass makes you nervous around kids or a hard tile floor. It doesn't release quite as easily, so butter the plate well.
For blind baking
Custard, cream and quiche fillings often call for a pre-baked (blind-baked) crust. Line the crust with parchment, fill it with weights, bake, then lift the parchment out.
Some photos are product photos from the brand or retailer; the rest are illustrative. Tap a photo to see that pick on Amazon.
Mrs. Anderson's Ceramic Pie Crust Weights, 135 Count
Natural stoneware beads for blind baking a crust before a wet filling goes in.
Why we picked these
- Mrs. Anderson's Ceramic Pie Crust Weights, 135 Count Pie weights Natural stoneware beads for blind baking a crust before a wet filling goes in. Line the crust with parchment first, then pour these in.
- Norpro Ceramic Pie Weights Pie weights (alternate) Ceramic pie weights from a long-running baking-tools brand, for blind baking tart and pie shells.
- If You Care Unbleached Parchment Paper Roll (2-Pack) Parchment liner Unbleached, chlorine-free parchment that makes any pan easy to clean and keeps acidic foods off uncoated aluminum. Worth knowing: Parchment is coated with silicone to make it nonstick. That's typical, and it's generally used at normal baking temperatures (check the box for the max temp).
Rolling out dough? A wooden or glass board and a glass or stainless bowl for the dough keep plastic out of the process. See our glass and stainless mixing bowl guide.
Pie-day tips
- Bake on a sheet pan. Set the pie dish on an uncoated sheet pan to catch drips. Our baking sheet guide has stainless and aluminum options.
- Shield the edges. Strips of foil or a reusable crust shield keep the rim from burning on long bakes.
- Glass and the oven. Preheat the oven before the glass dish goes in, and don't add cold liquid to a hot glass dish (Pyrex's rules).
Hosting the whole dinner? Our roasting pan guide covers the turkey, and our muffin, loaf and cake pan guide covers the rest of the holiday baking.
FAQ
Is a glass or ceramic pie dish better?
Both are uncoated. Glass lets you see the bottom crust browning, which helps if you've had soggy bottoms before. Glazed ceramic looks nice on the table and holds heat well. Pick the one you like. Either works.
Can a glass pie plate go from the fridge to the oven?
Pyrex says to avoid sudden temperature changes. Don't put glassware straight from the freezer into a hot oven, always preheat the oven first, and never put hot glass on a wet or cold surface. Read the instructions that come with your dish.
Are disposable aluminum pie pans safe?
They're uncoated aluminum, which is widely used for baking. They're thin, so crusts may brown less evenly, and they bend when full. A sturdy glass or ceramic dish lasts for years and avoids the waste.
What can I use instead of pie weights?
Line the crust with parchment and fill it with dried beans or rice. Once they've been baked, keep them as your pie weights rather than cooking with them. Ceramic pie weights are reusable and easy to store.
Do you list prices?
No. Prices on Amazon change often, so we link to each listing where you can check the current price.
