9 Pie Tools You Need To Make The Perfect Pie

Here is a list of 9 pie tools to make the perfect pie for the Holidays! Without these, making pie from scratch can be a bit tricky. I believe in the right tools to make your life easier!

 

This post contains affiliate links. If you click on one of the links, you will be redirected to Amazon. If you decide to make a purchase, I will receive a small commission that costs you nothing extra. That small commission helps to keep this blog going and help to crank out helpful posts and crazy good recipes! So thank you in advance!

So Pie. Heaven in your mouth. Evil to make as one reader once told me. But I believe, making pie doesn’t have to be difficult. You just need the right tools. I mean ask someone to cut down a forest, and then hand them a butter knife. Ridiculous right? The right tools for the job make all the difference. 

With this post, I plan on to go into a little bit more detail with each tool- what they are, why you need them, and of course where you go find them! 

So let’s dig in shall we? 😉

#1- Pastry Cutter

When making pie dough, you are going to need a pastry cutter if you plan to make your pie dough by hand. Making your pie dough by hand can ensure you don’t overmix your pie dough so it is sure to come out flaky and tender. If you are new to pie, it’s not a bad idea using the pastry cutter. With the pastry cutter, you will use it to cut your butter into the flour, which just means incorporating small chunks of butter into your flour.

#2- Food processor

If you choose to NOT make your pie dough by hand, then you are definitely going to need a food processor. Food processors make making pie dough super quick and easy. You just have to be sure to not overmix your dough! Food processors are powerful machines so it’s easy to overmix your dough. I like to use the pulse feature, to ensure I do not overmix. When you are adding the water, be sure to add one tablespoon at a time and pulse in between. You want the dough to begin to form moist clumps. Test your dough by taking a small amount and pinching it together. It should just start to clump together. 

#3- Rolling Pin

Well there ain’t gonna be no pie without a rolling pin! This is my go to rolling pin (yes I also own this one and this one) but I like that there is no handles. I feel with handles they tend to get in my way of rolling out the dough. This is the rolling pin on my Christmas wish list (in case you were looking for what to get me, wink wink)

#4- Pastry Mat

Now I suppose you could get away without using a pastry mat, but let me give you 3 big reasons as to why I think they are totally necessary.

Reason #1: Your dough will stick less. ‘Nuff said. 

Reason #2: The mat includes measurements so you know just how big the circle is you just rolled out. Is it big enough for your pie plate yet? Easy peasy with your pastry mat. I always roll mine out until it as big as the 12” circle.  No guessing. You could also use the measurements on the side if you are cutting the crust into strips to make a lattice pie. 

                                       Reason #3: You can use the mat to transfer your pie crust. Once you have the dough rolled out, just simply flip your mat over on to your pie plate and peel off the mat. 

#5- Pie Plate

Of course you will need a pie plate! I prefer glass pie plates like this one. Glass pie plates allow the pie to heat gradually. I also own a ceramic pie dish, which is another great alternative because they can go straight from the freezer to the oven which is fantastic if you make your pies ahead of time! I do suggest you throw away those aluminum pie pans! They do not bake evenly, so after all that effort in making the pie do you want to ruin it with a cheap pie plate? 

#6- Cookie Sheet

When making pies, it may seem odd to say you also need a cookie sheet. But trust me, you need a cookie sheet unless you love cleaning your oven. When placing your pie in the oven, place it on the cookie sheet (covered in aluminum foil) so the cookie sheet to catch any juices. Placing your pie on the cookie sheet will make sure the juices don’t end up on the bottom of your oven!

#7- Pie Shield

Sometimes when you are baking your crust, the edges can brown too quickly. Enter the pie shield. Now you can make your own with aluminum foil, but honestly I find it’s just easier to keep a pie shield laying around for when you make pies. It’s a huge time saver if you ask me. You place the pie shield over the edges of your crust, and then simply remove in the last 15 minutes of baking to allow the edges to brown. 

#8- Pie Weights

If you ever plan to blind bake a crust– for when you need to make let’s say a pumpkin pie- then you may want to invest in some pie weights. Pie weights are meant to hold down the crust when you blind bake so it doesn’t bubble up. You can in a pinch use uncooked beans or rice as well if you do not have any pie weights. 

#9- Crust Cutters

Again these aren’t totally necessary but these crust cutters are fun way to decorate your pie crust! If you are nervous about the whole crimping method when making pies, then cookie cutters may be just what you need. You can use those leftover pie scraps to cut out fun shapes to decorate the edges of your pie crust. You could also place some in the middle of the pie as well to top the pie with. Here are 4 easy ways to decorate your crust beyond the cutters as well.

There you go! The 9 pie tools I think are the most essential when making pie. Hopefully this list helps you master pie making this holiday season! Be sure to download the pie guide to help you master pies! Let me know what you think of the list..is there I need to add? What’s your favorite? Let me know in the comment section!

Happy Baking!