Want to try your hand at making pies this holiday season? It’s way easier than you think. To get started, you’ll just need a few must-have pie-making tools (which you can totally put to good use for other cooking tasks too). Now let’s get you stocked up.
Tool: Silicone 1" Pastry Brush
This brush is great for adding an egg wash to pie dough so the crust doesn’t burn in the oven—but it can do so much more than that. It’ll also come in handy if you need to sweep away excess flour off rolled-out dough, moisten the layers of a cake, glaze a tart, butter phyllo dough, baste turkey, or grease a pan. This one is made of heat-resistant silicone, but we also have one made with natural boar bristles.
Tool: Dough Blender with Blades
Cutting cold butter into dry ingredients can be a laborious job, unless you have our dough blender. It’s got five stainless steel blades (and a soft, comfortable handle) to make quick work of the task. Plus you can use this dough blender like a potato masher, crushing up hard-boiled eggs for egg salad, avocados for guacamole, and bananas for banana bread. You could even use it to make mashed potatoes in a pinch.
Tool: Multi-Purpose Scraper & Chopper
Not only will this cleanly divide your perfectly blended ball of dough (so that you can roll out a top and bottom crust), it will also become an extension of your hand. Use it to chop, gather ingredients on a cutting board, plate roasted veggies, lift cookies from a cookie sheet, slice brownies, and more. Honestly, you won’t want to put it down.
Tool: Non-Stick Rolling Pin
A lot of people think they can get by without a rolling pin, opting to use an empty wine bottle or a glass instead. Simply put: Those substitutions just won’t give you the consistent results you need. This durable rolling pin features a non-stick coating that keeps pie dough from sticking as you work and is super comfortable to hold (unlike that highball glass!). It can also be chilled in the freezer, so you don’t have to worry about the butter melting while you work the dough.
Of course, the rolling pin can be used for cookie and pizza dough as well, but we also like to use it to freeze ground beef. That’s right, ground beef: Portion out a bulk-sized package into zip-top bags and then use the rolling pin to flatten the meat and get the air out of the bag. Freeze it and, once it’s solid, you can file the bags vertically for neat and easy freezer storage.
Tool: Silicone Dough Rolling Bag
When it comes to rolling out pie dough, this bag is your best bet for containing the mess. Just put your dough in, zip up the bag, and use a rolling pin to roll out the dough (using the easy-to-read measurement markings) to your desired size. When you’re not rolling out pie dough, this bag can be used to store homemade pizza dough or even leftover tortillas from taco night.
Tool: 9-Inch Pie Plate with Lid
Unlike others on the market, our glass pie plate is made of strong borosilicate glass, which means it can withstand extreme temperature changes—like going from the freezer to a preheated oven—without cracking. In addition to pie baking, you can use this dish for frittatas or cinnamon rolls. We also like it for dredging chicken in flour or dunking bread slices into eggs for French toast. And the fact that it comes with a lid makes it a great bonus container for leftovers too.
Psst, don’t forget to check out these smart pie-making tips. And if you’re ready to make other desserts too—think candy, cookies, and more—this list of 19 Essential Tools Every Home Baker Needs will help you prep.
