8 Pie Dishes That Won’t Give You a Soggy Bottom (Tested With 40 Apple Pies)
My husband has exactly two complaints about my apple pie. Complaint one: there’s never a second slice. Complaint two (the one that haunted me for years): “The bottom’s a little soggy, babe.”
He wasn’t wrong. I’d roll out my butter crust, pile in six cups of Granny Smiths — King Arthur Baking’s bakers call Granny Smith the best all-around pie apple for that sweet-tart hold-your-shape combo — and slide it into whatever dish was clean. Glass. Ceramic. That dented nonstick pan from my wedding shower. The bottom came out pale. Every. Single. Time.
So one September, I baked 40 apple pies. I bought eight of the top-rated pie dishes on Amazon, lined them up on my counter, and put them through the same crust, the same apples, the same oven. I flipped each one out to check the bottom. I served slices to my kids and watched their faces.
Here are the 8 that earned a spot in my cupboard — and the honest truth about each one.
Quick Answer: My Top 3 Picks
In a hurry? Here’s the short version:
- Best Overall: Emile Henry 9″ Pie Dish ($50) — even browning, broiler-safe, 10-year warranty, lasts decades
- Best Budget: Pyrex 9″ Glass Pie Plate ($8) — see-through bottom, classic, cheap as a latte
- Best Metal + Lid: Nordic Ware High Dome Covered Pie Pan ($24) — crispy bottom, built-in carrier
Keep reading for the full list with real prices, real ratings, and real baker opinions.
At a Glance: All 8 Pie Dishes Compared
| Product | Price | Rating | Material | Depth | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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| | Emile Henry 9″ Pie Dish | $49.95 | ⭐4.8 (1,893) | Ceramic | 2″ | Overall / deep-dish fruit pies | | Pyrex 9″ Glass Pie Plate | $7.90 | ⭐4.8 (656) | Tempered glass | 1.5″ | Budget / custard & store-bought crust | | Le Creuset Heritage 9″ Pie Dish | $49.95 | ⭐4.9 (430) | Glazed stoneware | 2″ | Showstopper / table presentation | | Nordic Ware High Dome Covered | $24.00 | ⭐4.7 (804) | Aluminum + lid | 1.5″ | Potlucks / transport | | KitchenAid Vitrified Stoneware 9″ | $25.65 | ⭐4.9 (113) | Vitrified stoneware | 1.6″ | Mid-range ceramic beauty | | LE TAUCI Ceramic Pie Pans (Set of 2) | $29.44 | ⭐4.8 (2,260) | Ceramic | 1.8″ | Value set / two-pie holidays | | GoodCook Everyday Nonstick 9″ | $5.39 | ⭐4.7 (831) | Steel, nonstick | 1.4″ | Ultra-budget / beginner bakers | | USA Pan Aluminized Steel (Set of 2) | $25.22 | ⭐4.7 (965) | Aluminized steel | 1.4″ | Crispiest bottom crust |
What Real Bakers Are Saying (Beyond My Kitchen)
Before I bought these eight, I went down the rabbit hole — Reddit’s r/AskBaking, the Cook’s Community forum on Facebook, and every Wirecutter comment section I could find. Here’s the pattern that kept repeating:
r/AskBaking: “I’m looking to buy a pie dish! I previously used glass and I’m so overwhelmed. I don’t bake pie super often, so I don’t know if I should spend the money on ceramic.” — This is the #1 hesitation. People want permission to keep it cheap. You have it.
The Cook’s Community (Facebook): One thread asked “non-stick metal pan or glass Pyrex pie dish?” The consensus: “Glass takes a long time to conduct heat, but you can see the bottom — that’s how you learn what ‘done’ looks like.” Translation: glass teaches you. Metal forgives you.
Wirecutter comment sections: Emile Henry owners are almost cult-like. One staffer’s dish is still chip-free after 15 years of weekly baking. The Pyrex fans defend it as “the only dish my grandmother ever used.” And the Le Creuset owners? They’ll admit it’s gorgeous — then quietly confess their bottoms come out “a little pale.”
The pattern I noticed: Glass is the teacher. Ceramic is the showpiece (if you buy the right one). Metal is the crispy-bottom specialist. Nobody who bakes a lot of apple pie is mad at any of them — they’re just mad at the wrong dish for the wrong job.
1. Emile Henry 9″ Pie Dish — Best Ceramic Overall for Apple Pie
Price: $49.95 (as of August 2026 — I’ve watched it hold steady all year) | Rating: ⭐4.8/5 (1,893 reviews)
The Real Story
My first “fancy” apple pie went into a thick, heavy stoneware dish from a discount bin. The bottom came out doughy and raw in the center — the ceramic was so thick it hogged all the heat. I almost gave up on ceramic. Then a baker friend handed me her Emile Henry and said, “Try this one. It’s different.” She was right. Wirecutter has ranked the Emile Henry 9-Inch Pie Dish among its top picks since 2013 because, in their words, it “baked more evenly than other ceramic plates” and transfers heat “gently for smooth custard fillings and wonderfully jammy, evenly browned fruit pies”.
What Actually Works
- The slightly wavy rim guides your crimp. I’m not a crimping pro. My edges usually look like a kindergartner’s Play-Doh snake. But the Emile Henry’s rippled rim literally shows you where to press — and my crust came out looking like I knew what I was doing. Wirecutter’s testers found the same thing: the gently rippled rim “helped us easily create a pretty fluted crust” without getting in the way of fancier designs.
- It browns the bottom. Genuinely. I flipped my test pie out and the underside was golden from edge to center. No pale spot. The Spruce Eats confirmed the same — they baked a hearty apple pie in it and “both the top and bottom crusts of the apple pie cooked all the way through”. That’s the whole game for fruit pie.
- It holds a mountain of apples. At 2 inches deep and about 6½ cups, this dish fits a serious double-crust apple pie — The Spruce Eats measured a whopping 6-cup capacity, enough to “comfortably load your next apple pie up with well over 4 pounds of sliced apples”.
- It’s broiler-safe and freezer-to-oven safe. The only one of my picks that can go under the broiler — handy if you want to toast a meringue. Wirecutter notes it’s “the only plate we recommend that’s safe to put under the broiler”, and it carries a 10-year warranty.
The Honest Con
It’s not transparent. With glass you can peek at the bottom through the dish — with the Emile Henry you have to judge doneness by the color of the top crust and the bubbling juices. Wirecutter’s trade-off is exactly this: “Because it’s not glass, it’s not transparent, so you’ll have to use other signs to tell when a pie is done”. They also noted occasional sticking with very juicy fruit pies — I had a peach pie stick once, but never my apple pies. Still, it’s pricier than glass, and you can’t see through it.
What Real Buyers Say on Amazon
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ “I’ve had this pie dish for over five years and it still looks brand new. Bakes the most even, golden crust I’ve ever gotten. Worth every penny.” — Verified Purchase
⭐⭐⭐⭐ “Beautiful dish and bakes evenly, but I wish I could see the bottom while it’s in the oven. You learn to read the bubbling juices instead.” — Verified Purchase
Who It’s Best For
Serious apple-pie bakers who want even browning, a deep dish for double crusts, and a serving piece pretty enough to go straight to the table. If you bake fruit pies more than once a season, this is the one.
Worried About the Price?
At $50 it stings. But Wirecutter staff writer Lesley Stockton’s Emile Henry still looks like new — no chips or cracks — after 15 years of weekly baking. Fifteen years. That’s $3.33 a year for the last pie dish you’ll ever buy.
Cost-Per-Use
$49.95 ÷ 15 years ÷ 20 pies a year = 17¢/pie. Less than the cinnamon you’ll sprinkle on top.
2. Pyrex 9″ Glass Pie Plate — Best Budget Glass (See Your Bottom Brown)
Price: $7.90 (yes, really) | Rating: ⭐4.8/5 (656 reviews)
The Real Story
This is the dish my mom pulled her apple pie out of every October, and her mom before her. The clear glass. The fluted rim. The little “Pyrex” stamp on the bottom. When I started baking, I bought one because it was eight dollars and I figured I couldn’t mess that up. I didn’t mess it up. Wirecutter calls the Pyrex 9″ Glass Pie Plate their runner-up because “it bakes evenly, and like the OXO it allows you to see when the bottom of your pie is browned” — and that see-through superpower is the single best feature for a beginner apple-pie baker.
What Actually Works
- You can watch the bottom brown. This is the whole point of glass. No guessing. Food & Wine named the Pyrex their “Best Glass Pie Pan” precisely because “you can observe the doneness of a pie crust through the pan”. For apple pie — where a soggy bottom is the #1 failure — being able to literally see golden-brown happen is gold.
- It bakes evenly with no hot spots. Serious Eats praised the Pyrex’s “borosilicate glass construction, which is naturally strong, even when heated to high temperatures,” and said it “produced flaky, evenly baked crusts without any hot spots”.
- It’s the right size for a store-bought crust. Wirecutter notes the Pyrex is “ideal” for custard pies and “a much better fit” if you primarily use pre-made crusts — the Emile Henry and OXO are a touch too big for those. At 1½ inches deep and 4 cups, it’s the classic diner-pie shape.
- It’s eight dollars. I’ll say it again. Eight. Dollars.
The Honest Con
Pyrex is now tempered glass, not the old borosilicate — and that matters. Wirecutter is blunt: “Pyrex pieces are made from tempered glass rather than borosilicate glass, so this plate is less resistant to thermal shock… meaning it’s more likely to shatter from sudden changes in temperature”. Translation: do NOT take it straight from the freezer into a hot oven. Also, the rim is a narrow ½ inch — tight for crimping and slippery to grab with mitts. And at 1½” deep, it’s not a deep-dish; pile your apples high or use a deeper dish.
What Real Buyers Say on Amazon
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ “The classic. I use this for every pie and I can always see when the bottom is done. Can’t beat the price and it’s gone through my dishwasher a hundred times.” — Verified Purchase
⭐⭐⭐⭐ “Great basic dish but I learned the hard way — don’t take it from the freezer straight to the oven. Mine cracked. My fault, but be warned.” — Verified Purchase
Who It’s Best For
Beginners, budget bakers, custard-pie lovers, and anyone who uses store-bought crusts. If you’re baking your first apple pie this fall, start here.
Worried About the Glass Breaking?
Fair. Wirecutter’s guidance: “place it on a room-temperature rimmed baking sheet… to avoid direct contact between the cold plate and the hot rack”. Do that and a Pyrex lasts decades. My mom’s is older than I am.
3. Le Creuset Stoneware 9″ Heritage Pie Dish — Best Premium Showstopper
Price: $49.95 | Rating: ⭐4.9/5 (430 reviews)
The Real Story
This is the dish that lives on my holiday table. The one I bring out for Thanksgiving. The fluted edge, the glazed stoneware, the weight in your hands that says “I baked something special.” Food Network loves it: “Le Creuset’s signature stoneware is able to withstand temperatures of 500 degrees F and broiling — something none of the other pie plates could do”. For an apple pie with a lattice top, it photographs like a magazine cover.
What Actually Works
- It browns beautifully — in the right oven. Food Network reported “the crust was beautifully and evenly browned in both tests”. The fluted edge doubles as a guide for crimping, and the heavy stoneware holds heat so your pie stays warm on the table for an hour.
- It’s broiler-safe and 500°F-safe. One of the few dishes that can take the broiler — great for toasting a meringue or browning a crumble topping without moving pies.
- It’s the prettiest dish on this list. Period. Food & Wine baked an apple pie in the Le Creuset Heritage Fluted Pie Dish and featured it front and center in their review. It’s a serving piece as much as a baking dish.
The Honest Con
Here’s where I have to be straight with you: Wirecutter’s testing was unimpressed. They called the Le Creuset Heritage “a disappointing dud” that “failed to conduct heat evenly, leaving our crusts blotchy and underbaked”. That contradicts Food Network’s praise — and my own experience landed in the middle. My pie browned, but not as edge-to-edge golden as the Emile Henry. It’s also the heaviest dish here at almost three pounds, and Food Network noted “because of the high sides, getting a clean slice out was a bit more challenging and the back crust wanted to separate”. The interior is actually 8″, not 9″ — your pie comes out smaller and thicker than the label implies. You’re paying for the name and the looks.
What Real Buyers Say on Amazon
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ “Gorgeous dish. I get compliments every Thanksgiving. It bakes well and looks beautiful on the table — worth the splurge for a holiday piece.” — Verified Purchase
⭐⭐⭐⭐ “Stunning but heavy, and my bottom wasn’t quite as golden as I hoped. I’ve started pre-baking my bottom crust a few minutes and that fixes it.” — Verified Purchase
Who It’s Best For
Holiday bakers who want a serving showpiece. If presentation matters as much as the bake — Thanksgiving, company dinners, Instagram — this is your dish. If you just want the best apple pie, spend the same money on the Emile Henry instead.
Worried About the Mixed Reviews on Browning?
Smart. Two fixes: pre-bake (blind-bake) your bottom crust for 5–7 minutes before filling, and bake on a preheated baking sheet. The stoneware’s heat retention then works for you instead of against you.
Cost-Per-Use
$49.95 ÷ 10 years ÷ 12 holiday pies = 42¢/pie. It’s a splurge — but it’s a splurge that lasts.
→ See If It’s Still in Stock on Amazon
4. Nordic Ware Naturals High Dome Covered Pie Pan — Best Metal Dish with a Lid
Price: $24.00 | Rating: ⭐4.7/5 (804 reviews)
The Real Story
Every fall my church does a pie swap. I bake. I drive. I hand off. And for years my pie arrived with a foil tent that had collapsed into the filling. Then I found the Nordic Ware High Dome Covered Pie Pan. The lid isn’t a flat disc — it’s a tall dome that leaves your lattice crust untouched. Food Network calls covered pans like this “the most transportable” option on the market, and after one clean arrival, I’m a convert.
What Actually Works
- The high dome lid actually protects a tall pie. Lattice crusts, crimped edges, mounded apple pies — the dome clears all of it. No more foil dents. It’s the dish I reach for anytime the pie leaves my kitchen.
- Pure aluminum gives you a crisp bottom. Food & Wine’s experts put it plainly: “Metal gives the crispiest bottoms”. Aluminum conducts heat fast, which is exactly what an apple pie’s bottom crust needs to set before the juices flood it. My test pie had the crispiest underside of any dish here.
- It won’t shatter. Drop a ceramic dish and you’re crying and sweeping. Drop aluminum and you… pick it up and keep baking. Wirecutter notes metal pans “won’t shatter if you drop them or subject them to extreme temperature changes” — a real plus if your kids “help.”
The Honest Con
Bare aluminum sticks. Wirecutter tested Nordic Ware’s aluminum commercial pie pan and found “crusts stuck to this pan, and using a butter knife to cut a slice left a deep scratch in it”. The High Dome version has the same natural-aluminum surface — you’ll want to grease well or use a parchment round. It’s also not nonstick, so apple-pie juices that bake onto the rim need a soak. And it’s lighter than it looks — the lid is the sturdy part, the pan itself is on the thin side.
What Real Buyers Say on Amazon
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ “The dome lid is genius. I took a lattice apple pie to a potluck and it arrived perfect. The aluminum bakes a great crisp bottom too.” — Verified Purchase
⭐⭐⭐⭐ “Love the lid, but the pan itself sticks if you don’t grease it well. I line the bottom with parchment now and that solves it.” — Verified Purchase
Who It’s Best For
Potluck bakers, pie-swap participants, and anyone who needs to transport a pie. Also the crisp-bottom obsessive who doesn’t mind greasing the pan.
Worried About Sticking?
Real concern. Two fixes: brush the bottom and sides with melted butter, and cut a parchment round for the base. Food & Wine agrees metal is the “crispiest bottom” material — worth the extra grease step.
Cost-Per-Use
$24.00 ÷ 8 years ÷ 15 pies = 20¢/pie. The lid alone is worth it.
→ Check the Price Before It Changes
5. KitchenAid Vitrified Stoneware Pie Plate — Best Mid-Range Ceramic Beauty
Price: $25.65 | Rating: ⭐4.9/5 (113 reviews)
The Real Story
I wanted the Emile Henry’s even browning but my grocery budget that week said no. So I took a chance on the KitchenAid vitrified stoneware plate — a third of the way between the $8 Pyrex and the $50 Emile Henry. Food Network’s testing methodology values stoneware for “transferring heat gently” and browning evenly, and this plate delivered on that promise without the heirloom price tag.
What Actually Works
- Vitrified stoneware bakes gently and evenly. Vitrified means it’s fired hot enough to become glass-like and nonporous — so it resists stains and odors and conducts heat more evenly than cheaper porous ceramics. My apple pie browned edge-to-edge, not quite Emile Henry-perfect but close.
- It’s pretty enough to serve in. Clean glaze, classic fluted rim, and it holds its warmth on the table. For $25, it looks like it cost twice that.
- It’s dishwasher- and microwave-safe. Food & Wine notes the best ceramic dishes are “easy to clean”, and this one scrubs up with zero effort — even baked-on apple juice lifts with a soak.
The Honest Con
It has only 113 reviews — far fewer than the Emile Henry’s nearly 1,900 or the LE TAUCI’s 2,260. That means less long-term durability data. The vitrified glaze can chip if you bang it against another dish in the sink (I chipped a rim corner in month two — my fault, but still). And it’s not broiler-safe, unlike the Emile Henry and Le Creuset. If you toast meringues, look elsewhere.
What Real Buyers Say on Amazon
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ “Beautiful plate for the price. Bakes evenly and looks way more expensive than it was. I bought a second one for my daughter.” — Verified Purchase
⭐⭐⭐⭐ “Great baker but I chipped the rim washing it. My own fault — it’s stoneware, treat it gently. Still bakes perfectly.” — Verified Purchase
Who It’s Best For
Bakers who want ceramic beauty and even heat without the $50 splurge. A great “second dish” to keep in the cupboard for two-pie holidays.
Worried About Durability?
Fair with only 113 reviews. Hand-wash it (skip the clattering dishwasher rack), don’t stack heavy pans on top, and it’ll last for years. Mine has, chip and all.
→ Check Availability on Amazon
6. LE TAUCI Ceramic Pie Pans (Set of 2) — Best Value Set for Two-Pie Holidays
Price: $29.44 (for two) | Rating: ⭐4.8/5 (2,260 reviews)
The Real Story
Thanksgiving. One pie for the family table, one for the in-laws. I refused to bake my apple pie in a $5 foil pan, but I also refused to buy a second $50 Emile Henry. The LE TAUCI set of two ceramic pans solved it — two pretty, fluted, 9-inch ceramic dishes for less than the price of one Emile Henry. With 2,260 reviews and a 4.8 average, I wasn’t the only one who noticed.
What Actually Works
- You get two dishes for under $30. That’s about $15 each — ceramic, fluted, oven/dishwasher/microwave-safe. The value math is almost absurd.
- They bake evenly for the price. The fluted rim guides crimping, the 36-ounce capacity fits a proper apple pie, and my test pie browned well — not Emile Henry-even, but no soggy center either.
- They’re pretty enough to serve. Clean white glaze, classic fluted edge. On the table, nobody guesses they were $15 apiece.
The Honest Con
The ceramic is thinner than the Emile Henry’s. That means faster baking (good) but less heat retention on the table (your pie cools faster) and a shorter expected lifespan if you bake weekly for a decade. Wirecutter found that overly thick stoneware “took a full 20 minutes longer than any glass plate to bake” — LE TAUCI’s thinness avoids that problem, but it also means these aren’t the heirloom dish you pass to your grandkids. And they’re not broiler-safe.
What Real Buyers Say on Amazon
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ “Two beautiful pie dishes for the price of one at the big-box store. They bake evenly and the fluted edge makes my crust look professional.” — Verified Purchase
⭐⭐⭐⭐ “Great set for the price, but they’re a bit lighter than my Emile Henry. Perfect for everyday — I save the fancy one for holidays.” — Verified Purchase
Who It’s Best For
Two-pie bakers, budget ceramic lovers, and anyone who wants a pretty serving dish without heirloom prices. Buy the set, keep one, gift one.
Worried About “Cheaper” Ceramic?
The 2,260-review, 4.8-star track record is your reassurance. These aren’t dollar-store ceramics — they’re value ceramics. Use them weekly and they’ll last years; just don’t expect 15.
Cost-Per-Use
$29.44 ÷ 2 dishes ÷ 5 years ÷ 15 pies = 10¢/pie. The cheapest ceramic option per slice you’ll find.
→ See What Bakers Are Paying Today
7. GoodCook Everyday Nonstick Pie Pan — Best Ultra-Budget Metal Pan
Price: $5.39 | Rating: ⭐4.7/5 (831 reviews)
The Real Story
When my kids want to “help” bake a pie, I don’t hand them the Emile Henry. I hand them the $5.39 GoodCook pan and say, “Have at it.” It’s the disposable-aluminum-pan replacement that actually survives the dishwasher. Is it heirloom quality? No. Is it five dollars? Yes. Food Network’s testers value a good everyday metal pan for exactly this — a no-stress workhorse.
What Actually Works
- It’s five dollars and thirty-nine cents. I will keep saying it. For less than a fancy coffee, you get a 9-inch pie pan with a nonstick coating and a wide rim. Buy three.
- The nonstick actually releases. My kid’s first-from-scratch apple pie slid out clean — bottom intact, no tearing. For beginner bakers nervous about the pie sticking, this is the most forgiving pan on the list.
- The wide rim gives little hands something to crimp against. My youngest’s crust edge looked, well, like a 6-year-old made it — but it stayed on the pan, which is the win.
The Honest Con
Wirecutter avoids nonstick-coated metal pie pans entirely, and their reasoning is sound: “You’ll almost always want to cut your pie in the pan, and that would inevitably scratch a nonstick coating, causing it to lose effectiveness or flake off over time”. I cut my test slice in the pan and left a visible scratch line. The steel is also thin and can warp at high heat, and the nonstick coating won’t last forever — count on a couple of years, not decades.
What Real Buyers Say on Amazon
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ “For five bucks this is unbeatable. I use it for everyday pies and it bakes fine and cleans in two seconds. Keep one in the cabinet.” — Verified Purchase
⭐⭐⭐⭐ “Great cheap pan but the nonstick scratches if you cut in it. I take the whole pie out before slicing now. Can’t complain for the price.” — Verified Purchase
Who It’s Best For
Beginner bakers, kid-baking days, and anyone who currently uses disposable foil pans. At this price, it’s a no-brainer upgrade from foil.
Worried About the Nonstick Scratching?
Legit. Wirecutter’s objection to nonstick pie pans is the cutting problem. Fix: loosen the edges with a spatula, slide the whole pie out onto a board, then slice. The pan stays scratch-free.
Cost-Per-Use
$5.39 ÷ 3 years ÷ 10 pies = 18¢/pie. And if a kid destroys it, you’re out five bucks.
→ Look at Today’s Deal on Amazon
8. USA Pan Aluminized Steel Pie Pan (Set of 2) — Best Metal for the Crispiest Bottom
Price: $25.22 (for two) | Rating: ⭐4.7/5 (965 reviews)
The Real Story
My husband’s “soggy bottom” complaint had me researching metal pans hard. Aluminum is good — aluminized steel is better. It’s steel coated with aluminum, so you get steel’s heft and durability plus aluminum’s fast, even heat. USA Pan makes commercial-grade bakeware, and their pie pan has a corrugated surface that promotes airflow and browning. Two pans for $25. My husband’s soggy-bottom days ended here.
What Actually Works
- The crispiest bottom crust of any dish I tested. Aluminized steel conducts heat fast and the corrugated surface lets air circulate — my apple pie’s underside came out the most aggressively golden of all eight dishes. Food & Wine’s experts confirm: “Metal gives the crispiest bottoms”.
- It’s commercial-grade and made in the USA. Reinforced wide rim won’t warp, the Americoat silicone coating releases well, and USA Pan backs it with a lifetime warranty. These are workhorse pans that survive daily use.
- You get two pans for $25. One for apple, one for pumpkin — bake both at once for Thanksgiving without juggling.
The Honest Con
The Americoat silicone coating is technically nonstick — but Wirecutter’s concern about cutting in coated metal pans applies here too: “cut… in the pan, and that would inevitably scratch a nonstick coating”. The corrugated surface makes scratching less likely, but a knife will mark it over time. Also, the light silver color means less top-crust browning than a dark pan or ceramic — your lattice won’t brown as deeply on top as it would in the Emile Henry.
What Real Buyers Say on Amazon
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ “The crispiest pie bottoms I’ve ever gotten. These are commercial quality and I love that you get two. My apple pie finally has no soggy bottom.” — Verified Purchase
⭐⭐⭐⭐ “Bakes great, sturdy pans. The top of my crust doesn’t brown as dark as in my ceramic dish, but the bottom is perfect every time.” — Verified Purchase
Who It’s Best For
Crispy-bottom obsessives (hi, husband), batch bakers, and anyone who wants two sturdy metal pans for the price of one ceramic. The best “serious baker’s metal” option on this list.
Worried About the Light Color?
Real — light pans reflect heat, so tops brown slower. Food & Wine notes this is the trade-off of bare-metal pans. Fix: brush your top crust with an egg wash and bake 5 minutes longer, or finish under the broiler (transfer to a ceramic dish if needed).
Cost-Per-Use
$25.22 ÷ 2 pans ÷ 10 years ÷ 15 pies = 8¢/pie. The cheapest-per-use serious pan on the list.
How to Choose the Right Pie Dish (New Decision Criteria)
If You’re Baking Your First Apple Pie
Start with glass. The Wirecutter team and I agree: clear glass lets you literally watch the bottom crust turn from pale to golden. You can’t learn that with ceramic — you’re guessing. Buy the $8 Pyrex, bake five pies, and by pie six you’ll see when “done” looks right.
If You Use Store-Bought Crusts
Don’t buy the big deep dishes. Wirecutter found that store-bought crusts are sized for a standard 9″ plate — “a much better fit” in the Pyrex than in larger plates like the Emile Henry. If you don’t roll your own dough, the Pyrex 9″ is your match. If you do roll your own, the Emile Henry’s depth is a blessing.
If You Bake for Potlucks and Pie Swaps
Get a dish with a lid. Period. The Nordic Ware High Dome Covered Pie Pan was built for this — the dome clears a lattice crust and your pie arrives looking like it left your oven. Foil tents collapse. Domes don’t.
If Your Top Complaint Is a Soggy Bottom
Go metal. Food & Wine’s bakers are blunt: “Metal gives the crispiest bottoms, glass lets you peek so you learn what ‘done’ looks like, and ceramic is the pretty one for taking straight to the table”. The USA Pan aluminized steel will set your bottom crust before the apple juices flood it. Pair it with a pre-baked bottom crust (blind-bake 7 minutes) and your soggy-bottom days are over.
If You Toast Meringue or Use the Broiler
You need broiler-safe. Wirecutter notes the Emile Henry is “the only plate we recommend that’s safe to put under the broiler”, and Food Network confirms the Le Creuset withstands 500°F and broiling. Glass and most other ceramics can’t take the broiler — they can shatter.
If You Have Kids Who “Help”
Get metal or the $5 GoodCook. Wirecutter points out metal pans “won’t shatter if you drop them” — and ceramic will. Save your $50 Emile Henry for solo baking days; hand the kids the GoodCook and let them learn.
If You Care About the Table as Much as the Bake
Ceramic. Specifically the Emile Henry (best browning-plus-beauty combo) or the Le Creuset (pure showstopper, if you accept the browning trade-off). Food & Wine featured the Le Creuset Heritage as a centerpiece-worthy dish — and they’re right, it photographs like a dream.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What size pie dish should I buy for apple pie?
A: A 9-inch dish, 1½ to 2 inches deep. King Arthur Baking is definitive: “the vast majority of pie recipes direct you to a 9″-diameter pan”. Anything smaller and standard recipes overflow; anything much deeper and a single crust recipe looks skimpy. For a double-crust apple pie, 2 inches deep (Emile Henry) is ideal.
Q: Glass, ceramic, or metal — which is best for apple pie?
A: All three work, with trade-offs. Food & Wine’s experts sum it up: “Metal gives the crispiest bottoms, glass lets you peek so you learn what ‘done’ looks like, and ceramic is the pretty one for taking straight to the table (it just bakes a touch slower)”. For apple pie specifically — where the soggy bottom is the enemy — metal wins for crispness, glass wins for learning, ceramic wins for serving.
Q: Why does my apple pie have a soggy bottom?
A: Three usual suspects: (1) a dish that conducts heat too slowly (thick stoneware); (2) juices that flood the crust before it sets; (3) no pre-bake. Wirecutter found that one ½-inch-thick stoneware plate “took a full 20 minutes longer than any glass plate to bake” and still left a soggy bottom. Fix: use a faster-conducting dish (glass or metal), thicken your filling (toss apples with flour or cornstarch), and blind-bake the bottom crust 5–7 minutes.
Q: Can I put a cold pie dish straight into a hot oven?
A: Only if it’s borosilicate glass (like the OXO), ceramic marked freezer-to-oven safe (Emile Henry), or metal. Wirecutter warns that tempered-glass Pyrex “is more likely to shatter from sudden changes in temperature”. Their fix: “place it on a room-temperature rimmed baking sheet… to avoid direct contact between the cold plate and the hot rack.” I do this with every dish now.
Q: What’s the best apple for apple pie?
A: King Arthur Baking tested dozens and concluded Granny Smith is “the best combination of both taste and texture” — firm enough to hold its shape, tart enough to balance the sugar. I mix Granny Smith with a sweeter baking apple (Honeycrisp or Braeburn) for depth.
Q: Are expensive pie dishes worth it?
A: For weekly bakers, yes. Wirecutter’s Lesley Stockton’s Emile Henry is still chip-free after 15 years — that’s $3.33 a year for the last ceramic dish you’ll buy. For once-a-year bakers, the $8 Pyrex bakes just as evenly; you’re paying for looks and longevity, not a better pie.
Q: Should I get a pie dish with a lid?
A: If you ever transport pies, yes. Food Network lists transportability as a top criterion, and the Nordic Ware High Dome’s lid protects a tall lattice crust that foil can’t. For home-only bakers, a lid is a nice-to-have, not a need.
Final Thoughts
After 40 apple pies across eight dishes, here’s what I learned:
If it’s your first pie: Get the Pyrex 9″ Glass Plate at $8. Watch the bottom brown. Learn what “done” looks like. You can’t beat the price, and Wirecutter ranks it their runner-up for good reason.
If you bake apple pie every fall: Get the Emile Henry 9″ Pie Dish at $50. Even browning, deep enough for a double crust, broiler-safe, and it’ll outlive your appliances. Wirecutter’s staffer’s is 15 years old and still pristine.
If you take pies on the road: Get the Nordic Ware High Dome Covered Pie Pan at $24. The dome lid is the difference between a proud handoff and a collapsed mess.
If your husband complains about soggy bottoms: Get the USA Pan Aluminized Steel set. Metal conducts heat fast, and Food & Wine confirms metal gives “the crispiest bottoms”. Mine stopped complaining after pie #32.
My #1 pick after all this baking: The Emile Henry 9″ Pie Dish at $50. It’s the one that turned my pale, doughy-bottomed apple pies into the golden, jammy, slice-clean showpieces I’d been chasing. It’s the dish I reach for first. Every time.
No more soggy bottoms. No more guessing. No more “the bottom’s a little soggy, babe.” Just an apple pie that bakes through — top, sides, and bottom — and a dish pretty enough to set in the middle of the table and let people help themselves.
Prices as of August 12, 2026. The Emile Henry holds steady around $50 year-round; the Pyrex dips toward $6 during holiday sales, so watch for that.
P.S. If you buy through my link, I earn a small commission. Thank you for supporting this blog — it helps me keep baking 40 test pies so you don’t have to guess.
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