Glass vs Metal vs Ceramic Pie Dishes

The bottom crust is the hardest part of a pie to get right, and the dish has a lot to do with it. Heat has to travel through the dish into the dough before the filling soaks in. Thin metal does this quickly, glass slowly but visibly, and thick ceramic slowest of all.

Each material has a place. This guide compares how glass, metal and ceramic dishes bake, what size and depth recipes usually mean, and the techniques that rescue a soggy bottom no matter which dish you own.

Metal dishes

Thin aluminum or aluminized steel pie pans conduct heat quickly, so the bottom crust starts setting as soon as the pie goes in. That makes metal the best choice for fruit pies with wet fillings and for blind-baked crusts. Dull or dark metal browns faster than shiny metal.

Disposable foil pans are thin and flexible. They brown well but bend when lifted, so set them on a baking sheet before filling.

Glass dishes

Tempered glass heats more slowly than metal but holds the heat well once hot. Its biggest advantage is that you can lift the pie and look at the bottom. When the underside looks evenly golden brown, the crust is done.

Glass can break with sudden temperature changes. Avoid moving a dish from the freezer or fridge straight into a very hot oven, setting a hot dish on a wet or cold surface, or adding liquid to a hot dish. Follow the manufacturer's directions for temperature limits.

Ceramic and stoneware

Ceramic dishes are thicker and often deeper, with fluted edges that look good on the table. They take longest to heat, so bottom crusts tend to be paler, especially with juicy fillings. They work well for custard pies, quiche-style fillings and pies with only a top crust, such as pot pies.

Because ceramic retains so much heat, fillings keep cooking after the pie comes out. Take custard pies out when the center still jiggles slightly.

Size and depth

Most American recipes assume a standard 9 inch (23 cm) dish about 3 to 4 cm (1¼ to 1½ inches) deep, holding roughly 4 cups (about 950 ml). Deep-dish pans of 9½ inches (24 cm) and about 5 cm (2 inches) deep hold closer to 6 cups. Measure across the inside top edge, not the base.

If a filling was written for a deep dish and you use a standard one, expect leftover filling. Going the other way, from a standard recipe to a deep dish, gives a shallow pie with exposed crust that can over-brown.

• Standard 9 inch: most fruit, custard and cream pie recipes
• Deep-dish 9½ inch: generous fruit pies, some pot pies
• 10 inch: larger recipes; check the volume before swapping

Getting a crisp bottom in any dish

Bake the pie on a baking sheet or stone that has preheated in the oven, placed on the lowest rack. The burst of bottom heat sets the crust faster. Start hot, around 220°C (425°F), then reduce the temperature once the crust begins to color, if the recipe allows.

For custard and cream pies, blind bake the crust first. For fruit pies, let the filling cool after thickening on the stove or toss fruit with thickener and drain off excess juice before filling the crust.

Common questions

Do I need to change baking time for a glass dish?

Sometimes. Glass may need a few extra minutes for the bottom crust to brown, but the edges can darken sooner. Check the underside and shield the rim with foil if it browns too fast.

Can I bake a frozen pie in a glass dish?

Only if the dish manufacturer says it can go from freezer to oven. Otherwise, use a metal pan for pies you plan to bake from frozen.

Why is my bottom crust raw in a ceramic dish?

Ceramic heats slowly. Bake on a preheated sheet on the lowest rack, add 10 to 15 minutes, and consider a partial blind bake before filling.