Best pie dishes, tried and tested

Best pie dishes at a glance

• Best pie dish for no-soggy-bottoms: MasterClass Crusty Bake non-stick deep pie pan, £7.96
• Best single portion pie tin: MasterClass Crusty Bake non-stick individual round pie dish, £4.96
• Best investment pie dish: Falcon pie set, £58
• Best-looking pie dish: Le Creuset stoneware fluted flan dish, from £43
• Best stoneware pie dish: Mason Cash Innovative Kitchen pie dish, £13.32
• Best pie dish with handles: Staub 24cm round ceramic pie dish, £24.95
• Best small porcelain pie dish: Judge pie dish, £5.95

Jump to:

• Best pie dish to buy in 2024
• How to choose the best pie dish
• How we tested pie dishes

Best pie dishes to buy in 2024

MasterClass Crusty Bake non-stick deep pie pan

Best pie dish for no-soggy-bottoms

Pros:

• Perforated base for crisp pastry bottoms
• 20-year guarantee
• Dishwasher-friendly

Cons:

• Lip on the rim might prove tricky to clean over time

Star rating: 5/5

Soggy bottoms can – quite literally – make or break a pie, so we were sold on the promise of this 23cm pan from MasterClass, which has perforations on the sides and base. This helps increase the airflow and remove moisture, and it proved to be a hit. Our pies came out crisp and evenly golden, with a solid base, no leaks, and a great crust that was pulling away from the sides.

Looks-wise the dish is plain but neat, with uniform holes, a sturdy steel structure, and 5cm depth. The non-stick coating worked well too, and we had no trouble slicing up our pie. There’s a lip on the rim of the pan that could be a potential dirt trap, but otherwise cleaning was a doddle, especially as it can go in the dishwasher.

This pie dish also scored highly on value, with a price tag under £20 and an impressive 20-year guarantee.

MasterClass Crusty Bake non-stick individual round pie dish

Best single-portion pie tin

Pros:

• 20-year guarantee
• Freezer and dishwasher safe

Cons:

• Non-stick coating vulnerable to metal utensils

Star rating: 5/5

If you prefer to make individual pies, this perforated 10cm pie tin is ideal (it is also available in an oval shape). The double non-stick coating meant our pie released easily from the tin.

The perforations allow air to circulate and we made a very pleasing individual apple pie with an evenly cooked pastry crust and crisp bottom. It’s a sturdy little tin made from carbon steel and comes with an impressive 20-year guarantee. It's also freezer and dishwasher safe. The non-stick coating could get damaged by metal utensils, so stick to wooden, plastic or silicone.

Falcon pie set

Best investment set

Pros:

• Practical size options
• Gas and electric hob safe

Cons:

• Pricey

Star rating: 5/5

A must-have for serious pie enthusiasts, this five-piece enamel pie set is easy to store, with the five dishes nestled neatly inside each other. The rectangular pie dishes are 20, 24, 26, 28 and 30cm, ensuring a dish for every pie occasion. We made a successful apple pie, evenly cooked with crisp sides and a nicely cooked pastry base that released easily from the tin.

It’s an expensive set, but enamelware is made to last and the dishes can be used for plenty of other creations, including crumbles and pasta bakes. The largest dish is big enough to roast a small chicken. The set is robust but with an appealing retro style that looks nice on the table. They are dishwasher safe, freezer safe and can be used on gas and electric hobs, too.

Le Creuset stoneware fluted flan dish

Best-looking pie dish

Pros:

• 10-year guarantee
• Available in a broad range of colours

Cons:

• Heavy
• Vulnerable to breaking if dropped

Star rating: 4.5/5

This fluted flan dish has a higher price tag than others we tested, but – much like all Le Creuset cookware – it’s built to last. Made from stoneware, it’s robust and has a 10-year guarantee. There’s two sizes available (24cm and 28cm) and 11 colours, though some shades are only available in 28cm.

We tested the 28cm dish in the brand’s iconic volcanic orange, which looked spectacular when we removed it from the box. There’s plenty of advice about how to care for your dish, plus protective packaging for easy storage. Placing it inside the oven was fairly straightforward, though it's quite heavy.

We were pleased with how our apple pie turned out – crisp on the top and well-cooked in the centre. It was softer on the base than we’d like, which suggests this dish could be better with drier fillings. Otherwise it makes a beautiful serving dish at the dinner table, and cleaning up afterwards is simple. It’s also dishwasher-safe and can be stored in a fridge-freezer.

Mason Cash Innovative Kitchen pie dish

Best stoneware pie dish

Pros:

• Great for cooking in bulk
• Vented base to circulate air

Cons:

• Very heavy when loaded

Star rating: 4/5

If you’ve got a large family, this 29cm stoneware pie dish is big enough for eight portions, ideal for big households or family gatherings.

Developed with several innovative features, this pie dish has a vented base so that air can circulate underneath it even when it’s on a baking tray. The inside has small embossed corrugated ridges on the base to help with heat distribution for more evenly cooked pastry.

Our apple pie cooked well and released easily from the ridges, but it had quite a wet filling, so the pastry base was a bit soggy. We’re confident the dish would work well for drier fillings or pastry topped pies. The embossed pattern on the rim is designed to help prevent pastry from shrinking back, and this worked well for our pie.

It’s also microwave, freezer and dishwasher-safe.

Staub 24cm round ceramic pie dish

Best pie dish with handles

Pros:

• Practical handles
• Fluted sides make it an easy on to remove pastry from

Cons:

• Careful for soggy pastry bases

Star rating: 4/5

With two generous handles, this chunky ceramic pie dish is much easier to remove from the oven than most of the other pie dishes we tried out. The slightly fluted sides make for a pretty shaped crust and it’s a good-looking oven-to-table serving dish. It comes in red, blue or white and there’s a 24 or 28cm option.

We tried the 28cm dish, which is easily big enough for eight portions of pie. It baked a nice apple pie, the base wasn’t as crisp as we’d like, but for pies with drier fillings or pastry just on top, it’s a great choice. It’s safe to use under the grill, as well as in the microwave and dishwasher. You can make use of this dish for plenty of other recipes, like potato gratin and cottage pie, or as a serving dish for roast potatoes or vegetables.

Judge pie dish

Best small porcelain pie dish

Pros:

• Chip-proof porcelain
• Oven safe up to 240C
• Two sizes available

Cons:

• No colour variety

Star rating: 4/5

This small, chip-proof porcelain pie dish is a great size for two generous portions of pie. The simple oval shape and slightly off-white colour give it a neutral appearance that will fit into most homes. Our traditional apple pie cooked well and the pastry on the base was cooked with no soggy areas, although it wasn't as crisp as the pies cooked in metal tins.

It’s a versatile dish that can also be put to use for individual pasta bakes, gratins or a two-portion crumble. It’s safe for use in the dishwasher, freezer, microwave and grill, as well as being oven-safe up to 240C. 18cm-24cm sizes are available.

How to choose the best pie dish

Pie dishes vary greatly in style and size and there are plenty of things to consider when choosing the best dish for you. First, think about the material it’s made from.

• Metal and enamel pie tins are better at cooking pies with pastry on the bottom, reducing the risk of the dreaded soggy bottom. But if you’re planning on leaving it in the dish to serve, a metal tin may not look as pretty.
• Porcelain and ceramic pie dishes double as serving dishes and look nice on the table, but they’re better suited to pies with pastry or potato tops. Many are also microwave safe which is useful for reheating leftovers. These pie dishes often come in multiple colours and styles so you can choose one that matches your kitchen or crockery.

Size is an important factor: pie dishes come in everything from individual sizes to large dishes that can make eight or more portions. Also consider whether you’ll want to create deep hearty pies or thinner plate pies. If you want a pie dish that’s versatile enough to be used for different recipes, look for one that’s big enough to accommodate a lasagne, gratin or pasta bake.

How we tested pie dishes

We made a classic apple pie in each of these dishes. The apple filling produces lots of moisture, so using it gave us a good idea of how well each dish can cook the pastry bottoms. We looked at how evenly the pastry was cooked, as well as browning, and whether it was easy to remove from the dish.

We also noted ease of cleaning, as well as if it was microwave or freezer safe. We took into account the size and overall design, considering whether it could be used for other recipes or as a serving dish.

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