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byAndrea Hannah
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The process of blind baking, or baking your pie crust separately from its filling, is made a lot easier when you have the right tools. The best pie weights keep the air bubbles out of your crust so it's firm, flat, and perfectly crumbly every time. But, before you buy a weight, there are a few things to know.
For starters, when do you need a pie weight? If you bake pies with thicker fillings, like pecan and pumpkin, you can skip the pie weight altogether (those fillings are baked simultaneously with the crust, thus, weighing it down). But if you're cooking a pie with a no-bake or watery filling (think fruit or custard fillings), you'll want a weight for your crust.
There are three types of pie weights, each with its own perks and pitfalls: ceramic balls, a ball and chain, or a disc weight. Small ceramic balls can fit any pan size and can be shifted to cover every inch of crust but are a pain to scoop up when you're done. The ball and chain makes it easier to collect since all the stainless steel balls are connected, but this type of pie weight can't always cover the entire crust. And while a disc pie weight is simple and covers the entire crust, each one is designed for a certain-sized pan, so you'll need a different disc for different-sized pies.
In a hurry? These are the best pie weights for all your baking needs.