What is the best type of pie pan to use for a good bottom crust?

I bake on ceramic, glass and metal. The crust browns nicely in all of them. Much depends on the fat content of the crust. I generally do an all butter crust or half butter half shortening crust. Both hold up and crisp up nicely.

When I bake on metal, it's generally not a pie. It's a tart in a removable pan. When I bake a galette (free form crust), I use a metal cookie sheet with parchment.

Glass and ceramic have similar properties, so it won't differ too much. What does matter is the color. Darker pans absorb the heat and cook faster and lighter colored and clear glass pans reflect heat and take longer.

Keep in mind that pies are generally served in the pan (not removed), so keep it attractive. Ceramic has more attractive options

Pyrex is what I use. I do have the stainless steel pans, but I prefer the pyrex. I always butter the bottom and lightly butter the sides slightly; not all the way up because the side of the crust will drop down if you butter the sides too much; when you pre-bake it.

Instructions say to form the crust in the pie plate and then freeze it in the freezer; remove from the freezer and then put a sheet of parchment paper in the pie crust; place pie weights over that and pre-bake it.

Any time you remove a pie/pie crust from the oven, be sure to place it on a thick layer of kitchen towels, or a dry wooden cutting board or a trivet. Or it will crack and break.

Pies are my favorite dessert and have been since I was a kid. I, as my mother and grandmother before me, bake my pies in pyrex pans. I like the way they bake, the pie never sticks to the pan, and to make sure that bottom crust is browned like I like it....all I have to do is hold it up and I can see the bottom crust.

When I was first married I tried some of the other pans. I even tried the holes in the bottom which is supposed to give the pie a crispier bottom crust. I could not see where it did ...and when you cut the pie if it is a juicy fruit pie, the juices and leak out the bottom.

Most recipes are for the aluminum pans with the brushed silver look. You have to adjust recipes for the glass, enameled or anodized pans because they absorb heat differently. Unglazed stone tiles like a bread or pizza stone will help stabilize temperatures in an oven. I think you should start with the traditional aluminum pans.

The hole is probably to let air in when you tray to lift the pie out of the pan so it doesn't stay sucked in.

America's Test Kitchen (PBS) uses glass (Pyrex) for more even heating.

Always take them out of the oven and put them on a trivet or rack. When they are that hot, even a small amount of cool water can make them shatter.

My Mom, a fantastic pie baker, always used an aluminum pie tin. Her sister, no slouch herself, always used glass.

(I bake pies at Thanksgiving and Christmas - with pre-made shells.)

Best Pie Plate

Glass is really good to make it with and maybe tin if you want thicker/ cruchier crust