Happy Pi Day, everyone! We tried and became fans of the Dash mini waffle maker, so of course, when we saw that theres a Dash mini PIE maker, we had to try it ASAP.
Dash Mini Pie Maker
Making pies can feel like quite the commitment sometimes (but so worth it, right?), so when we saw that this gadget claimed to make a pie in minutes, we figured it was too good to be true—but we wanted to be proven wrong!
Our staffer Alla gave the Dash mini pie maker a try, making blueberry pies, apple pies and breakfast quiches. She started with two mini blueberry pies, using a recipe included in the booklet that came with the pie maker and defrosted puff pastry squares she had in her freezer.
“The pies were quick to assemble,” Alla says. “I had to roll out the pre-cut squares a little to make them large enough for the pie crust cutter thats included.”
First try:
“I baked the first one for five minutes. It cooked unevenly and pretty golden all around—except it started to burn on the top, towards the front of the machine. I was pleasantly surprised that the filling had cooked in that time. The blueberries were perfect, but parts of the dough were underbaked or still raw.”
Second try:
“For the second one, I cooked it for five minutes, then opened the cover and let it cook uncovered for another five minutes. It still had the dark spot on top and the blueberries didnt hold their shape as well, but no more raw dough on the bottom.”
(FYI—as youll see with the apple pie, Alla says the dark spots never tasted burnt!)
Then, she tried a pair of apple pies and breakfast quiches.
“For the apple pies, I tried to follow the recipe in the booklet, but found it was missing some instructions. It started with peeling and cutting up an apple into wedges and slicing those, then sautéing with a little butter and pumpkin spice seasoning and finishing with a bit of lemon juice. After that, the filling instructions went awry. The ingredients list cinnamon, sugar, corn starch and water, but the instructions didnt mention these things. I decided to let the apples cool, then added the cinnamon, sugar, and corn starch slurry. I made one covered pie and one with a lattice top (mostly because I had some scraps of dough left and didnt want to open a new pack of puff pastry). I cooked for two minutes, rotated, cooked for another two minutes, uncovered for five minutes, but had to add another five minutes covered at the end because the top crust hadnt cooked yet. I couldnt get the dark spots to go away, but the good news is the pastry never tasted burnt, even in the spots that looked a bit too dark.”
First try: “For each quiche, I cut up a slice of deli ham and a little cheddar cheese, and mixed an egg with a splash of heavy cream, salt and pepper. After shaping the puff pastry crust, I layered in the ham and cheese and poured the egg over, making sure the cheese wasnt poking out too much so I wouldnt have a gooey mess on the lid. I tried cooking for two minutes, rotating the pie, cooking for two more minutes, then opening the lid and cooking five minutes more. The crust browned more evenly, but it still had some darker patches.”
Second try:
“My second quiche came out a little paler than the first—maybe because it had a touch less cream or cooking spray—but both domed nicely and had fluffy omelet fillings.”
“I dont think Id do this for a regular breakfast, since frying up an egg sandwich or an omelet would be quicker, but I might do it again as a make ahead or if I were having people over for brunch.”
- Be careful to roll your dough thin enough and not let it overlap too much on the side when shaping the bottom pie crust in the pie maker.
- Use cooking spray or brush on oil or butter before adding your dough to ensure your pie comes out easily.
- Rotate the pie halfway through so that the top cooks more evenly.
So, is the Dash Mini Pie Maker too good to be true or worth it?
“It takes a little mastering but definitely the cutest little pie you could hope for,” Alla says. (Not to mention its way quicker than a traditional pie.) “Its also super easy to remove the pies from the machine [if you grease it first] and clean up. Nothing stuck to the surface.”
Eventually, I tip it out, trying not to maim myself on hot ceramic. I have to say, it’s a fine figure of a dish. Is there anything more comforting than a pie of one’s own? No. I tried wet chicken in gravy, then a crumbly stuffing, with both fillings retained faultlessly. I don’t even mind their non-artisanal appearance. In an age of individualism, the cookie-cutter mentality is strangely welcome. Deep Phil say: don’t be anxious; we’re all one, dude.
You can only cut one pie per sheet of shop-bought shortcrust, which is wasteful. I could make my own pastry, but no one likes those people.
There are no temperature or time dials, no app-enabled extra content. You don’t apply egg wash via Bluetooth. It’s basically a sandwich toaster for pies, which I find refreshing.
It’s not perfect – the concave lid means the pastry tops brown at a completely different rate to the rest. The biggest problem is how to plate the things. “Use a spoon”, advises the leaflet, but the device’s walls are deep and the pie is sunk snug to them, with fragile sides. You can’t extract it with a spoon any more than you could re-pot a plant with chopsticks.
Let’s open her up and see what she can do. I preheat the machine, use the provided pastry section to cut a disc – fluted for flexibility – that lines the ceramic interior. I add precooked filling. Flipping the cutter produces a smaller disc, to lid the pie. All my life, people have asked me to shut my pie hole, so now I do, clip-locking the clamshell.
HOW TO USE THE DASH MINI PIE MAKER | Is It Worth It? Unboxing and Full Review | Plus 3 EASY Recipes
FAQ
Are pie making machines any good?
What is the purpose of a pie maker?
Do you grease pie makers?
Can I use baking paper in a pie maker?
Does a pie maker work?
The Pie Maker works exactly as advertised. It is easy to use and there is something extremely satisfying about being able to tuck into your own freshly baked apple pie while it is still piping hot. Â You can bake open-face pies or double crust pies with the machine, too.
Which pie maker should I buy?
If you are in a mood for pies and don’t want to spend hours baking one, try the Salter Double Deep Pie Maker. This pie maker is perfect for people like me that love pies with a lot of filling inside plus the pies are of a reasonable size.
What is the Best Mini pie maker?
Dash Mini Pie Maker This first option is our top pick. It is a mini pie maker and a single mini pie maker at that but it’s pretty great! This one is a fun aqua color as well. It’s a simple machine that can just sit on your countertop. While it only makes mini pies, it works quickly and efficiently. The mini pies are about 4 inches in diameter.
How much does a pie maker cost?
You should consider your budget before buying, thankfully Pie Makers are relatively inexpensive. Prices range from $28 to $130. The time featured in the table above is the standard time recommended by the manufacturers of the pie makers. The time may vary depending on the type of pie you are making.