Choosing a ramekin for creme brilee

I use regular 6-oz ramekins when I make creme brulee. I like to have a high custard-to-crust ratio and I have two full sets of ramekins at home that I use for a variety of things besides creme brulee, like souffles. If you go to a kitchen supply store, however, you’ll see that they sell large, shallow ramekins that are often called creme brulee dishes. Which one is better – the more generic ramekin or the more specific creme brulee dish?

The shallow dishes are a great choice if you like to make a lot of creme brulees. They’re even better if you like to have a lot of caramel crust on your creme brulees and a higher crust-to-custard ratio. The baking time will be bit shorter with a shallower dish (it will vary widely with the size of the dish so check them early to see if they’re nearly set, then at 5 minute intervals thereafter), and you’ll need to be very careful when pouring the water for the water bath into the baking dish, but otherwise the method is exactly the same. Still, I’ll stick with my deeper , all-purpose ramekins and would recommend them as a great option to just about anyone.