Pie weights are typically small, somewhat heavy objects that are used to weigh down a pie or tart crust with it is being blind baked – the process of prebaking a pie crust before adding a filling to it - to prevent the crust from pulling away from the sides of the pan and allow the crust to bake evenly. There are many different styles of pie weights, including small ceramic and stainless steel balls. The small balls are effective, since they can easily cover the whole base of the pie crust, but they are difficult to clean (many people rarely clean them, though they will often get very buttery) and easy to lose track of if you are not careful about taking them out of your crust, though they are very easy to store because they fit neatly in a small jar.
These Zeal Silicone Pie Weights offer an unusual design that is a little easier to use than those traditional ball weights. The silicone weight is made up of many small balls that are coated in silicone and connected in a long strand. The strand can be placed in a spiral shape at the bottom of your pie plate – and the 46-inch length ensures that it will cover any size pie crust – to hold down the crust during baking. The silicone is nonstick and heat resistant to 575F, and it is also dishwasher safe for easy care and cleanup. This means that you won’t need to line your crust with parchment paper or aluminum foil when using these weights because they are so easy to clean. The weights can be stored in an included mesh bag that takes up even less space than a jar filled with traditional weights.
What do you think?