WARNING! Stainless Steel gets VERY VERY HOT in the oven, so HANDLE WITH CARE!
The idea for this video came about because I’ve been mulling over using stainless steel ball bearings as pie weights for a while now, and I wanted to make a proper comparative analysis of which would be the best of the lot. I got my hands on some ceramic pie weights a few weeks ago, so I was all set to make this video.
I think the ceramic balls won, though they aren’t as easily available as dried chickpeas, rice or dried kidney beans. Ball bearings are also easy to find, but you ought to sterilise them first, and store them with silica gel or a good desiccant to make sure they don’t rust. They’re also super easy to extract using a magnet, as you’ll see in the video. What do I recommend?
If you want the cheapest option- use chickpeas
If you want the best baking experience - use ceramic or clay balls
If you want the thinnest crust/shells and easy removal - use stainless steel ball bearings
00:00 The Best Pie Weights for You
00:15 Preparing the Pastry
02:06 The Parchment Lining
02:44 I-Chickpeas
03:12 II-Ceramic/Clay balls
03:35 III-Steel ball Bearings
04:00 Baking Tartshells
06:06 The Verdict: Chickpea Weights
06:35 The Verdict: Ceramic/clay balls
07:07 The Verdict: Steel ball Bearings
07:40 Turning Shells to Tarts
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Music: "Jazz_Mango" by Joey Pecoraro