Chicago Metallic Non-Stick Cup Pie Set

Great pan with great features! Here's why:PROS:1. The non-stick works perfectly. Should it not work fine at some point, the fact that you can use the removable bottoms to push out the pie means you'll probably be able to push the pies out anyway instead of having to break them apart or scratch the non-stick finish to get them out.2. The pies it makes are a very good meal size for a modest meal, say with a soup or salad on the side. If you're hungry, of course you can have more than one, or more of a side dish, but this size pie is pretty much a perfect centerpiece for a moderate but satisfying meal. I used the pan to make chicken pot pies for dinner -- the first I've ever made and the first pies I've made in maybe 25 years -- with a French onion soup on the side and everyone was satisfied.3. The pies it makes are very pretty. I brushed beaten egg on the tops and they came out a beautiful golden brown.4. The removable bottoms make pie removal (relatively) easy and clean up a cinch.5. The cutter makes assembly easy.6. The pies are a good size to freeze and ideal for soft-centered pies that tend to go mushy on a plate once cut, like chicken pot pies or some berry pies.CONS:1. The cutter cuts a top that could be just a hair bigger. You can still mash the top together with the bottom crust fairly easily, but extra care is needed not to push the pie filling about too much when doing so. A slightly larger pie top would be easier to tamp down into place.2. Anything that has a crust, I like cooling on a drying rack to keep moisture from making the crust less crispy. It's also often harder to remove baked items from pans if you wait very long. So if you're like me you may want to get the pies out of the pan quick. That isn't easy. You can't do it with your hands while holding the hot pan very easily at all, as the bottom of each pie cup has a wide border, leaving a smallish hole. If you want to set the removable bottom on something like an upturned bowl or glass to get the pie out, that thing must be very small indeed. I did it by using a unusually small-bottomed juice glass, as none of our bowls, cups, or other glasses had such a narrow base.3. I used store-bought dough and found it just slightly too small to use to cut out two full bottom crusts and two tops. There's enough left over to re-roll the dough and get the right size, but I found myself shaping strips of leftover dough to fill the gap in the top crust. Done carefully such a patch-up job is almost invisible, especially if you use an egg wash on top, but it's less than ideal. You'll have to either roll out store-bought dough a little more by yourself, or do a patch-job like I did.NOTE: Those last two "CONS" are not a fault of the pan itself or its manufacture! They are just things that make it a tiny bit more difficult to use than someone might have expected. For instance, despite the maneuvering, it's still easier to get pies out of this pan than it often is to remove baked goods from their cooking containers. Even all together, the three "CONS" are not enough to make me take off a star, because this is an outstandingly useful pan that makes cute little pies easily. In fact I am going to buy another one. I would love to stock the freezer with more of these little pies.NOTE ALSO: Watch your oven temperatures when first making a pie or any mini-item (mini-loaves, mini-muffins, etc.) this small. It will cook more quickly than a big pie will.

Without this in front of you it is hard to see the size. I thought these so you could have your own individual pie. These are huge. Maybe two or three normal pie slices. If you were having savory (your entire dinner) this would be a good size, but I would rather use little crocs for that.

It's a good idea, but maybe not so well executed. Previous reviewers stated there were recipies inside the box--not anymore. The pan comes in a plain white box, with a little label taped on it. No warranty info, although it said on Amazon, it was 20 years. Did I mention it's "Made in China"? Maybe that's the reason there's no warranty info. It does come with a nice pastry cutter, just not sure about the quality. The pan seems sturdy enough, but the instructions do say to grease the pan with butter, even though it's Non-Stick. Bought it for small pot pies, and holiday mincemeat or pecan pies to share.***UPDATE***OK, after using these pans, I've found it's not necessary to grease the "cutter"-that just makes it messier to clean-up. Caution: the edges of the bottom, and removeable bottoms are SHARP! Be very careful when hand-washing the pans as it's like getting paper cuts...OW! On a positive note, the crusts come out the the pans easily & look really nice. These pans look just like the ones from "Food Network" @ about 1/2 the price.They also do well for baked pie shells as long as they're docked well, first.

This is a high class product. All of the products by this company are of high quality.I will use them more.

I am giving this product 5 stars because the pan performed exactly as I expected it would based on its picture and description when I purchased it. If I ever have to replace it, I will buy this one again without a doubt.PROS:-the removable bottoms make it possible to pop the pies right from the pan and onto a plate-the pans produce a main entree-sized pot pie-the included plastic cutting tool cuts dough to just the right size for the pan-the non-stick surface cleans up easily-the pan feels solid and does not buckle or bend even when fully filled and hotCONS:-the side of the plastic cutting tool designed to cut the top design does not cut dough cleanly-the price is higher compared to other similar itemsI purchased these pans to makes miniature pies of the less popular varieties for Thanksgiving. My goal was to allow everyone to have their favorite. I have also used them to make single-serving sized chicken pot pies with great success. I have only experimented with pastry crust pies and have not attempted a cracker or cookie crumb style crust. I have not had any issues with anything leaking out of the bottom of the pan before, during or after baking.I have a tendency to overfill my sweet and savory pies and end up burning some of the filling onto the pan, but the pan cleans up surprisingly well. With little to no soaking or scrubbing, I was able to remove burned on caramelized cherry-pie filling as well as the filling of a chicken pot pie. Please also note that I do not have to use non-stick spray.My only complaint is that the plastic dough cutting tool does not cut the top star and diamond design very precisely. This is easily remedied by taking a knife, chopstick or some other skinny tool to remove the dough from the design before lifting the cutting tool from the dough. For what it is,a plastic cutting tool, it does an adequate job.THE BOTTOMLINEAlthough this pan does cost more than its competitors, the solid construction, well thought out design, and ease of cleanup make it well worth the money you will spend for this pan that is built to last perhaps a lifetime.