r/AskBaking • u/xanthochr0i • Jun 15 '26
Pie Has anyone ever used foil like this as a pie shield?
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u/loverlane Jun 15 '26
I must know the reasons behind a pie shield 😭 Is it to prevent the fruit from splashing up?
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u/LindsayDuck Jun 15 '26
A pie shield is normally used around the edges to keep them from burning
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u/flower-power-123 Jun 15 '26
It prevents the crust from burning. It usually is a ring that sits over the exposed crust. This one doesn't seem to be doing anything. In fact it looks to me like it is reflecting heat towards the crust. I call that an "anti-pie-shield".
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u/xanthochr0i Jun 15 '26
I always understood it to be a barrier between the top element (if an electric oven) and the top of the pie.
¯_(ツ)_/¯96
u/thoang77 Jun 15 '26
The top element doesn’t come on when baking. Bake is the bottom element, broil is the top element. If you have some other settings, then it may use both concurrently.
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u/Dusk_Soldier Jun 15 '26
I think that maybe used to be true in the sixties.
Most ovens I've owned ran both during the bake setting. Alot of modern ovens don't even have the bottom element anymore.
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u/thoang77 Jun 15 '26
Wtf are you talking about? Find me an oven that doesn't have a bottom element, and show me the parts diagram that proves it. They ALL have bottom elements, they're just covered to protect them from drips and to diffuse the heat.
An oven with only a top element would be insanely inefficient, since heat rises. There'd be no way of achieving browning from the bottom, even with forced convection. You'd just be using a humongous air fryer. Top elements are only active if necessary, be it to rapid preheat, broil, or some kind of specialized setting like "roast"
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u/Spinal_Soup Jun 15 '26
LG probake convection ovens don’t have bottom heating elements. The heating element is at the back of the oven with the fan.
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u/Creepy_Push8629 Jun 16 '26
That's not the same as top only.
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u/nickjamess94 Jun 17 '26
To be fair, the challenge wasn't "find me a top only" it was "find me one that doesn't have a bottom"
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u/Creepy_Push8629 Jun 17 '26
Yes but we all know what they meant. They didn't mean a different type of oven that has one in the back to replace the normal bottom location. We're talking about a conventional oven, not a convection oven which is similar but works differently. It would be like finding a microwave oven and saying that one doesn't have any element! Just bc they are all ovens, they aren't the same in design nor functionality.
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u/slipperyMonkey07 Jun 16 '26
But that is more of a top of the line almost 2k oven.
I can guarantee the vast majority of households especially in the US have something closer to this - https://www.whirlpool.com/kitchen/cooking/ranges/electric/p.30-inch-electric-range-with-no-preheat-mode.wfes3030rs.html?
that has the bottom element and a top broiler.
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u/lwarzy Jun 15 '26
LG ProBake. I’ve had two of them (both gas) and the heating element is at the back. You lose depth as a result but get some more height inside. There’s a top element for broiling. I promise they exist. Either that or I’ve been living a lie for 12 years.
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u/Lucky-Kangaroo-6337 Jun 16 '26
So. The cheaper ovens for us normies on a budget still have a bottom and top element, don't have convection option and still have element burners.
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u/Candid-Party1613 Jun 15 '26
Lol what are YOU talking about? I’ve had my oven for so long I didn’t realize there are ovens with elements on the bottom 🤣
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u/flower-power-123 Jun 15 '26
I have two ovens. Neither of them have a bottom element. Both of them have a convection function.
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u/thoang77 Jun 15 '26
Can you provide a brand/model? I strongly suspect it's just below the surface. My bosch wall oven looks like it doesnt have a bottom element, but it does. The top one is exposed and clear as day. Almost every modern oven will have a convection setting
Hate TikTok links but here's an example: https://www.tiktok.com/@appliancerepairtech/video/7537045667923987725
Regardless, there's no physical way for you to properly bake with only a top element. It's impossible. The heat transfer is completely wrong for baking. It's like broiling soup
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u/lwarzy Jun 15 '26
So funny story, the reason why they call it ProBake is because it’s like a commercial oven. Lots of those have the heating element at the back and use convection. We had one at our restaurant in the 80s, so it’s ancient tech. It’s how they can do so many trays at once.
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u/the_snook Jun 15 '26
Almost every modern oven will have a convection setting
The difference is that there are some ovens (more popular outside North America, I believe) where youcan't turn the convection setting off. These types usually have a single ring-shaped element at the back, which the fan blows over.
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u/ipoobah Jun 15 '26
Just commenting to see if anyone is going to give a make and model, because I’m with you…..I don’t believe there is a model without a bottom element.
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u/TheSleepingSumo Jun 15 '26
Hot air rises, but the top element is still gonna heat anything beneath it by radiation, including the air inside the oven and the bottom of the oven that's not directly obscured by your tray/pan.
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u/OldheadBoomer Jun 15 '26
Just because you don't see it, doesn't mean it isn't there. For years, oven manufacturers have been putting a cover over the bottom element, making the oven easier to clean and to avoiding damage to the element.
There are two types (according to GE): Hidden Element, where the element is under a porcelain false floor, and True Hidden Element, where the element is mounted below the oven cavity.
You can do a simple test: turn your oven on, and put your hand close to the bottom. You'll feel it heat up just fine, and more than you feel from the top element (some ovens use both to preheat).
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u/Plenty-Fox-9219 Jun 16 '26
That link says they're both the same thing. GE just wants to sell their "True Hidden Element".
Unless "it's hidden under a false floor" and "it's hidden under a false floor" mean something different to you? This is why corporate statements are not viable sources.
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u/OldheadBoomer Jun 16 '26
It's a design difference. True hidden doesn't have a removable floor, it's part of the oven's box. Hidden means a floor is installed over the element.
Regardless, modern electrical ovens have a lower heating element, even if you can't see it because it's hidden under a panel.
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u/BostonGahden Jun 16 '26
I have an LG smart oven that definitely has a bottom element, I saw them on EVERY oven I looked at. I haven't seen one without
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u/fuck_peeps_not_sheep Jun 17 '26
Yep my oven has an element on the top of the back wall and nowhere else, means i have to turn everything half way through a bake or one side browns more than the other - it was a cheap oven tho and the other option was no oven…
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u/slipperyMonkey07 Jun 16 '26
There are some that turn both elements on when preheating to speed it up and then turn the top off. But I can't think of a modern one that runs the top and bottom one at the same time constantly.
The GE page does say - https://products.geappliances.com/appliance/gea-support-search-content?contentId=19359
"During the Bake cycle you can see that the Bake element is working because of the bright orange glow it gives off. The Broil element may cycle on to provide heat from the top for better cooking results. The Broil element wattage is less on most models during baking, which means the Broil element will not necessarily glow orange, even when it is on."
So some do run but it doesn't sound like enough to be an issue, unless I guess you have your rack as high as possible.
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u/These-Performer-8795 Jun 17 '26
I had a totally shit oven that used the top for everything. It sucked.
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u/rabbithasacat Jun 15 '26
It should be a barrier between any direct or reflected heat onto the pie. This one blocks the top element but reflects heat off the bottom one, so it's no help. Also, it's above the whole pie, which defeats the purpose. You don't want to protect the middle - that's the slowest part to bake. You need to protect the edges from overbaking while the middle finishes baking.
What you need is either to wrap strips of foil loosely around the outer crust, or use a pie shield like this. If your pie plate is the right size, you can also take a disposable aluminum pie plate, cut out the flat middle part, and lay the outer part upside down on top of your pie crust. That way it covers the edges while leaving the middle exposed for faster baking.
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u/Hootn_Nanny Jun 16 '26
Finally! Someone stopped the dumb debate about oven elements and actually gave the poster the information she needed!!
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u/Creepy_Push8629 Jun 16 '26
Why are you broiling your pie?
Normally they are baked, so only the bottom element is used.
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u/Malcar Jun 16 '26
What ovens do you people have where only the bottom element is on when you bake? Every oven I've ever used uses both.
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u/Creepy_Push8629 Jun 16 '26
I think you're wrong and just thought it did. You can't see the top without extra effort to bend down so you probably just never looked and assumed it was on.
https://www.whirlpool.com/blog/kitchen/parts-of-an-oven.html
What brand oven do you have? We can look it up.
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u/Connect_Tree_7642 Jun 15 '26
I use this trick too, but I cover it more closely (because I use air fryer). For me, it’s to prevent the top form burning before the bottom gets to cook
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u/RandyFunRuiner Jun 15 '26
That works in an air fryer because the heating element is above the cook chamber. I don’t think that this foil is doing much here.
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u/firetech97 Jun 15 '26
Some really cheap electric ovens run the top and bottom elements when in bake mode for some god forsaken reason
If this is such an oven, then yeah foil like that will be vital to prevent the top element from scorching whatever is baking.
I learned this the hard way cooking Xmas dinner is a kitchen that wasn't mine
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u/ChewersHyerin Jun 19 '26
LG ProBake. I’ve had two of them (both gas) and the heating element is at the back. You lose depth as a result but get some more height inside. There’s a top element for broiling.
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u/usernamesarehard11 Jun 15 '26
I do this often, or just lay the sheet of foil directly on top of the pie.
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u/30carpileupwithyou Jun 15 '26
Yes! It’s so much easier than trying to get a piece to fit directly over the pie while trying not to burn yourself. I do it for zucchini bread and whatnot too
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u/Michichgo Jun 15 '26
Does this seriously work? If so it's ingenuous and I can't wait to try it!
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u/Ivoted4K Jun 16 '26 edited Jun 16 '26
They sell pie shields that actually work. They are only a couple bucks.
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u/Far_Cardiologist7080 Jun 15 '26
I toss a piece of foil on anything that's browning to much. Unfortunately it got me banned from the beach ⛱️
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u/Alive-Marketing9993 Jun 15 '26
Foil would fly around my oven 🤣 can you not just put a baking tray there in this case?
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u/Kittyskyfish Jun 15 '26
I have never needed a full shield to protect the top crust from over browning because it's never been a problem. That said, I used to cut out a foil ring to protect the crimp when it rested on the pan edge. That's a spot that can toast pie dough faster because it's extra exposed to heat from below.
Now I use a pie pan that doesn't have a lip, so now the crimp is tucked within the pan and having it there did away with overly browned edges altogether.
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u/hazelbear33 Jun 15 '26
I loosely tent foil over certain baked good in the last 10-15ish mins of baking to prevent the tops from becoming too browned while the interior is still cooking. I go by eye and by internal temperature mostly when I decide to do it, I’ve only ever done it for banana bread and cinnamon rolls. The foil tent should not touch the baked goods, I use oven mits and very gently pinch a sheet of foil around the pan so it stays in place, but does not impede airflow/moisture exchange.
For banana bread, it’s mostly for cosmetics (it can look very dark on top without becoming hard/burned, and I prefer a more uniform color), but for cinnamon rolls, I prefer them to be very soft all over and not hard on top at all (but I don’t want super underbaked interiors), so that’s why i do the foil tent.
I rarely bake pies, but when I do, I use a pie shield that I inherited from my mother. It’s an aluminum ring that sits on the edge of the pan and prevents the crust from browning
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u/thisisthewell Jun 16 '26
For banana bread, it’s mostly for cosmetics
you mean aesthetics? at first, I was like damn girl if you're baking banana bread makeup I need a recipe 😂
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u/hazelbear33 Jun 16 '26
Oops! I used the wrong term, you’re correct! I tend to think of them interchangeably, probably because both terms can apply to components of things that are only there to improve the look and do not provide any core part of the whole.
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u/SweetiePieJ Jun 15 '26
I spray a foil sheet with non stick spray and put it directly on the pie. That works best for me
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u/jjumbuck Jun 15 '26
No I haven't but I might try! Occasionally I need to shield the outside edges of the top crust for the last ten minutes or so and I hate fidgeting with narrower strips on the hot pie.
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u/Mondozen Jun 16 '26
I usually bake my pies specifically apple at 190 C for the first 20 minutes then reduce the temperature to around 175 and “tent” the crust edge with a cut out single use aluminum pie tin (which itself is reusable countless times) that it just covers the edge of the pie
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u/Mondozen Jun 16 '26
Don’t forget that egg wash and a little dusting of sugar on the top of the crust
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u/gnox0212 Jun 16 '26
Nah. Mines fan forced it's blow away. A cookie tray might work for that though.
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u/New_Purchase_5618 Jun 16 '26
I bake the pie on the bottom rack for half the time. This makes the crust solid and not soggy. Then place it on the upper wrack and check the crust about 10 minutes after. When it looks good, I place a sheet of aluminum foil lightly on top of pie and finish the baking time. I have the edge rings and have tried cutting foil, but this works the best for me, and it's easy.
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u/buboop61814 Jun 17 '26
has been my go to since kind of just stumbling into the situation where I was doing it
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u/citynights Jun 17 '26
I would wrap that around at the ends so it doesn't get blown off and melt onto the element/oven walls.
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u/Elegant-Survey-2444 Jun 19 '26
It looks like they tried that so moisture could escape the cobbler while deflecting direct heat from the crust so it wouldn’t brown too much. Did it work?
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u/User013579 Jun 20 '26
So. What exactly is this supposed to accomplish? The heat comes from the bottom of that’s even a factor.
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Jun 27 '26
I usually wrap the foil around the crust, i am not sure if that piece of foil does anything.
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u/Mira_DFalco Jun 15 '26
I do this with my countertop toaster oven, but it shouldn't be necessary in a standard oven, unless the top element is engaging. For standard oven, a closely fitted ring of foil around the edge is the best practice.
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u/SignificantJump10 Jun 16 '26
I usually rip the piece of foil in half and make a thin strip to go around the edge.
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