While the immediate answer is straight forward, there’s actually more to pie temperatures then you would initially think.
Experience has taught us that a good pie-in-the mouth temperature is around 62-65°C – just above the health regulation requirements of 60°C. Expertise has also taught us that a pie heated above 70°C will gradually lose moisture, and at 80°C it will lose a lot more moisture. And nobody wants a dry pie.
However, we have also learnt that in places like Bendigo on 4°C days, even pies heated to 80°C (as tested with internal pie temperature readings), can work. Why? When taken out of the front of a shop, facing the east on a crisp and sunny morning, a pie in a paper bag will drop rapidly to good eating temperature in just a few minutes.
If, under these conditions, you happen to place the pie on the bonnet of your car while you unlock the doors and get inside, the pie’s temperature will drop to the mid 50s (°C). This, of course, now tastes like a cold pie.
So what is the answer? In many cases it’s a case of getting the best results possible with all the varying factors – factors that really do vary from cabinet to cabinet. Even two cabinets sitting side-by-side can, and do, have variables caused by draughts.
We do know that a good quality, sealed pie held at 70°C consistently is very safe and is still good to eat after 48 hours. This is reassuring, considering we know many locations that hold portioned food products for up to 24-36 hours.
So, at what temperature do you hold your hot food portions?
In Far North Queensland, pies should be sitting at around 65°C (never more than 70°C, even in mid-winter). And in Bendigo’s mid-winter, (where bakers should know pies have shorter shelf-life), it’s 75-80°C, with mid-summer at 65-70°C. Of course, when there is no action in the shop and it’s mid-afternoon on a 25°C-plus day, the rotary switch on your cabinet should be on ‘standby’, thus using very little energy.
Customers who receive a new KAM 8 cabinet, will also receive a probe testing thermometer (which we call the ‘argument settler’) so that you can actually test the temperature within the food portions. User suggestions are also available on our website.
I urge you all to check your temperatures, particularly as we transition into summer. You should also check your temperatures if you relcoate your cabinet, or if it’s just new to you or your staff.
Get to know the temperatures that work for your bakery, and then you can establish a sound hot food temperature maintenance routine for your business to benefit from.
Holding hot food correctly really does save money in the long term. And because the right temperature will make your hot food taste better, it will also bring in money to your business.
FAQs
preheat the pie warmer or bain-marie before use. ensure the temperature of the hot-holding equipment is set at 60 °C or hotter to maintain temperature control. heat or reheat the food quickly to a temperature of at least 60 °C before being transferred to the hot-holding equipment.
What is a good temperature for pies? ›
1. Preheat the oven to the temperature that your recipe recommends. Most fruit pies bake at a temperature between 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) and 450 degrees F (230 degrees C). Some recipes call for baking the pie in a 450 degree F oven to begin with, then turning down the oven to about 350 degrees F.
What temperature do you warm a pie in the oven? ›
Heating Fully Baked Pies:
Pre-heat your oven to 350 degrees. Put the pie, turnovers, or pastry on a cookie sheet on foil or parchment, and lightly cover with foil. For a 9-inch pie, heat for 15-20 minutes. A 5-inch pie will take about 12-15 minutes and turnovers will take about 10-12 minutes.
How to keep pie warm? ›
How to Keep Hot Food Warm Before Serving
- Your Oven. Some ovens actually will have a "warm" setting, which is usually 170 to 200 F, or a warming drawer, which is meant to keep foods at a level, warm temperature. ...
- Rice Cooker and Other Steam-Based Cookers. ...
- Cooler or Insulated Bag. ...
- Warm Plates for Serving.
If a pie contains eggs or dairy products, it should be stored in the refrigerator and not left out at room temperature for more than two hours. Pies that do not contain dairy products, such as fruit pies can be stored, loosely covered at room temperature for up to two days.
How do you store hot pies? ›
Wrap in plastic before refrigeration to maintain freshness. Bring to room temperature before serving, and if desired, reheat as directed below. FREEZING: Tightly wrap pie in plastic wrap or seal it in an airtight freezer bag. Allow 24 hours for pie to freeze completely.
What temperature should meat pies be stored at? ›
These products must be obtained from a reliable source and should preferably be stored under refrigeration. Temperatures of around 7°C, with good air movement, are recommended so that the pastry remains crisp.
What temperature should a pecan pie be when it's done? ›
Cook pecan pie too much and it'll crack and be dry. Underbake it and it will be watery and runny. You want to cook pecan pie to an internal temperature of 200°F. Use a digital thermometer to make this easy.
What is the best temperature to keep pie dough? ›
For Flaky Pie Crust, Keep Everything COLD, Especially Your Butter. If your kitchen is above 73°F, you can refrigerate all of your ingredients and equipment including your bowl, rolling pin, and pie plate until it's between 65-70°F (dip an instant-read thermometer into your flour to gauge the temperature).
What temperature do you warm up pumpkin pie? ›
We recommend storing Pumpkin and Pecan pies at room temperature for same-day use. For overnight storage, refrigerate pies in the box they came in. Reheat in 300 degree oven for 15 minutes. Let rest for 30 minutes before serving.
To reheat pies, bake in the oven at 375 degrees: 15-20 minutes for chilled pies. 30-45 minutes for frozen pies.
What is the best oven position for pie? ›
A pie's place in the oven is on the bottom rack. The worst mistake you can make with your pie is under-baking the bottom crust—it makes for a soggy, doughy mess. Baking your pie on the bottom rack will ensure that bottom crust gets nice and golden brown. Speaking of which: bake your pie in a glass pie dish.
What temperature is keep warm in the oven? ›
An oven's temperature preset for its keep warm setting typically falls between 170°F and 200°F, but some ovens, like select KitchenAid® wall ovens and ranges, let you customize the temperature within a specified range for more control.
What temperature should a pie warmer be set at? ›
The pie warmer is thermostatically controlled. Rotate the thermostat knob to select the desire operating temperature, Usually about 85-90 Degrees Celsius for pie and sausage rolls. The thermostat will then cycle on and off to maintain the set temperature.
What is the safe temperature to keep food warm? ›
Once the food is cooked or reheated, it should be held hot, at or above 140 °F(60 °C). Food may be held in oven or on the serving line in heated chafing dishes, or on preheated steam tables, warming trays, and/or slow cookers.
Will 170 degrees keep food warm? ›
If your oven doesn't include a “keep warm” preset, aim to manually set the temperature somewhere between 170°F and 200°F to help keep food in a safe range.
What is the best temperature to keep food warm in oven? ›
If you're preparing several foods that get "done" at different times, you often can successfully hold most hot foods for about 15 to 20 minutes in a preheated oven set to 200 to 250°F. For longer than this, check frequently with a food thermometer, to assure the food is remaining at a temperatures of 140°F or above.
How long can you hot hold pies for? ›
If this is not possible, you can take food out of hot holding to display it for up to two hours, but you can only do this once. Food that has not been used within two hours, should either be reheated until it is steaming hot and put back in hot holding or chilled down as quickly as possible to 8°C or below.
What is the safe temperature for meat pies? ›
PREHEAT OVEN TO 350°f (180°C). BAKE FOR 20 MINUTES (50 GRAM PIE) OR 30 MINUTES (125G GRAM PIE), UNTIL COOKED THROUGH AND A MINIMUM INTERNAL TEMPERATURE OF 165°F (74°C) IS REACHED.
