You don’t have to spend a ton of money and time shopping for all the finest kitchen tools in order to make a good pie. However, investing in tools that you like and that hold up over time will help you get the job done easily and enjoyably. It is beyond frustrating to try to work with a subpar tool that falls apart halfway through whatever process you are in.
Understand how to use your tools and how to repair them if possible. (We are constantly wearing out and repairing our apple peelers, creating Frankenstein peelers by transferring pieces from one to another.) As relatively DIY, self-taught bakers, we have always been interested in learning about and investing in well-made kitchen tools. That said, we like to streamline (we get rid of unused or inferior tools on a regular basis) and keep our tool inventory down to only what is necessary.
Rolling pins can be a matter of preference. We agree that a well-balanced tapered (often called French-style) pin is the easiest to work with for rolling out pie dough. When working in a large kitchen, using a long pin with a large circumference can make quick work of the rolling process, but a tapered pin allows for versatility and precision when rolling—especially on a small countertop. A marble pin is nice in the summer; you can chill it in the freezer and have a cool tool to work your quickly softening pie dough; however, marble pins are quite heavy, and not all are created equal. If you choose marble, make sure the handles that hold the supporting rod through the middle are constructed well or it will fall apart quickly, and frustratingly, with use.
Disclaimer: we are not being paid to say this, but OXO makes the absolute best handheld pastry blender on the market, no question. We have bent and beaten up many a handheld pastry blender (not to mention our hands) trying to make crust with a cheap or poorly made version. OXO got it right. Buy the blade-style blender and you’ll never need another.
Measuring cups come in two forms: those intended for liquid ingredients (designed to be easy to pour from) and those intended for dry ingredients (designed to be easy to level off). Get yourself a good Pyrex 1-cup or 4-cup measure for your liquids, and a simple metal set of four various-size cups for your dry ingredients.