The Retro Kitchen Staple Making A Charming Comeback On Thrift Shelves

We may receive a commission on purchases made from links.

Whether it's fashion or kitchen aesthetics, "retro" is often in. For any style to withstand the span of, say, at least 20 years, it must have either timeless appeal or a particularly niche following to carry it through those decades. We've seen grandma's old Pyrex items reemerge as shiny new finds, yesterday's teacups turned into kitchen scoops, and even throwback egg timers enjoy a moment in the trending spotlight. And cute, covered pie-dishes, crafted to look like pies themselves — like this 1983 McCloud pecan pie plate with cover – are another secondhand buy to catch our thrifty eye. You'll spot these vintage vessels all over Etsy, eBay, and more resale markets.

If you haven't thought about these sweet little pastry keepers in a while, the jolt of nostalgia might come as a surprise. Even if you didn't grow up with the painted, glossy ceramics poised on your own kitchen counter, their charming, trompe-l'œil appearance sure does stoke a kind of confectionary appearance. And they'd likely be a darling addition to your existing kitchenware collection, regardless of your own baking ambitions.

One of the most charming uses for one of these realistically fashioned, old-timey pieces is to cradle the very kind of dessert its exterior aims to approximate; think lacquered latticework for apple, gleaming green for key lime, and so on. But you can also make good use of them in-between bakes, if you don't have much of a sweet tooth, or even if you're just team cake.

Pie keepers are also a great place to store folded napkins, unused coasters, labeling markers, or any other bits and bobs you want to keep out of sight. You could even use it like a cheeky candy dish and fill it with treats that borrow from the same fruity, nutty, or creamy flavors evoked by its design. If you see one for cheap secondhand, snag it, even if you don't have its purpose quite in mind just yet. New pie keepers are still occasionally sold factory fresh, but they tend to skew a little spendy right off the assembly line.