A pie maker is a benchtop electric appliance that presses two layers of pastry together around a filling and cooks the whole thing in a set of hinged, heated plates, turning out individually sealed pies in around 10 minutes with no oven needed. The best pie maker in Australia takes a raw or par-cooked filling and ready-rolled pastry and gives back a crisp, sealed pie the same shape every time, which is the entire point of buying one instead of using a pie dish and an oven.
Two plate depths are sold and they are not interchangeable. Deep-fill plates, the Sunbeam standard, hold a proper traditional-sized pie with real volume of filling. Shallow snap-together plates, the Breville approach, use two flat pastry sheets with no cutting and produce a thinner, more uniform pie that separates cleanly along a sealed edge. A handful of appliances add pie plates as one of several interchangeable sets alongside jaffle and waffle plates, trading a dedicated pie shape for one less single-purpose gadget on the bench.
Capacity is the number that decides who a pie maker suits, and on this page it runs from 4 pies to 8. A family of four gets one round from a 4-up model with nothing left over; the same family gets a couple of spares from an 8-up. The number nobody prints on the box is how many of those pies survive a full week in an average household without the seal failing, and that is exactly where the real review data and the marketing copy start to disagree.
This page compares every pie maker we could actually confirm in stock in Australia, and there are four. One honest limit upfront: this is a short list because the category itself is short. No Commission Factory partner stocks a pie maker at all, and every electric pie maker on Amazon AU beyond these four ships from overseas on a multi-week estimate. If a plug-in sandwich press is closer to what you actually want, our guide to the best sandwich press in Australia covers that instead.
Best Pie Maker Australia Compared
| Product | Link | Type | Best For | Key Spec |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sunbeam Pie Magic 4 Up | Check price | Deep-fill, 4 pies | Overall capacity | 658 ratings at 4.7, pastry cutter included |
| Breville the Quick and Easy Pie Maker | Check price | Flat-sheet, 8 pies | No-cut pastry | 8 pies, seal-and-snap edge |
| Morphy Richards 4-in-1 Multipress | Check price | Multi-function, interchangeable plates | Small kitchens | Also makes jaffles, paninis, waffles |
| 750W 6-Cavity Tart and Pie Maker | Check price | 6 small cavities | Individual tarts | Double-sided heating, LED indicator |
How We Picked
We swept every approved Commission Factory partner’s catalogue for pie makers and found zero stock across all of them, plus zero across two further marketplace catalogues checked outside the CF network. On Amazon AU we checked roughly 25 listings carrying the words pie maker: most were generic 1200W imports with a three-to-five-week delivery estimate and no real seller identity, which fails our stock and delivery screen outright.
What survived is four appliances, all shipped from an Australian-based seller with delivery inside a week. Two, the Sunbeam and the Breville, carry deep and independently verifiable review histories on ProductReview.com.au as well as Amazon. The other two have far thinner review evidence, which we say plainly in each entry rather than padding the count with imports that would not actually arrive on time. We do not physically test these. Selections are informed by affiliate partnerships, but commission does not override editorial ranking.
1. Sunbeam Pie Magic 4 Up – Best Overall Capacity
Six hundred and fifty-eight ratings averaging 4.7 out of 5 on Amazon AU alone, and it is the only pie maker on this page with review depth in quadruple figures. The deep-fill plates are the reason people buy this over a shallower design: four traditional-sized pies with real volume inside, not a thin disc of filling between two pastry sheets. A supplied pastry cutter trims a ready-rolled sheet to the exact base and lid size, which matters more than it sounds, since an oversized offcut is the most common reason a home-made pie leaks in any pie maker.
The handle latch and the edge crimper work together to seal the pastry shut before the plates get hot, and that seal is what stops filling escaping onto the hotplate mid-cook. Sunbeam includes a recipe booklet running from breakfast burgers to dinner-style pulled pork pies, which is a genuine reason to reach for this over the oven on a Tuesday night, not just for a special-occasion appliance.
Cross-checking against its own independent listing on ProductReview shows a lower but still solid 4.2 from 126 reviews, which is the more honest figure once you are past the newest-review enthusiasm that often inflates a marketplace score. Complaints there cluster around the same failure every pie maker eventually shows: the non-stick coating loses its edge after enough uses, and pastry starts catching where it once released cleanly. Non-stick spray extends that life noticeably and costs a few dollars.
Pros
- 658 ratings at 4.7 on Amazon AU, the deepest review base here
- Deep-fill plates make full-sized traditional pies, not a thin disc
- Included pastry cutter trims the exact base and lid size
- Recipe booklet covers breakfast through dinner, not just dessert
- Cord storage and upright stand-up storage
Cons
- Non-stick coating wears with heavy use, and pastry starts catching where it once released cleanly
- Four pies only, so a bigger household needs two batches
- Deep-fill plates take noticeably longer to preheat than a shallow design
- Plastic outer housing feels less substantial than the stainless models
Key specs: 4 traditional-sized deep-fill pies, includes pastry cutter, non-stick plates, cord storage, 18.1 x 31.5 x 38.5cm
CHECK ON AMAZON2. Breville the Quick and Easy Pie Maker – Best for No-Cut Pastry
Two pastry sheets, no cutting, eight pies. That is the entire pitch and it is a properly different way of using a pie maker to the Sunbeam above: line the bottom plate with a full sheet, fill each of the eight wells, lay a second sheet on top and close the lid. The seal-and-snap plate design crimps each pie’s edge and lets them separate apart cleanly once cooked, with no cutting board or pastry cutter needed at any step.
Eight pies in under ten minutes is real output for a family or for batch cooking a week’s lunches in one session, and the “A Bit More” button adds a minute of cooking time per press without resetting the whole countdown, which is the kind of small detail that only shows up after actually using one a few times.
The catch, confirmed independently on ProductReview, not just in marketplace stars, is build quality: reviewers there rate it 3.9 overall with build quality specifically marked down to 3.0, and one report of the unit failing to heat at all after five months alongside a description of “radio silence” from customer support. That is a small sample, three reviews, so treat it as a real risk to know about, not a settled verdict, and Breville’s after-sales network in Australia is large enough that a genuine fault should still be a straightforward warranty claim through the retailer that sold it, not the difficulty the reviewer described. The no-cut plate design can also leak at the edges if a pie is overfilled, so resist the urge to pile filling above the plate’s own lip.
Pros
- Two flat pastry sheets, no cutting board or pastry cutter needed
- Eight pies in one batch, double the Sunbeam’s capacity
- “A Bit More” button adds cooking time without resetting the timer
- Programmable countdown timer
- Stainless steel housing
Cons
- Independent reviews mark build quality at 3.0, below the marketplace star average
- One documented case of the unit failing to heat within five months
- Overfilling a well makes it leak at the sealed edge
- At 99 dollars it costs more than the Sunbeam for a thinner-set pie
Key specs: 8 individual pie wells, seal-and-snap sealed edge, programmable countdown timer, non-stick coating, stainless steel, 36.4 x 31.5 x 31cm
CHECK ON AMAZON3. Morphy Richards 4-in-1 Multipress – Best Multi-Function Pick
This is not a dedicated pie maker, and it says so in its own name: swap the plates and it also makes jaffles, paninis and waffles. For a share house or a small kitchen where bench space for a single-purpose appliance is the real constraint, that trade is the whole appeal. One footprint, four functions, and the pie plates click in and out the same way the others do.
Adjustable thermostat control is the feature the single-function pie makers above do not have. Both of those run on a fixed cycle; this one lets you dial in a lower setting for a delicate filling or push it higher for a crisper crust, at the cost of watching it instead of trusting a preset timer to call it done.
The honest gap is evidence. Six reviews on Amazon AU is not a sample anyone should lean on, and there is no independent listing for this model on ProductReview to cross-check it against. What the specification sheet does confirm is a titanium finish, even heat distribution across the plate and a compact 28.4 x 25.7 x 10.7cm footprint, noticeably smaller than either dedicated pie maker above. Buy it for the flexibility and the bench space it saves, not because the pie result has been proven against the single-purpose machines.
Pros
- Also makes jaffles, paninis and waffles from the same base unit
- Adjustable thermostat, where the single-purpose makers run a fixed cycle
- Noticeably smaller footprint than either dedicated pie maker here
- Interchangeable non-stick plates
Cons
- Only 6 reviews, and no independent Australian review history to check them against
- Adjustable heat means watching it instead of leaving it to a preset timer
- Switching plates between functions is one more step than a dedicated machine needs
- At 129 dollars it is the most expensive appliance on this page
Key specs: 4-in-1 interchangeable plates (jaffle, panini, pie, waffle), adjustable thermostat, non-stick coating, alloy steel, 28.4 x 25.7 x 10.7cm
CHECK ON AMAZON4. 750W 6-Cavity Tart and Pie Maker – Best for Individual Tarts
Six cavities instead of four flat wells, which makes this the pick for individual tarts and mini pies rather than a full traditional-sized round. Double-sided heating cooks the top and bottom of each cavity at once, and a built-in LED lamp shows when the unit is powered and cooking, a detail the two premium-brand machines above skip entirely.
At 750W it draws less than either the Sunbeam or the Breville, which translates to a longer cook time for the same result, not any real saving, since a pie maker runs for minutes, not hours. Six individual cavities suit party food and lunchbox-sized portions better than a single family-sized pie does, and the smaller cavity size means each one cooks through faster than a deep-fill traditional pie would.
This is the thinnest evidence on the page and it should be treated that way: two ratings on Amazon AU, no independent review listing anywhere, and no brand history to fall back on the way Sunbeam, Breville and even Morphy Richards all have. It earns its place here only because it is the fourth option that actually ships from Australia over an overseas warehouse; if that changes, or if a better-evidenced option appears, this is the entry to watch first.
Pros
- Six cavities suit individual tarts and party-sized pies
- Double-sided heating cooks top and bottom at once
- LED power and cooking indicator
- The lowest price on this page
Cons
- Only 2 ratings, the thinnest evidence of any entry on this page
- No brand history or independent review listing to check it against
- 750W is a lower draw than the other appliances here, so cooking takes a little longer
- Six small cavities, not four traditional-sized pies
Key specs: 6 cavities, 750W, double-sided heating, LED indicator, non-stick plates, 220V
CHECK ON AMAZONHow to Choose a Pie Maker in Australia
Decide between deep-fill and flat-sheet pastry first. A deep-fill design like the Sunbeam needs pastry cut to size with the supplied cutter and gives real volume of filling. A flat-sheet design like the Breville uses two whole pastry sheets with no cutting, trading a bit of depth for less prep. Neither is objectively better; they suit different amounts of patience at the bench.
Match capacity to your household, not the box’s headline number. Four pies feeds a family once with nothing spare. Eight pies covers a family with leftovers, or lets you batch-cook a week of lunches in one sitting. Six small cavities suit party food and kids’ portions better than either.
Weigh the independent review score against the marketplace one. The gap between a product’s own marketplace rating and its independent listing on a site like ProductReview is real and worth checking before you buy anything in this category: it is common for an appliance to sit near 4.7 on the retailer that sells it and closer to 4.0 to 4.2 once hundreds of longer-term owners weigh in.
Expect the non-stick coating to be the part that wears out. Every pie maker on this page uses a non-stick plate coating, and it is the component reviewers across the whole category complain about most once a machine passes a year or two of regular use. A light spray of cooking oil before each batch, rather than relying on the coating alone, is the cheapest way to extend that life.
Consider whether you actually want a single-purpose appliance. If bench space is tight, a multi-plate machine that also does jaffles, paninis or waffles gets more use out of one footprint, and our best air fryer in Australia guide covers the other common way people cook individual pies without turning the oven on at all.
Read the actual complaint, not just the star count. Reported pie maker faults tend to be specific and checkable: a seal that leaks when overfilled, a coating that stops releasing pastry cleanly, or in one documented case a unit that stopped heating within five months. None of those are reasons to avoid the category. They are reasons to register the appliance for its warranty on day one and to keep the receipt somewhere you can find it.
Know that a manufacturer’s warranty is not your only protection. Consumer guarantees under Australian Consumer Law apply automatically on top of whatever warranty period is printed in the box, and the ACCC is explicit that the retailer who sold the appliance “can’t refuse to help you by telling you to contact the manufacturer”. If a pie maker stops heating within a few months, as one reviewer reported, that conversation starts with wherever it was bought, not with the brand.
You’ll Also Want
A book of 100 pie maker recipes from an Australian food site solves the real problem with any pie maker: after the first fortnight of mince and cheese, most owners run out of ideas for what else the appliance can actually do.
A 14-piece round pastry cutter set covers the Sunbeam-style deep-fill plates properly, since the pastry cutter supplied in the box only ever comes in one size.
A refillable oil sprayer is the cheapest fix for the non-stick coating wearing out early, and it gets used for far more than just the pie maker once it is in the kitchen.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you use raw meat filling in a pie maker?
Yes, but check the model’s instructions first, since cook times are calibrated for the plate depth and a raw filling needs to reach a safe internal temperature within that cycle. Many owners pre-cook meat fillings on the stovetop and use the pie maker purely to seal and crisp the pastry, which is faster and more reliable than trusting a raw filling to cook through in the same 8 to 10 minutes the pastry takes to brown.
Why does my pie maker leak filling?
The two most common causes are overfilling the well past the pastry’s own edge, and pastry cut larger or smaller than the plate actually needs, which stops the seal closing evenly. Use the pastry cutter supplied with a deep-fill machine instead of cutting free-hand, leave a visible pastry margin around the filling before closing the lid, and avoid wet or runny fillings that expand as they heat.
How many pies can a pie maker make at once?
Capacity on the Australian market runs from 4 pies on a standard deep-fill machine up to 8 on a shallow flat-sheet design, with some models offering 6 smaller individual cavities for tarts or party-sized portions instead of a full-sized pie. Match the number to your household: four pies suits a family with nothing spare, while eight lets you batch-cook ahead for the week.
Do pie makers need special pastry?
No. Standard ready-rolled shortcrust or puff pastry sheets from the supermarket work in every pie maker on the Australian market. What matters is cutting the pastry to the right size for the specific machine, which is why deep-fill models include a purpose-made pastry cutter over leaving buyers to trim sheets by eye.
How do you stop pastry sticking to a pie maker?
Every pie maker plate has a non-stick coating, but that coating loses effectiveness with repeated use, which is the single most common complaint in long-term reviews of this appliance category. A light spray of cooking oil on the plates before each batch, applied even when the coating is new, extends the non-stick life noticeably and is far cheaper than replacing the appliance once pastry starts catching.
Is a deep-fill or flat-sheet pie maker better?
Neither is objectively better; they suit different priorities. A deep-fill machine, the Sunbeam style, gives a traditional-sized pie with real volume of filling but needs pastry cut to size first. A flat-sheet machine, the Breville style, uses two whole pastry sheets with no cutting at all and produces a thinner, more uniformly sealed pie. Choose deep-fill for a closer match to an oven-baked pie, and flat-sheet for less prep time.
For most Australian kitchens the Sunbeam Pie Magic 4 Up is the safer buy: it has by far the deepest review history of anything in this category, deep-fill plates that give a proper traditional-sized pie, and a lower price than the Breville. Choose the Breville instead if batch size matters more than pastry depth, since eight pies with no cutting beats four every time a freezer full of lunches is the goal. The Morphy Richards only makes sense where bench space, not pie quality, is the actual constraint being solved.
