Run a pie baking contest with numbered slices and a fair vote
Pie contests have their own trouble: fruit pies and cream pies share one table, the first pie cut looks great while the last is a pile of crumbs, and the pecan’s baker is standing right there. Give every pie a number, cut thin tasting slices, and list the pies in a Rankd by number. Tasters work through every plate, then rank them all privately. Reveal the bakers’ names only after the winner is announced.
- Pie 1: Dutch apple
- Pie 2: bourbon pecan
- Pie 3: sour cherry lattice
- Pie 4: chocolate cream
- Pie 5: sweet potato
- Pie 6: key lime
Free. Add your own options (these are just examples), then send one link to your group.
Why ranking beats a regular poll here
- Numbers instead of names keep tasters from ranking a friend’s pie first.
- Ranking every pie is fairer than one vote each when fruit and cream pies compete together.
- Tasters rank on their phones when they finish, so there are no paper ballots to count.
How it works
- Add the question and 3 to 30 options
- Send one private link to the group
- Everyone ranks privately, in about a minute
- You reveal the winner
Tips
- Cut and plate a slice of each pie before tasting starts, so the last pie looks as good as the first.
- Set out water and plain crackers between slices.
- If you get lots of cream pies, make one Rankd for fruit and nut pies and another for cream and custard.
Questions
How do I keep it blind if the bakers are in the room?
Have one person collect the pies at the door and number them, then list only the number and filling in the Rankd. Bakers know their own pie, but everyone else ranks without knowing whose is whose.
Can people see how I ranked?
No. Each person’s order stays private. Everyone sees the group’s final order and where they personally landed, never anyone else’s individual ranking.
Is it free? Does everyone need the app?
Rankd is free and runs in the browser, so there is nothing to download. Friends open the link from any group chat (iMessage, WhatsApp, Slack, email) and rank in about a minute.