My ancient tin plated springform cheesecake pan is about to bite the dust.  So, replace it with a removable bottom Magic Line pan or springform aluminum pan, round or square.

any thoughts?

(I normally make a standard New York Cheesecake with Nilla Wafers for the crust. But I just went crazy and made a couple of chocolate swirl cheesecakes with chocolate ganache topping - yummy)

I prefer springform with a removable base.  I bought stainless steel on line, they were made by a German company and are brilliant.  They are about 10 years old, don't rust, and you can wrap the base in aluminium foil and bake in a water bath.

ARemovable bottom!!!! Love them!!!

I purchased the fat daddio line but also have a few magic line.

They are so much better!! And they last forever instead of breaking and/or warping.

You can just use a reagular cake pan for cheesecakes, too. Line the bottom and sides with parchment or waxed paper, then let the cheesecake cool off and invert it onto a cookie sheet to remove it, then turn it over so that it's right-side up. I got rid of all of my removable bottom pans when I started just using the cake pans.

right now it's a three way tie.

• springform
• removable bottom
• regular cake pan with parchment

thanks folks, this probably means that they are all fine and work well.

ASpringform. Although it should be noted I have never tried anything else.

I hate cheesecake and I hate making it lol

morganchampagne It has always been easier for me to make cheesecake, than regular cake. What do you dislike?

(only made a small step up & purchased new aluminum springform pans to replace the old tin plated pans.

They baked well, much better than the old ones. I will try one of my removable bottom cake pans next time.)

AI find that it's the exact opposite for me, I don't like that water bath business. Ive never found the process very difficult but more of a pain. Although I've had less success with cheesecakes than my regular cakes

I’ve never used a waterbath in my life.

         9” pan with your crust

3 pkg. CREAM CHEESE   (24 oz)

1 ¼ cup SUGAR gran.

2 Tbsp. FLOUR   all purp.

          Cream together till blended.

In a Big Pouring cup or bowl put:

3 whole EGGS

1 tsp. VANILLA ext.

½ tsp. LEMON ext.

¼ cup HEAVY CREAM

½ tsp Lemon or orange powder or 1 Tpsb. Grated peel

          Mix these liquids together gently.  Then turn on the mixer and add the egg mix a little at  at time, this only takes a half a minute.

Pour into the crust.

Bake in a 350 f. oven for 20 minutes.  Without opening the oven door........

Turn down the heat to  250 f.  for another 45 minutes.

Then open the door and tap the side of the pan.  Check the center of the cake for jiggle.  2/3 of the outer cake should be set and the center may still jiggle.  Good.

if it's really jiggly all over bake a few minutes more until you get the 1/3 jiggle.

Now turn off the oven, leave cake in for 15 mins.

Then open door, leave in for 15 mins.

Remove from oven, cool on rack.

{this is time consuming, but it's not hard work. No water bath needed, tastes delicious, This New York Cheesecake recipe has never cracked for me.  only If I add chocolate it sometimes cracks.}   ps: I didn't invent this, It's from an old Betty Crocker cookbook.

http://cakecentral.com/g/i/3148815/new-york-cheesecake-dark-chocolate-added-to-ny-cheesecake-cheesecake-counts-as-cake-0/

I will have to try yours!! My sister bothers me about cheesecake all the time and Ive been avoiding. Maybe I can make her one for Christmas!

AI'm another regular pan user, I make my cheesecakes, and a few other flourless cakes in water baths. No leaking, no taking up extra storage.

Springform...9" pan...no water bath.   I just made 6 cheesecakes a couple weeks ago.  I used to be super skeerd of them...but I have been baptiized now and ok with them.  

When I was reading/reasearching the endless info (which I found very interesting)...I read that if your recipe contains flour you do not need to use a water bath.  I forget all the scientific food mumbo jumbo as to why...I cook at 325 for 45 minutes (commercial oven), no water bath , then let sent in turned off oven for an hour and have ZERO cracks.   I hear angels sing every time! ...Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!

I use cake pans with parchment paper, no water bath. Never have problems. MB, your recipe is similar to mine except I use liqueurs instead of heavy cream and only vanilla extract. I love cheesecake!

All of the many different recipes are so amazing to me.  I wish I had time to try them all...and knew what makes them different.

My recipe is a little different MB...i have 4 blocks of cream cheese, 5 eggs and a cup of sour cream (plus all the other usual stuff).

I wasnt' sure to go with the recipe using the heavy whipping cream....or sour cream, but I went with the one using sour cream.  I think the extra block of cream cheese and cup of sour cream gave me the height I wanted.   I wanted a TALL cheesecake. 

I absolutely love the Fat Daddios pans! They last so long, and have removable and springform. The removable bottom ones are so easy to use. I've always ordered from http://cooksdream.com. They have the entire Fat Daddios line on their website and great customer service! 

http://www.cooksdream.com/store/category/Fat_Daddios_Removable_Bottom_Pans.html 

MB...It was more dense than fluffy.   Maybe that extra egg did it...I dunno.   The basic easy recipe on the Kraft website called the  "Philadelphia Classic Cheesecake" was more dense...but too short for me.   I really liked that cheesecake....just not tall enough.   Talk about easy peasy!

AI never use a waterbath or flour.

you know what all these cheesecake differences mean - it's a pretty versatile item.

diff pans, diff recipes, diff methods of baking.  And it's still a delicious cheesecake.

**now for toppings. Pie fillings - cherry, raspberry, blueberry, strawberry, yummmmmm

Turtle topping or Praline!   Woop Woop!

I watched something one day, not sure where or when, but they stated that when you do a water bath the item does not have to sit in water.  It stated to take a 9x13 cake pan and fill bout 1/2 full with hot water and allow it to get to the baking temp as you make your cheesecake. I bake as usual and have let it cool with the door open and also have take it right out of the oven with no problems.  I use a cheesecake pan or it the cheesecake is to be large I use a cake pan with no problems.  I will freeze the cheesecakes enough to take them out of a cake pan by turning it over and my hand will hold it.  Put your plate or whatever is to hold it , on the bottom and turn over. I find that without the water bath I get cracked tops and with the baths, none.

When my chocolate swirl cheesecake cracked in the chocolate part, I cheated!  I made a cup of dark chocolate ganache and poured it over the top. Crack disappears.

too bad I didn't have any caramel

Sounds like a better recipe with the ganache anyway MB!       I haven't had a crack since I changed recipes...but if I do, you can bet there will be some sort of topping...even if its graham cracker crumbs sprinkled on top!

So coming from somebody who absolutely DESPISED making cheesecake before, I have been converted! I used MBs recipe in this thread and its much much easier than anything I have ever used. I would recommend it to any of you who avoid cheesecake because of all the trouble with water baths and what have you!

You inspired me to make a cheesecake today!  tried something a little different to go with a chocolate ganache topping.  I substituted the lemon flavoring (which goes perfectly with all the fruit flavors) and put orange flavoring in it.  Orange and Chocolate are a tasty marriage.  the sweetness of the orange with the bite of the Chocolate.    yummy.

AMmmmm that sounds good. I have an orange ganache recipe ppl to black flips over. I like that combo as well

AI think I'm going to try it too. I need a "knock your socks off" kind of yummy cheesecake recipe before Monday. :D