I RECENTLY STARTED USING THE WATER BATH METHOD FOR BAKING MY CHEESECAKES. WHICH I ABSOLUTLY LOVE. THEY COME OUT PERFECT.
MY CONCERN IS, I USE A SPRINGFORM PAN. WHEN I TOOK IT OUT OF THE OVEN I REALIZED WATER HAD SOAKED THE PAN. AFTER LETTING
IT REFRIGERATE I NOTICED THAT THE CRUST WAS FALLING APART AND
VERY CRUMBLY. DID I MISS A STEP,FORGET TO ADD SOMETHING OR WHAT? PLEASE HELP!!!! I DON'T LIKE LINNING THE PAN. I DON'T LIKE
THE WAY THE SIDES COME OUT UNEVEN.

First off, you might consider editing your post so that it's not all in capital letters. It's consider that you are "shouting" and being rude.

Second, I only see that you have two choices, line the pan or forget the water bath. I never use the water bath method personally. I cook the cake until a circle of about an inch and a half in the middle is still wobbly. Then I turn off the oven and prop open the door with a wooden spoon and let the carry over heat finish cooking it until the middle is set. I don't have trouble with it being under done or cracking that way.

My apologies. That was truly not my intenton. It was out of frustration. As
I mentioned. I love this method. Just wanted to know was there something
I missed. Thank you for your advice.

No problem! I just thought more people might answer your post if it wasn't in all caps.

Can you wrap foil on the outside of the pan to avoid water seeping in?

Like beachcakes said I thought that you wrapped the outside of the pan in foil and then placed it into the water bath. I have no idea if this works as I don't do cheesecakes, but I think I saw it done that way once on Food Network. HTH! Tina

To use a water bath with a springform, you must wrap the pan with foil. Sprinform pans always leak. Also, use heavy duty foil and be careful that foil doesn't punture.

I make cheesecakes for a local restaurant. I alway wrap the springform in heavy gage foil just to make sure water doesn't get in. It works perfectly for me every time!

So do you wrap the inside or the outside of the pan?

I'm sorry, that came off as being rude, i think... I'm curious to know

I was going to mention the foil, but I see it's been done a few times already. Last time I made a cheesecake (quite a few years ago), I wrapped the outside of the springform pan. Basically you're just protecting your cake (and oven, or in this case the water bath) from anything getting in or trying to escape.

I follow instructions in Nigella Lawson's book Nigella Bites, it has worked everytime so here they are - Place a large overlapping piece of foil over the bottom of the springform tin and insert the pan ring over it. Fold the foil up around the sides of the tin and place thing on a second piece of foil, also folding it and pressing it securely up and around the tin so that you have a water tight covering. She also recommends (actually she insists, but I don't want to sound stern) that you remove the outer layer as soon as you take the cheesecake out the oven.

HTH
Sara

In a previous thread about this someone mentioned using one of those plastic turkey roasting bags instead of foil. Just last week I did this and it turned out great. I just cut the bag down because I was worried that it would fall over on top of the cake. HTH

I either wrap a big sheet of heavy duty foil around the bottom and outside of the pan, or I put the pan of water on the shelf underneath the cheesecake. Both work well. If doing the foil, I use the heavy duty foil and get the widest I can find s I only have to use one large sheet of foil...less chance of water seeping in that way!

Hi! When I use the water bath method, I wrap the outside of the pan with foil. (Just make sure the foil goes a little bit higher than the depth of water, AND that the foil doesn't tear.) Otherwise, I just bake mine in the oven until it is "set" within an inch of the center. Happy Baking!!!

WOW... Thank's everyone. Before I decided to post this I did some brainstorming myself. I did try and wrap it in foil but I did'nt use heavy
foil and of course it leaked in anyhoo. I like the oven bag idea. But too
everyone Thanks a bunch.

Sorry, I couldn't get back on last night! I meant to say to put the foil on the outside of the pan. I also pull off enough foil to fold it over before putting it on. The heavy gage foil is a lot longer than typical foil and works well to cover a 10" pan. I also lightly spray the insides with baking Pam so the ring comes off easily after it cools.

When I make cheesecake, i wrap the removable bottom of the springform with foil before snapping it in. I don't use a water bath, just a pan of water underneath, so I don't know if it helps with leakage. But it is much easier for cleanup. The foil peels right off the crust and you don't wreck the pan.

I personally don't use a springform pan. I just grease the bottom of a regular cake pan and put parchment circle on the bottom. I bake it in the water bath and don't have to worry about leaking. After it cools and I refrigerate it overnight. I just heat my burner on the stovetop and put the pan on it for about 20 seconds. Then just run a knife around the edges and flip out onto a plate or board and then flip back onto the serving plate. Works everytime.

I have never used a springform pan in any of the many bakeries I worked at and don't use it now. We/I have always used a pan larger as the water "holder" and a regular greased cake pan for the cheesecake.

If I am making a 10" cheesecake, I put the 10" cheesecake filled pan inside a 14" pan with water in it. You can also use a sheet pan.
With the cheesecake pan greased, after it cools really well, I put a wet paper towel on the top, then a cake board and flip it right over, then put the cake board that you want to use on it and flip it over again. The wet paper towel keeps the top nice and pretty, not sticking.

I considered using a regular baking pan but was worried about getting it
out. All of these suggestions are awesome. Cheesecakes are in demand
right now for me. My clients really love them. Appearence is just as
imporant to me as taste. I've been baking my cheesecakes the regular way until actually several weeks ago. But I had a problem with cracking.
It was okay if I topped it with something, but if they wanted a plain one
I can't deliver a cracked cake. So this method was like a life saver to me.
I will try each method.

When I make my cheesecakes I put the water bath on the shelf directly below the cheesecake that way the steam still rises up around the cheesecake and stops it from drying out too quickly. It works well every time.

I feel your pain!

I used heavy duty foil & STILL water somehow got in?!

Here's my post: http://www.cakecentral.com/cake-decorating-ftopict-579082-.html

Good luck to you. I'm also going to try several different methods mentioned

WOW! I went back and read your thread. I wish I would have found that
before hand. You do feel my pain . I feel a lot more confident now.
I'm going to try each suggestion until I am comfortable with one.