Water Baths and Tall Sides: Best Springform Pan Cheesecake Picks

Cheesecake asks more of a springform pan than any other dessert. The batter is thin enough to find any gap at the seam, the bake is long and gentle, and most baked cheesecake recipes call for a water bath, which means the pan sits for an hour or more in hot water that is trying to get in. A pan that is fine for a coffee cake can leave a cheesecake with a soggy crust.

Our main guide to the best springform pan covers the category as a whole. This page narrows it to cheesecake: 9 and 10-inch pans, tall sides, a removable base that is easy to serve from, and above all how each pan copes with a water bath. None of the seven pans here repeats a pick from that guide, so between the two you have sixteen options.

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Quick verdict: which springform pan to buy for cheesecake

No springform is reliably leakproof on its own, so every pick below comes with advice on keeping the water out. The table shows five standouts; all seven are reviewed after it.

Five cheesecake springform pans side by side

One pick for each kind of cheesecake baker, with the size, depth and material each maker or listing states.

Product images from Amazon. Sizes, materials and oven limits are as stated by the maker or its Amazon listing; “not stated” means we found no figure. Check the listing before you buy.

Our picks for the best springform pan cheesecake bakers can rely on

Seven pans, chosen for cheesecake specifically: tall or standard sides, 9 and 10-inch sizes, coated and uncoated, plus one kit built around the water bath. Each was in stock on Amazon when we checked.

How to choose a springform pan for cheesecake

1. Pick the size your recipes use

Most baked cheesecake recipes are written for 9 inches; many New York-style recipes use 10. A 10-inch pan spreads a 9-inch recipe thinner, so it bakes faster and comes out shorter. King Arthur Baking says springforms range from about 4½ to 12 inches, so match the pan to the recipe rather than the other way round.

2. Look for tall sides

King Arthur gives 2½ to 3 inches as the usual height of a springform’s locking sidewall. A cheesecake with a crumb crust and a full batch of filling uses most of that. If you bake tall cheesecakes, look for 3 inches or more, like the Fat Daddio’s; a 2.5-inch ring works for standard recipes.

3. Check the seal, then protect it anyway

King Arthur’s advice is to examine how tightly the walls lock onto the base, and it warns that less expensive springforms are prone to leaks. Even good pans can seep: in America’s Test Kitchen’s springform review, which baked cheesecakes in a water bath dyed blue, one recommended pan let in a few dots of water. So plan on protecting every pan.

4. Choose how you will keep the water out

There are three common methods. Foil is the classic: ATK’s method stacks two 18 by 12-inch sheets of heavy-duty foil at right angles and presses them firmly against the sides. But ATK has also pointed out that steam condenses inside the foil, so the pan can still end up sitting in liquid. Its preferred fix is to set the springform inside a slightly larger metal pan, such as a 10 by 3-inch cake pan or a deep-dish pizza pan, before it goes into the bath. A silicone sleeve, like the one in the PETÍTS DESSERTS set, does the same job. Whichever you use, the bath itself needs a roomy pan with tall sides; a roasting pan is the usual choice.

5. Light finish, coated or uncoated

ATK found that darker pans absorb more heat and bake faster, so check a cheesecake in a dark pan a couple of minutes early. A nonstick coating makes the sides release cleanly; an uncoated pan, like the Fat Daddio’s, needs greasing and a parchment round. Makers set different oven limits for coated pans, from 428°F to 450°F here, so check the limit against your recipe’s temperature.

6. A base you can serve from

ATK found that bases raised and wider than the collar are easiest to slide a spatula under. Many listings do not describe the base, so if you plan to serve straight from it, line it with parchment and slide the whole cheesecake off onto a plate or a cake stand once it has chilled.

Springform or solid pan for Mexican desserts

A springform suits desserts served upright, which is why it works for cheesecake. It is the wrong pan for a classic flan, which bakes in a water bath with caramel poured into the bottom of the mold and is then turned out upside down; as our guide to flan vs tres leches explains, a seam at the base is exactly where that caramel and the bath water would get through. For flan, use a solid mold. For where flan, tres leches and other sweets fit, see our guide to Mexican desserts.

How we chose these seven cheesecake pans

We started from what decides a cheesecake pan: the size, the side height, how the ring seals, the base and how the pan copes with a water bath. We searched Amazon US and checked each listing’s stock through Amazon’s product data, keeping only pans that were in stock when we checked, and we left out every pan already reviewed in our main springform guide.

Specifications come from each Amazon listing. Water-bath and pan advice comes from America’s Test Kitchen’s springform pan review and its two how-tos on leakproofing a springform, and sizing advice from King Arthur Baking’s complete guide to baking pans. USA Pan’s leakproof springform, ATK’s top pick, was not in stock when we checked, Fat Daddio’s 9-inch springform showed low stock, and Kaiser’s springforms on Amazon US had very thin listings, so none of them made the list. We checked the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission’s recall database for every brand here and found no recalls involving these springform pans. We have not baked in these pans ourselves for this guide.

Cheesecake springform questions, answered

What type of springform pan is best for cheesecake?

A 9 or 10-inch pan, matching your recipe, with sides of at least 2½ inches and preferably 3, a latch that locks the ring firmly onto the base, and a lighter finish so the edges do not overbrown. Plan to protect it in the water bath whatever you buy.

Do I need a leakproof springform pan for a water bath?

No pan we found is independently shown to be leakproof in a water bath. ATK’s testing saw seepage even from a pan it recommends, and its advice is to protect the pan, ideally by setting it inside a slightly larger pan.

Should I use a 9-inch or 10-inch springform pan for cheesecake?

Whichever your recipe names. A 9-inch recipe baked in a 10-inch pan comes out thinner and bakes faster. If you bake both, a set like Wilton’s covers each size.

Do I need to line a springform pan for cheesecake?

For an uncoated pan, yes: grease the ring and line the base with parchment, since ATK found an uncoated springform let cake and crust stick. For coated pans, a parchment round still makes it easier to slide the finished cheesecake off the base.

Can a springform pan go in the dishwasher?

Some can: KitchenAid, Amazon Basics and the PETÍTS DESSERTS set are listed as dishwasher safe. Zenker and Fat Daddio’s recommend hand washing, and Wilton’s own listing gives conflicting advice.

Our final pick for cheesecake

Buy the Fat Daddio’s 10 x 3-inch if you bake tall cheesecakes and do not mind lining the pan. Choose Zenker for a well-made 9-inch nonstick pan, PETÍTS DESSERTS if you want a silicone sleeve instead of foil, Wilton’s set for every recipe size, KitchenAid for a light finish that goes in the dishwasher, Farberware for an occasional holiday cheesecake and Amazon Basics for a low-cost 10-inch pan.

For springform pans beyond cheesecake, including glass-base, square and ATK-recommended models, see our main best springform pan guide, and for everyday rounds the best baking pan cake guide. And if you would rather leave dessert to someone else tonight, see the menu or call to order.