Chicago Metallic 12-Cup Mini-Cheesecake Pan, 14-Inch-by-10.75-Inch

After reading reviews on several mini-cheesecake pans, I selected this one rather than a non-stick pan. I think this will last longer. I hand wash the pan and disks and dry them thoroughly and put all the disks in a small ziplock bag so they won't get lost. I put the pan and disks away in the nice box they arrived in. Advice: I have found that putting 1 rounded tablespoon of crust in each makes a sturdy crust. You could use less if you prefer. Be sure to tamp down your crusts. I prebake for 5 minutes at 350. I cover the bottom of the pan with heavy duty foil. I lightly spray or butter above the crust before adding the cheesecake batter. I have tested and found that I can fill the batter within a quarter inch of the top and that is enough to allow for rising during baking (at least with my recipe). Use any extra batter and crust in some small ramekins to snack on as your "tester" cheesecakes. Don't overbake. Depending on your recipe, they will probably be done within 20 minutes. My recipe calls for 5 minutes at 400(!) then leave in oven but turn down to 225 and keep baking for 15 more minutes. No water bath. Be sure to allow the cheesecakes to cool before removing from pan. I have made them three times and mine have never had the problem of the middle of the cheesecakes sinking. You may need to use the handle of a wooden spoon to help carefully push them out (straight up) from the bottom. Make them a day ahead (at least) and store them in the refrigerator in the pan. Once they are cool (not before or condensation may form on the top of each cheesecake) I cover them with the same foil I had used for covering the bottom of the pan when baking. If I need the room in the fridge, I can put a cookie sheet on top of the pan to create a shelf. They are a great size - bigger than a mini-cupcake. Since cheesecake is so rich, most people will be happy with just one for dessert. They are really fun to decorate. You can change up your crusts and toppings. I used crushed Anna's ginger thins for my last crust - really good.Quick update - If you simply want to make enough cheesecake batter for one pan of 12 minis, adjust your recipe to call for 12 ounces (1-½ pkgs) of cream cheese. This works out perfectly. My recipe is cream together room temp 12 oz cream cheese & ½ cup sugar, then mix in 2 eggs plus one egg yolk, 2 T sour cream, 1 T lemon juice, ½ t vanilla.

I bought this pan to make mini pumpkin bourbon cheesecakes for Thanksgiving, and it worked wonderfully!For the waterbath, I was able to line the outsides of the cups easily with wax paper and foil (I was super worried about water getting in, but it didn't!).Out of laziness I only used the waterbath for some of the cakes. For the others I had a cookie sheet sitting on the rack below the mini cheesecake pan in case it leaked, but absolutely nothing dripped onto it from above. When placed on a surface, however, I was able to see little oil spots form where the cups had been. This was a very very small amount of leakage I'm talking about here though. Can you really expect a pan without a sealed bottom to not seep any oil out at all, especially when you sprayed it with tons of canola oil in case of sticking? I could not. However this was with a graham cracker crust--I have heard that Oreo crusts may leak more than graham cracker ones....I ruined a few cheesecakes getting used to the pan, but once I got the hang of it I had no problems with it. The longer you let your cheesecakes cool, the easier they'll be to get out of the pan. I took most of them out pretty soon after taking the pan out of the oven though, because my recipe for a 9-inch springform yields 3 dozen cheesecakes in this pan... so I'd poke it up, and try to slide it over so the little metal circle is sitting on top of the flat part of the pan. Then you can get a better grip on the cheesecake to move it. (I made little parchment paper circles to line the insides too, so that I could remove the cakes quickly and start the next batch in the pan)All in all, I love this pan. Easy to use, easy to wash. Will now be using it in place of my mini cupcake pan whenever I want to make something tiny in a crust.

I cannot properly express how much I love these pans (I have two. Trust me, you want at least two of them). They are fantastic. I make so many things in them (and invariably, I get compliments on the perfect little dessert bites) -- tiny custard cakes, little chocolate fudge cakes, tiny carrot cakes, mini cheesecakes, little almond cakes, and even perfectly round consistently-sized shortbread (yup, that's my favourite trick -- roll the dough into a "sausage" slightly smaller in diameter than the mini cheesecake slots, slice into disks, drop the disks into moulds and bake -- they spread, but remain, of course, the diameter of the mould, and are consistently perfect and even in size). The removable bottoms are what makes it so fantastic. With some things (like most cakes), I make a point of thoroughly spraying the moulds with oil spray before filling them, with others (shortbread), I don't need to.The pans are very easy to clean, and as with all my bakeware, I wash them by hand and immediately dry with paper towels (although lately, I've gotten lazy and taken to just placing the washed pan and disks into a still hot oven and let it "heat-dry". Works like a charm). I bought the first pan in June 2011, and the second one about a year later, and I don't have any rust issues (writing this in August 2016). One of the best and most versatile things I've ever bought.Edited to add: I actually bought a third one about a week ago. Worth every penny. I also have to say once again, the reviews that complain about rust really surprise me. I've had the first two pans for 5 and 4 years respectively, and have used them heavily -- not a single rust spot.