Overall a good product. Glass bottom is an excellent feature (I've broken many a cheesecake trying to remove it from the bottom of the pan before cutting). Handles are a nice feature.

Pan could be deeper ... it is a good bit more shallow than others I have. Also, sides could be made of heavier gauge material.

Product is on the expensive side.

Expensive, but worth it, Springform Pan

Cooks Illustrated recommended the glassbottom Freiling as the ultimate springform pan. I wifflewaffled over getting it because it's pricey but, having used it a few times over the holidays, I have to agree that it's a great pan: Lightweight but durable; great nonstick coating; opens and closes smoothly; tempered glass bottom doesn't show scratches from knives; glass bottom is smooth, with no raised edges on the sides, so you can cut on it fully and easily lift the cake slice off the bottom; the glass bottom looks attractive on the buffet table when the cake's half gone, much better than a shoddy metal pan bottom; having handles on the side of the pan is fantastic, makes it really easy to remove the pan from the oven. Really terrific pan. Highly recommended. (Thanks, Cooks Illustrated! I'd never have found this on my own.)

$32 and it leaks!

This springform pan gets points for its innovative glass bottom and convenient handles however, I would think that for $32 it should also not leak. For $8 more, I wish I had bought the Leakproof Kaiser La Forme nonstick springform pan.

Awesome Cheesecake Pan

I bought this pan because of the ATK recommendation. It is the best springform pan I've ever owned.

This is a very good pan, overall superior to other non-stick springform pans that I have used.

The handles are an excellent feature.

I have used other non-stick springform pans (without handles) for years, and I never knew what I was missing until I got this pan with the handles. Of course, it has only been until recently that I have started using a water bath for cheesecake. I have tried using a springform pan, without the handles, to make a cheesecake in a water bath, and it is a little bit of a hassle to remove the pan from the bath. The handles make this task much easier.

And, yes, the water bath is worth the effort.

This is the best springform pan I have used yet.
I really like the fact that I could serve it on the glass botton if I wanted to. It takes the stress out of hoping you can get it off the bottom without cracking the cake.
Great value for a VERY nice pan!

Leaks like a sieve!

I bought this after reading the review on CooksInternational.com. What a disappointment. Read some of the reviews on FoodNetwork.com and decided that either you love it or hate it. I put some water in the pan and it emptied through the bottom in no time flat! Don't want to even try putting batter in it. I am going to return it as "defective" and ask for a replacement. Maybe I'll get lucky with the next one. If not, that one will be going back too.

FOLLOWING THE RECOMMENDATION FROM COOKS' ILLUSTRATED, I PURCHASED THIS SPRINGFORM PAN TO MAKE NEW YORK CHEESECAKE. THE CAKE CAME OUT LIGHT AND DELICIOUS!

THE HANDLES ARE A GREAT ADDITION TO THIS PAN. ALSO, THIS PAN DID NOT LEAK - OFTEN A COMPLAINT WITH SPRINGFORM PANS . AND THE QUALITY AND EASE OF USE AND EXTRACTION FROM THE PAN WERE SUPERB!

Excellent for Cheesecakes

I've been making cheesecakes for years now and have always had problems with cutting the cheesecakes when they were sitting on the non-stick metal bottoms. This pan has a glass bottom which makes it easy to cut on and without worrying about the bottom becoming cut or hurting the non-stick surface. In addition, the handles make this ideal for putting into a water bath for the cheesecake cooking process and for lifting it out when it's done. Brilliant! The springform pan closes tightly around the glass bottom and the buckle keeps it tight. It's well made, sturdy, and should last for many years. And, best of all, it produces great cheesecakes!

I was warned

I checked the reviews for this product before purchasing. The most frequent critique was that it leaked. I figured I could address that with a bead of silicone in the groove, something I’ve done before. I still liked the idea of a glass bottom so I could cut without the need to remove the bottom.

What I didn’t know was that the whole thing was a piece of JUNK. Not only was the glass bottom thin and questionably tempered, but the metal side was flimsy beyond belief. Frankly, this thing should not be offered by Cooking.com.

Tod Galloway
Appleton, WI

Great tool

I loved the way the cheesecake turned out and it was so easy to use.

Worth the extra $$$....

I purchased this springform pan according to the recommendation of Cook's Illustrated magazine, and I have not been disappointed. It performed beautifully with a cheesecake, which required a water bath- the seal is exceptionally tight, and the handles made it a breeze to lift. The round pan also released the cake perfectly. The glass bottom is also a plus, as you don't have to worry about cutting and serving on this surface. I experienced similar results with a spinach and phyllo pie. Yes, it is a little on the pricey side....but Cook's just doesn't steer you wrong! If you plan to use it frequently, as I do, it is a good investment.

Innovative Design, Flimsy Coating

The convenient design makes for a useful product and warrants 3 stars. My issue is that I expected a higher quality product for the price. After only one use the coating on the inside of the pan was significantly scratched. I washed the product as directed both before and after use and I did not use metal utensils at all when working with the pan- so I was surprised to see scratches on the inside of the pan. My heavily used, cheap, 5+ year old run-of-the mill springform pan did not scratch that easily! Too high of a price for a lackluster product .

Panned Pan

This pan can best be described in 3 words -- POS.
Ouality is much inferior to my Kaiser pans, and while the idea of a glass bottom has its attraction, it just doesn't work -- leaks like a sieve. The addition of handles was the motivating reason for my purchase in anticipation of being able to easily remove from a water bath. Now I will wait until another manufacturer adds handles to a better quality pan.

LOVE IT! Handles are awesome and the glass bottom not only bakes well, it makes it so easy to serve from. Other conventional springforms get ruined by the knife no matter how careful you are. This one doesn't even notice the knife!
Has not leaked yet, made about 8-10 cheesecakes so far, using a water bath.

Fatal flaw in cooking cheesecakes -- it leaks

I wanted to use this to cook cheesecakes in a water bath. Despite carefully wrapping it in aluminum foil it still leaked. The problem was condensation -- the water couldn't directly get to the seal but it condensed on the foil, then got in to affect the edge of the cheesecake making the crust wet at the seal.

The seal wasn't tight enough to keep the water out. It wasn't a flood, but it was enough to get the crust on the edge damp, which was a non-starter.

The operation and handling was nice, it would probably be great for something not cooked in a water bath.

Works great

We made a wonderful NY Cheesecake last week and we use the glass bottom as the serving plate as well, no need to transfer the cake, and it can be cut on as well.

Excellent springform pan!

The rating by Cook's Illustrated of this springform pan was right on target. Unlike almost all other springform pans, an excellent feature of the Frieling pan is its handles, which makes it so much easier to handle the pan!

Haven't used it yet, but it is gorgeous and everyone I know who has the Frieling can't stop raving about it. Who was the genius who thought of not only a scratch-resistent glass bottom, but also handles?! A great pan.

The handles make it much easier to place in and remove from the oven. The glass bottom does not show scratches from slicing pieces.