Thursday, March 6, 2014

Gadgets: Kuhn Rikon PushPan

When you're baking something that would be difficult to remove from a standard cake pan - like a cheesecake - you'll probably choose a springform pan. But the problem with springforms is that they tend to leak.


But that's not the only option. I tested a 9-inch square PushPan from Kuhn Rikon ($35), which has a loose bottom, much like a tart pan. But the difference is that the removable bottom of the PushPan is rimmed with silicone, creating a gasket-like seal to keep the dessert in the pan and the waterbath out.

My first thought was "why didn't someone think of this before?" It seems obvious now that it exists.

The bottom fits quite snugly, and it's suggested that you use a bit of oil or baking spray to help it slide into place, and that oiling really is necessary. Once oiled, bottom slid into place easily, and it was just as easy to unmold the baked goods. I had no leakage at all during testing.

This pan is a bit expensive, but considering that it can be used in place of a standard baking pan, a springform pan, or a tart pan, the price seems much more reasonable.

One slight disadvantage is that the pan isn't quite as deep as it seems because of the way the bottom piece fits. The depth of the pan measured from the outside is 2 3/4 inches, but the interior depth is 2 1/4 inches - think of it as a 2-inch-deep pan and you're fine.

Besides the square pan I tested, there are round pans in three different sizes.

The product was supplied for the purpose of a review on Serious Eats; this was previously published on Serious Eats.
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