I never had a cheesecake crack, and I bake cheesecakes all the time. I always bake cheesecakes at 250F and and place a large (14-16 inch) cake pan filled with hot water on the oven rack immediately under the rack with the cheesecake. Water does not touch the bottom of the cheesecake pan (I only use professional cheesecake pans). No alliminum foil, no tricks like partially open oven, changing temperatures, etc. I take cheesecakes out of the oven as soon as they are done, let them sit on the cooling rack for a few hours, then refrigerate for 12-24 hours.

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