Do you want a tall quiche with tons of filling or something more simple? Do you consider quiche a way for you to use up leftovers or more of an indulgent weeknight project? How you answer those questions will determine which pan is best for your quiche.

Purists think quiche in a pie plate is blasphemous, but in the US, it's probably what most home cooks use. Why? Because quiche becomes weeknight dinner material when you throw a fast filling into a premade, pre-fitted crust. While less impressive-looking than quiches made in other pans, a pie-plate quiche is totally serviceable.

A cake pan gives quiche the straight sides purists want, along with a deep, rich layer of filling and custard. The problem? Much like a quiche made in a pie plate, the quiche in a cake pan can't be unmolded.

A springform pan lets you create a deep, impressive quiche, and thanks to its removable sides, you can showcase your work. This is chef Thomas Keller's pan of choice.

If you prefer less filling and a very neat-looking quiche, the tart pan is for you. Thanks to the removable bottom, you can easily unmold it.

If a quiche isn't round, can it still be considered quiche? Isn't it just an egg casserole with a crust? Call it whatever you like, but isn't it good to know that technically you can make quiche in a square pan? But please, whatever you do, don't call it crustless quiche. Then it's really just a casserole.

Kristin Donnelly is a former Food & Wine editor and author of the forthcoming The Modern Potluck (Clarkson Potter, 2016). She is also the cofounder of Stewart & Claire, an all-natural line of lip balms made in Brooklyn.