diff --git a/store/cachekv/bench_helper_test.go b/store/cachekv/bench_helper_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..fe5be27fabc9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/store/cachekv/bench_helper_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,44 @@
+package cachekv_test
+
+import "crypto/rand"
+
+func randSlice(sliceSize int) []byte {
+	bz := make([]byte, sliceSize)
+	_, _ = rand.Read(bz)
+	return bz
+}
+
+func incrementByteSlice(bz []byte) {
+	for index := len(bz) - 1; index >= 0; index-- {
+		if bz[index] < 255 {
+			bz[index]++
+			break
+		} else {
+			bz[index] = 0
+		}
+	}
+}
+
+// Generate many keys starting at startKey, and are in sequential order
+func generateSequentialKeys(startKey []byte, numKeys int) [][]byte {
+	toReturn := make([][]byte, 0, numKeys)
+	cur := make([]byte, len(startKey))
+	copy(cur, startKey)
+	for i := 0; i < numKeys; i++ {
+		newKey := make([]byte, len(startKey))
+		copy(newKey, cur)
+		toReturn = append(toReturn, newKey)
+		incrementByteSlice(cur)
+	}
+	return toReturn
+}
+
+// Generate many random, unsorted keys
+func generateRandomKeys(keySize int, numKeys int) [][]byte {
+	toReturn := make([][]byte, 0, numKeys)
+	for i := 0; i < numKeys; i++ {
+		newKey := randSlice(keySize)
+		toReturn = append(toReturn, newKey)
+	}
+	return toReturn
+}
diff --git a/store/cachekv/store_bench_test.go b/store/cachekv/store_bench_test.go
index 2957fe6a6503..040c4a77c97c 100644
--- a/store/cachekv/store_bench_test.go
+++ b/store/cachekv/store_bench_test.go
@@ -1,8 +1,6 @@
 package cachekv_test
 
 import (
-	"crypto/rand"
-	"sort"
 	"testing"
 
 	dbm "github.com/tendermint/tm-db"
@@ -11,37 +9,85 @@ import (
 	"github.com/cosmos/cosmos-sdk/store/dbadapter"
 )
 
-func benchmarkCacheKVStoreIterator(numKVs int, b *testing.B) {
+var sink interface{}
+
+const defaultValueSizeBz = 1 << 12
+
+// This benchmark measures the time of iterator.Next() when the parent store is blank
+func benchmarkBlankParentIteratorNext(b *testing.B, keysize int) {
+	mem := dbadapter.Store{DB: dbm.NewMemDB()}
+	kvstore := cachekv.NewStore(mem)
+	// Use a singleton for value, to not waste time computing it
+	value := randSlice(defaultValueSizeBz)
+	// Use simple values for keys, pick a random start,
+	// and take next b.N keys sequentially after.]
+	startKey := randSlice(32)
+
+	// Add 1 to avoid issues when b.N = 1
+	keys := generateSequentialKeys(startKey, b.N+1)
+	for _, k := range keys {
+		kvstore.Set(k, value)
+	}
+
 	b.ReportAllocs()
+	b.ResetTimer()
+
+	iter := kvstore.Iterator(keys[0], keys[b.N])
+	defer iter.Close()
+
+	for _ = iter.Key(); iter.Valid(); iter.Next() {
+		// deadcode elimination stub
+		sink = iter
+	}
+}
+
+// Benchmark setting New keys to a store, where the new keys are in sequence.
+func benchmarkBlankParentAppend(b *testing.B, keysize int) {
 	mem := dbadapter.Store{DB: dbm.NewMemDB()}
-	cstore := cachekv.NewStore(mem)
-	keys := make([]string, numKVs)
+	kvstore := cachekv.NewStore(mem)
 
-	for i := 0; i < numKVs; i++ {
-		key := make([]byte, 32)
-		value := make([]byte, 32)
+	// Use a singleton for value, to not waste time computing it
+	value := randSlice(32)
+	// Use simple values for keys, pick a random start,
+	// and take next b.N keys sequentially after.
+	startKey := randSlice(32)
 
-		_, _ = rand.Read(key)
-		_, _ = rand.Read(value)
+	keys := generateSequentialKeys(startKey, b.N)
 
-		keys[i] = string(key)
-		cstore.Set(key, value)
+	b.ReportAllocs()
+	b.ResetTimer()
+
+	for _, k := range keys {
+		kvstore.Set(k, value)
 	}
+}
 
-	sort.Strings(keys)
+// Benchmark setting New keys to a store, where the new keys are random.
+// the speed of this function does not depend on the values in the parent store
+func benchmarkRandomSet(b *testing.B, keysize int) {
+	mem := dbadapter.Store{DB: dbm.NewMemDB()}
+	kvstore := cachekv.NewStore(mem)
 
-	for n := 0; n < b.N; n++ {
-		iter := cstore.Iterator([]byte(keys[0]), []byte(keys[numKVs-1]))
+	// Use a singleton for value, to not waste time computing it
+	value := randSlice(defaultValueSizeBz)
+	keys := generateRandomKeys(keysize, b.N)
 
-		for _ = iter.Key(); iter.Valid(); iter.Next() {
-		}
+	b.ReportAllocs()
+	b.ResetTimer()
 
-		iter.Close()
+	for _, k := range keys {
+		kvstore.Set(k, value)
 	}
 }
 
-func BenchmarkCacheKVStoreIterator500(b *testing.B)    { benchmarkCacheKVStoreIterator(500, b) }
-func BenchmarkCacheKVStoreIterator1000(b *testing.B)   { benchmarkCacheKVStoreIterator(1000, b) }
-func BenchmarkCacheKVStoreIterator10000(b *testing.B)  { benchmarkCacheKVStoreIterator(10000, b) }
-func BenchmarkCacheKVStoreIterator50000(b *testing.B)  { benchmarkCacheKVStoreIterator(50000, b) }
-func BenchmarkCacheKVStoreIterator100000(b *testing.B) { benchmarkCacheKVStoreIterator(100000, b) }
+func BenchmarkBlankParentIteratorNextKeySize32(b *testing.B) {
+	benchmarkBlankParentIteratorNext(b, 32)
+}
+
+func BenchmarkBlankParentAppendKeySize32(b *testing.B) {
+	benchmarkBlankParentAppend(b, 32)
+}
+
+func BenchmarkSetKeySize32(b *testing.B) {
+	benchmarkRandomSet(b, 32)
+}