The Best Nonstick Pan (2024)

I worked the omelet station during the Sunday grand buffet at the California Culinary Academy as part of a work-study program while I was a student there. My second day on the job, the chef handed me three brand-new nonstick pans and told me to take good care of them. When my shift was over, I dropped off the pans at the dish station. About 20 minutes later, I went back, only to find that the once-pristine egg pans were ruined after the dishwasher subjected them to a stainless steel scrubber. The chef just shook his head and told me it was my job to figure out how I was going to make decent omelets with trashed pans. Even though I actively avoided brunch shifts in restaurants throughout my career, I will never forget the lesson I learned that day. Whether in restaurants or in test kitchens, I make sure to treat nonstick pans with the same care and attention as I do my personal knives.

In addition to drawing on personal experience, I pored over science literature and editorial sources to get the skinny on what makes a great nonstick pan and how to safely cook in one. I also spoke with cookware manufacturing experts, including representatives from coating manufacturers DuPont and PPG (formerly Whitford).

If you frequently cook eggs, fish fillets, or other delicate items, it can be useful to have at least one nonstick skillet in your kitchen. It’s also great for anyone who wants or needs cookware that’s easy to clean, and the slick coating allows you to use less oil.

But nonstick cookware has some drawbacks. For one thing, there are health and environmental risks associated with the production of PTFE nonstick coatings (though the pans themselves are safe to cook with when used correctly). And all nonstick coatings—whether they’re PTFE or ceramic—are delicate and will eventually wear out. That’s why we advise against buying a large set of nonstick cookware—you don’t want to have to replace the whole set every few years. Most folks need only one or two nonstick skillets, if any, to round out their cookware collection.

If you cook on induction—technology that works only with magnetic materials—check to make sure you get a skillet that’s compatible with your cooktop, like our pick with a tri-ply base. Many, if not most, nonstick skillets are made only of aluminum, which won’t work on induction.

A good nonstick pan has the traits of a traditional skillet—even heating, classic flared sides, good balance between body and handle—but it adds a slick coating to make it easier to cook delicate foods like eggs and fish. Beyond that, we selected our picks by looking for the following features:

A slick, flat surface is a must. Though we favored skillets that released food with little to no effort on our part, we quickly realized that the supersmooth coatings of some pans could reveal a design weakness: a slightly convex cooking surface, which causes butter and oil to slide to the lowest point around the edges of the pan.

Cast aluminum is best for even heat distribution. A nonstick pan that distributes heat evenly across the cooking surface will not only keep your food from scorching but will also last longer. Nonstick coating breaks down faster at high temperatures, so hot spots can shorten a pan’s lifespan. We prefer skillets made from cast or anodized aluminum because it’s also inexpensive and durable.

If you cook on induction, look for steel on the bottom. Pans that are fully aluminum won’t work on induction because they’re not magnetic. So to find a pick that would work on induction, we also tested aluminum pans with either a bonded steel plate on the bottom or an encapsulated bottom (a thick layer of aluminum encased in stainless steel). We think you’re better off with the latter, since these heavy-bottomed pans are less likely to warp, and they heat up faster on induction cooktops.

Nonstick pans with flared sides perform the best. The wide shape enables quick and accurate flipping without the use of a spatula. And even if you’re more inclined to use a turner, the wide flare offers more room to maneuver under food than straight sides do. A bent lip is a bonus that makes it easy to pour off liquids (like excess grease or batter) with minimal dripping.

It should be well balanced and comfortable to hold. Skillets with weight balanced between the handle and the body are the most stable and sit flat on the burner. The latter is especially important when you’re using induction or ceramic cooktops, where full contact with the burner is key. Well-balanced pans also make it easier to swirl crepe batter and flip delicate foods. But balance doesn’t mean much if the handle is uncomfortable to grip or awkwardly angled.

It shouldn’t cost a lot because the coating eventually wears out. The surface on a brand-new nonstick pan is the slickest it will ever be before it makes the slow march toward ineffectiveness through use and wear. Even with proper care, any nonstick skillet has a shorter lifespan than other cookware because the nonstick coating will inevitably wear off. We think $30 to $60 is plenty to spend on a piece of cookware that will give you three to five years of use.

Since 2016, we’ve cooked fried eggs and French omelets in every pan we’ve tested. Over the years, we switched from cooking crepes in each pan to cooking pancakes, which seemed like a more real-world use for home cooks. We’ve also browned flour in the induction skillets to check for even heat distribution.

In 2023, we invited a group of testers who have limited grip strength or arm mobility (whom we paid for their feedback) to assess a few nonstick pans for comfort, weight, and balance.

The Tramontina Professional 10-Inch Restaurant Fry Pan is superbly nonstick, excellent at evenly distributing heat, easily maneuverable, and affordable. The handle is comfortable to hold and comes with a removable silicone sheath. The 10-inch pan’s surface is the perfect size for cooking a three-egg omelet, and its flared sides are well angled, for easy flipping. We also like that this pan is available in four sizes (8, 10, 12, and 14 inches) to accommodate different cooking needs.

The nonstick coating is smooth and slick. We found that it easily released food through repeated tests. Pale-yellow omelets and fried eggs effortlessly slid out of the pan.

Nonstick pans are best when they’re brand new—age is the true test of value. I regularly used the first Tramontina 10-inch nonstick pan we tested for over four years at home. After all that time its nonstick coating had dulled a bit, but it still released eggs and fish fillets without resistance.

Tramontina uses PPG Eclipse nonstick coating on this skillet. PPG claims that Eclipse has “high abrasion resistance,” and if this chart is an indicator of durability, it’s the second sturdiest coating the company makes.

The Tramontina heats evenly. We were impressed with how it yielded evenly golden pancakes and fluffy yellow French omelets. The thick, cast-aluminum construction helps disperse consistent heat across the cooking surface, resulting in fewer hot spots and better heat control.

The pan’s wide-angle curves made flipping fried eggs and pancakes simple. Its comfortable-to-hold handle and good balance kept hand and arm fatigue at bay, and the bent lip allowed us to cleanly pour out excess oil without any rogue drips.

It’s oven-safe up to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. So go ahead and make frittatas and Spanish tortillas without worrying about damage. We also like that the silicone sheath on the handle is removable.

For what you get, this pan is a bargain. Because most nonstick cookware has a three- to five-year lifespan, $30 (give or take) is a reasonable price to pay. This pan also comes with a limited lifetime warranty that protects against manufacturer defects (like loose rivets, or coating that bubbles and flakes off) but not against general wear and tear, misuse, or abuse.

Some retailers carry slightly different versions of this pan that might be cheaper. A Tramontina representative informed us that other retailer-specific variants—such as the Tramontina Professional Aluminum 10″ Non-Stick Fry Pan (sold at Walmart) and the Member’s Mark Nonstick 10″ Restaurant Fry Pan (sold at Sam’s Club)—have the same nonstick coating and perform essentially the same, differing only in small details (like the color of the handle and the number of rivets). We cooked flawless omelets in the version from Walmart, which has a slightly different handle and two rivets instead of three, and it performed identically to our pick.

How the Tramontina Professional pan has held up

Several Wirecutter staff members use the Tramontina Professional pan for their personal cooking, and they report that the pan has, for the most part, held up well. Senior staff writer Kimber Streams told us that the 8-inch Tramontina skillet they purchased in 2018 is still “the best egg pan” after five years of frequent use.

Senior engineering manager Polina Grinbaum has been using her Tramontina pan almost daily for two years. Polina said she likes that it’s well balanced, comfortable to hold, and oven-safe. She also reported that her husband (the primary dishwasher in their household) said, “It’s the easiest pan to clean that we have.”

Wirecutter editor Phil Ryan has been cooking in his Tramontina nonstick skillets almost daily for over three years and confirms that they’re still slick. Phil’s only minor complaint (one shared by senior editor Grant Clauser) is that he wished this skillet came with a lid. But even though there’s no corresponding lid for this pan, chances are good that many folks already have a lid—from another piece of cookware kicking around their kitchen cabinets—that would do the trick.

Flaws but not dealbreakers

This pan does have a couple of minor flaws. It’s not compatible with induction cooktops (though the Tramontina Tri-Ply, our pick for induction, is). Also, the rivets that secure the handle to the pan don’t have a nonstick coating. Although coated rivets make cleanup a little easier, we don’t think having to scrub a little egg off of some bare aluminum is a dealbreaker.

If you have an induction cooktop, all-aluminum pans (like our top pick), won’t work. You’re best off with a skillet that has an encapsulated bottom. We like the Tramontina Tri-Ply Base 10-Inch Nonstick Fry Pan because it has a superslick surface, a bent lip, wide flared sides, and a comfortable-to-hold handle. It evenly distributes heat across the cooking surface, too.

Cookware with an encapsulated bottom, like this pan, is ideal for induction cooktops. But we don’t think it’s the best choice for radiant-heat cooktops—namely gas, electric coil, glass, and ceramic. That’s because radiant heat tends to overheat the sides of an encapsulated pan, resulting in hot spots. And intense hot spots cause the nonstick coating to degrade faster.

It’s slick and maneuverable. The nonstick surface makes cooking in the stainless steel Tramontina Tri-Ply—and cleaning it afterward—easy. The high, flared sides allow you to comfortably flip food with a spatula. And, as with our other picks, this pan’s bent lip lets you pour out hot grease without any dribbling on your countertops or down the side of the pan.

The Tramontina Tri-Ply heated quickly and evenly on a portable induction cooktop. It produced pancakes that were consistently golden to the edges, as well as fluffy, pale-yellow omelets. The tri-ply base also evenly toasted flour across the cooking surface. The Tramontina Tri-Ply pan’s browning and heat distribution slightly outperformed that of the Cuisinart Chef’s Classic Pro pan, possibly because its encapsulated disk is a tiny bit thicker than the one on the Cuisinart pan.

Its hollow, oval-shaped stainless steel handle stayed cool and comfortable in the hand. Compared with the similarly hollow, stainless steel handle on the Ozeri pan we tested, the Tramontina pan’s handle felt more secure to hold. Thanks to its flattened oval shape, it won’t slide around as much if your hands are wet or a little greasy.

You can put this skillet in the oven. It’s oven-safe up to 450 degrees Fahrenheit and available in three sizes: 8, 10, and 12 inches.

As usual, since nonstick pans have a finite lifespan, Tramontina’s lifetime warranty excludes “normal wear and tear … defects caused by accidents, fire, abuse or misuse of the products or not following the use and care instructions.”

If you want a pan with a roomy cooking surface: There are many things to like about Misen’s Nonstick Pan, including superb heat distribution, a solid flat base for good weight and balance, and a comfortable-to-hold, silicone-sheathed handle. The generous 9-inch cooking surface is 1¼ inches larger than that of the Tramontina Pro, and it provides more room for, say, larger fish fillets or squeezing in an extra pancake. But the 10-inch Misen pan is currently $55, and we don’t have hard evidence that the nonstick coating will stay slick long enough to warrant the relatively high price. Also, it seems to go out of stock more often than our picks.

If you want an attractive pair of skillets: The 8- and 10-inch skillets included in the All-Clad HA1 Hard Anodized Nonstick Fry Pan Set are thick, slick, and suitable for all cooktops, including induction. In our tests, this set performed on par with our top pick, the Tramontina Professional. Like our top pick, the All-Clad pans have aluminum bodies, bent lips, and riveted cast stainless steel handles. But the All-Clad’s sides are more upright than the Tramontina’s, which cramped our range of motion when using a spatula to flip fried eggs. Even though the set is on the expensive side, we think these sturdy, thick-gauge pans are a decent value.

Because they have a bonded steel plate on the bottom, the All-Clad pans will work on induction ranges. However, if induction is your primary cooktop, we suggest that you opt for a nonstick pan with an encapsulated bottom, like the Tramontina Tri-Ply, which heats up faster and more evenly on induction.

Another great pan for induction that might be cheaper (if you can find it): The Ozeri 10-Inch Stainless Steel Pan with Nonstick Coating, our former pick for induction cooktops, is still a solid choice. It’s no longer a pick because of spotty availability. We still like the Ozeri pan for its flared sides, bent lip, coated rivets, and superslick coating. In our tests, it heated evenly and felt balanced and substantial. However, our long-term tester, Wirecutter senior editor Marguerite Preston, found that the smooth stainless steel handle was too slippery to grip when her hands were wet or a little greasy. She recommends using a dish towel to grab the handle. Be sure you’re buying the version with the black nonstick coating and not the bronze. Many negative reviews on Amazon say the bronze coating starts to chip after a short amount of time.

If you like a straight-sided pan: The Cuisinart Chef’s Classic Pro 10-Inch Nonstick Pan boasts a slick cooking surface, a bent lip, and a riveted handle. Its sides are straighter than those of our other induction picks, which made it difficult to flip fried eggs with a silicone spatula. That said, we were pleased with the French omelet and golden pancakes we cooked in the Cuisinart Chef’s Classic Pro.

We’ve been covering nonstick cookware since 2016, and we understand how confusing the subject can be. Branding jargon such as “diamond” or “ceramic titanium” is unclear, and it makes comparison shopping a daunting task. But when we cut through all of that hyped-up marketing verbiage, we found that there are only two main types of nonstick coatings.

PTFE

Short for polytetrafluoroethylene, PTFE is a synthetic polymer that repels water and reduces friction. Not only is it used for cookware, but it’s also a common material in joint replacements, among other applications. Teflon is the most famous PTFE coating, but other companies make proprietary cookware coatings, too. For PTFE used on cookware, two of the major producers are PPG (formerly Whitford) and Chemours (which produces Teflon and is a subsidiary of DuPont). In our experience, many big-name cookware brands use a coating from one of these two companies. For instance, our top pick has a PPG coating.

In recent years, Teflon (and PTFE in general) has been under scrutiny, mostly because it is produced using per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), also known as forever chemicals. Exposure to PFAS has been linked to various health issues, meaning the production of PTFE could pose risks to workers and the surrounding environment––a good reason for some people to want to avoid PTFE-coated cookware. But there’s little to no PFAS present in the finished product, so PTFE should be safe to cook on if used correctly.

Ceramic

This is not actually ceramic but instead a ceramic-like coating called sol-gel (short for “solution-gel”). Sol-gel coatings are silica-based. For that reason they’re often touted as being “greener” or better for you, but neither claim has much evidence to back it up. Ceramic-coated cookware is relatively new, and there’s little research on its possible impacts on the environment or human health.

The biggest issue with “ceramic”-coated pans is that their nonstick properties don’t last as long as those coated with PTFE. According to the Cookware & Bakeware Alliance (PDF), “Conventional nonstick PTFE coatings provide very good release for a longer period of time.”

Unlike PTFE (where the coating itself is hydrophobic, making it nonstick), sol-gel coatings rely on the release of the silicone oil that’s impregnated in the silica-based matrix. In other words, sol-gel gets its nonstick property from being a self-depleting substance, meaning that it releases a bit of silicone oil (on a molecular level) when heated to keep food from sticking. And there’s a finite amount of silicone oil that a pan has to give, no matter how carefully you treat it.

This chart from PPG comparing its nonstick coatings states that its Fusion sol-gel coating “offers improved wear resistance compared to entry-level PTFE coatings.” Simply put: Fusion sol-gel coating lasts longer than budget PTFE, but it doesn’t compare to higher-quality PTFE. All of our picks are coated with much more durable PTFE than what’s considered entry level.

Anecdotally speaking, when I’ve talked to friends and family about their ceramic-coated cookware, their biggest complaint is its short lifespan—which seems to be around a year, depending on how often you use the pan and how well you treat it.

When we tested trendy Instafamous cookware in 2020, we found that the ceramic coating on the Caraway and Equal Parts pans started to degrade after three to six months of regular use. As described above, the decline was gradual—the pans didn’t stop working entirely. Nonetheless, we’ve focused on pans with PTFE-based nonstick coatings because they last longer than those with sol-gel coatings (which is one reason ceramic pans aren’t particularly “green,” since you have to replace them more often).

If you’re concerned about the environmental and public health impacts of the PFAS compounds used to make PTFE coatings, there are other options. One popular alternative that we don’t recommend is ceramic nonstick cookware, which gets its nonstick properties from silica and silicone-based coatings. But it’s not actually a more sustainable alternative to PTFE cookware. As discussed earlier, ceramic coatings have shorter lifespans than PTFE coatings, and they tend to lose their nonstick properties quite quickly. That means you’ll need to replace your pan more frequently, generating more waste. Instead, consider a pan that will last a lifetime:

Carbon steel

Carbon steel pans used to require time and layers of seasoning to get slick, but more pre-seasoned pans are available now, and good ones are great substitutes for nonstick pans.

Carbon-steel pans are similar to cast iron pans, in that they’re made from a combination of carbon and iron. However, carbon steel pans are made from thinner metal, and usually weigh less than cast iron, making them easier to maneuver and clean.

Our top pick, the OXO Obsidian 10-inch Carbon Steel Pan is lightweight, and slick enough to fry eggs right out of the box. And unlike nonstick-coated cookware, carbon steel pans are excellent for high heat searing, can go in the oven to finish off dishes, and can last a lifetime.

Cast iron

A pre-seasoned cast-iron skillet has decent initial release and will become smoother as you use it over time. Our pick, the Lodge Chef Collection 12-Inch Cast Iron Skillet, won’t be as slick out of the box as a new nonstick skillet, or the OXO carbon steel pan. But like carbon steel, cast iron will last much longer than nonstick, possibly for generations.

The biggest drawback to cast iron is its weight. Cast iron pans are quite a bit heavier than both nonstick and carbon steel pans. This weight can come in handy if what you're looking for is heat retention for long, slow cooks or deep frying. But it can make these pans harder to handle.

Carbon-steel and cast-iron pans are both induction-compatible, too, but won’t heat quite as evenly as a pan with an encapsulated bottom.

Nonstick coatings are made from PTFE, a subgroup that belongs to the group of chemicals called PFAS—per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances—often nicknamed forever chemicals. Exposure to PFAS is linked to a variety of health issues, including cancer, obesity, and weakened immune function. For this reason, many people are concerned that using nonstick cookware is dangerous to their health.

As noted by the American Cancer Society, PFAS chemicals are barely present, if at all, in the final PTFE product coating your nonstick pan. Nonstick pans seem to be safe to cook with if used correctly at moderate temperatures, below 400 degrees Fahrenheit (medium-low to medium on a stovetop range). But we don’t recommend using pans with this coating over searing high heat, since it can degrade the PTFE, releasing fumes that are toxic enough to kill birds.

Experts believe that no single product is likely to expose you to dangerous PFAS levels in one use. But potential health impacts associated with PFAS are due to the fact that these chemicals build up in the body over time and may remain there for years (hence their nickname). So if you’d like to lower your overall PFAS exposure, avoiding nonstick coatings is one major way to do so, especially if you cook often, according to experts.

Note that two of the major PFAS of concern, PFOA and PFOS, are no longer used in nonstick cookware. They were considered long-chain PFAS and have largely been replaced by short-chain versions (often known as GenX or PFBS) that in theory break down faster. All our picks have nonstick coatings produced using these newer, short-chain PFAS.

Scientists are still assessing the long-term safety of these newer chemicals, but the EPA reports some health concerns and has released an updated health advisory about GenX and PFBS, although at higher doses than the health advisory for PFOA and PFOS.

Regardless, there is real reason to be concerned about all PFAS as a pollutant, even if the newer ones appear to be less risky. There’s also a lot we don’t know, including which steps individual manufacturers are currently taking to protect their workers or prevent PFAS from entering the water supply. If that concerns you, there are PTFE-free cookware options that naturally develop nonstick qualities.

Disposing of your old nonstick cookware

Because nonstick pans aren’t heirloom pieces and the coating will eventually wear off, you will have to deal with disposal. But before you send your pan to the landfill, check to see whether you can recycle it. Many cities will take spent pans with the recycling (though some cities won’t take coated pans, and you'll probably need to remove any plastic parts). If such a recycling system doesn’t exist in your area, you can also try to take the pan to a scrap yard.

The coating on nonstick pans is delicate, to say the least. To prolong the life of your pan, follow these rules:

This is not a comprehensive list of everything we tested in previous iterations of this guide, just what’s still available.

HexClad is a nonstick-coated fully clad stainless steel tri-ply pan with a raised stainless steel grid paving its surface—both interior and exterior. In our tests, eggs stuck to that uncoated grid, which yielded broken yolks and torn omelets.

The OXO Good Grips Pro nonstick anodized aluminum skillet feels solid and well made. It has a slick coating and good balance. But it lacks enough bend in the lip to prevent grease and sauce from dribbling down the side of the pan while pouring. And although it is on a par with our picks in quality, it normally costs a bit more than most of them.

A number of new cookware startups offer nonstick skillets, but most are pricey and have persistent stock issues. Material Kitchen’s 10.5-inch pan is currently $115, which is more than we think you should pay for a piece of cookware with such a limited lifespan.

Made In’s tri-ply nonstick fry pan is similarly expensive, currently around $130, and we found it had some balance issues. The pan tilts back toward the handle—a bit of a safety issue if the pan contains hot oil and nothing else. That also means it doesn’t sit flat—a real problem for induction cooktops, which rely on flush contact to heat properly.

Our former runner-up pick, the Cuisinart Contour Hard Anodized nonstick pan, is still a good choice. But its price is too steep to justify, given this pan’s incompatibility with induction cooktops.

Our former upgrade pick, the stainless tri-ply All-Clad 10-Inch Non-Stick Fry Pan, is still a stellar performer across all cooktops, but there are now much less expensive pans that cook on induction. Since nonstick pans have a relatively short lifespan, we think its current price of $190 is way too much to spend for one.

The Tramontina Professional Fusion Nonstick Fry Pan features a rivetless design, for easier cleaning. We wanted to love this pan, but it has a slightly domed cooking surface that sends oil and eggs racing to the edge.

The T-fal Titanium Advanced has a large cooking surface and high, steep sides, which made flipping eggs and rolling omelets a chore for us.

The T-fal ProGrade Titanium Nonstick Fry Pan has flared sides that are great for tossing and flipping, and the surface is nice and slick. But we all agreed that the bulky handle was too big, especially with folded towels or hot pads.

The Vollrath Wear-Ever Ever-Smooth Fry Pan With CeramiGuard II Non-Stick is a pro-style coated aluminum skillet with excellent heat distribution and handling. We even loved the nonstick-coated rivets. But we can’t recommend this pan because using it in a home kitchen (as opposed to a restaurant kitchen) voids the warranty.

The Scanpan Classic Fry Pan has a big cooking surface that’s too large for three-egg omelets. We couldn’t make an even layer of eggs before folding, and that resulted in a lumpy omelet. The pan’s straight sides yielded half-flipped hash browns. It did have good heat distribution, though.

The Swiss Diamond Nonstick Fry Pan is very similar to the Scanpan in design and handling but typically costs a lot more. It has a similarly large cooking surface and straight sides, giving us the same issues while making omelets and flipping hash browns as we had with the Scanpan.

The Anolon Advanced Skillet is a sturdy oven-safe anodized aluminum skillet with a riveted, silicone-coated handle, flared shape, and bent lip. However, its small cooking surface (7 inches) is too cramped.

This article was edited by Marilyn Ong and Marguerite Preston.

1. Kurt Mecray, technical marketing manager, PPG (Whitford), interview, July 28, 2022

2. Cynthia Salitsky, global communications leader, Chemours (DuPont), interview, March 29, 2016