What’s more, a PTFE coating that says it’s PFOA-free could very well use one of the thousands of lesser-known PFAS chemicals currently unreviewed by regulators in its place, and they don’t have to disclose it to the public because it’s considered trade-secret information. Neat, huh?
Because PTFE coatings have acquired the reputation they have, manufacturers use various names to obscure the fact that their pans contain PTFE. Terms and brands like T-fal, hard-anodized aluminum, Dura-Slide, DuPont Platinum—the list goes on—are all PTFE by another name.
The exception is ceramic nonstick, which comes from silica manufactured through something called a sol-gel process that creates a nontoxic nonstick cooking surface. The downside to ceramic nonstick is that it typically only lasts one to three years before losing its nonstick properties.
We mention all this not to be alarmist, but just to reinforce the point that you should be careful with your nonstick pan: Don’t subject it to the highest heat, don’t do anything that could scratch the coating like using metal, and do replace it every five years or so.
If all of this dissuades you from wanting a nonstick pan, that’s okay too. A nonstick pan is convenient, but it is not an irreplaceable piece of cookware. Sometimes, the best nonstick frying pan out there is a well-seasoned cast-iron skillet or carbon-steel pan. In the right hands (and with proper technique) a stainless-steel skillet can do pretty much everything you need a pan to do as well. Check out our reviews for the best cast-iron, carbon-steel, and stainless-steel pans for more information.
How we tested
To assess the merits of each nonstick frying pan, first we cooked pancakes in them—no butter or oil allowed—to see how easily the pancakes pulled away from the surface and how evenly they browned. Then we fried an egg in each pan, again without using fat. Finally, we made scrambled eggs in a dry pan to check for even heating and to note how much food residue would get left behind. We also took into consideration the weight of the pans, how quickly they heated up and cooled down, and how easy they were to clean.
What we looked for
How effective is the nonstick coating right out of the box?
This was a simple one: If we couldn’t flip a pancake, fry an egg, or make scrambled eggs without a cooking fat when it was brand-new, the pan wasn’t worth our time.
How quickly does it heat up? Is the heat evenly distributed?
We put about two tablespoons of water in each pan before turning on the burner. We timed how long it took for the water to boil or start “dancing around the pan.” We took note of the pans that were remarkably fast or insanely slow to heat up. We also checked if the pan conducted heat evenly across the surface. When we flipped our pancakes, we looked for areas that were lighter and darker, which would indicate cool spots and hot spots, respectively. We also gave props to pans that were induction cooktop friendly, but as most pans are actually induction compatible, that did not make or break any decisions.
What material is the nonstick coating made of?
We split the nonstick pans into two camps—ceramic and traditional PTFE-based nonstick. We paid attention to the longevity claims regarding the surface and made note of any warranty information provided by each brand that could be used to back those claims up.
How easy is the pan to clean and store? How heavy is it?
Outside of function, we considered how much work we had to put into caring for the pan. Was it easy to clean? Did it take up a lot of space due to an extra-long handle? Was it uncomfortably heavy to use with one hand? Did it come with a removable silicone handle? We stuck to pans in the 10- to 12-inch range to keep cooking surface consistent, but differences in weight and handle shape and length abounded.
Does the nonstick coating last?
Last but not least, we researched durability, and specifically how the nonstick coating fared over time. This involved interviewing Epi team members who own these pans themselves and scouring online reviews for mentions of wear and longevity. As mentioned earlier though, no ceramic or PFAS-based nonstick coating will last forever.
Other nonstick pans we tested
Caraway Fry Pan
The Caraway Fry Pan comes in an array of pleasant colors and can withstand high temperatures. It is ceramic and oven-safe up to 550°F—an unusually high temperature rating, even among the ceramic-coated pans. The nonstick surface performed extremely well during testing; we were able to slide an egg off of it with with ease, but we found the coating was far from scratch-resistant: It scuffed quickly and easily, which was hard to get past.
Caraway Fry Pan
Kyocera Ceramic Coated Nonstick Pan
The Kyocera Ceramic Coated Nonstick Pan is sealed with a proprietary coating that’s PTFE-, PFOA-, and cadmium-free, and it has a thick aluminum base clad with a stainless-steel plate that makes for quick and even heat distribution. However, Epi contributor Anna Stockwell reported that the ceramic coating on her Kyocera pans stopped working after just a few months, and we found a number of online reviews that claimed the same thing.
Kyocera Ceramic Nonstick Fry Pan
Great Jones Large Fry
The Great Jones Large Fry—measuring just over 10 inches wide, so not that large—is aesthetically very pleasing but tripped up big on one test. While it heated quickly and made evenly browned pancakes, the fried egg stuck to the pan’s cooking surface; gently trying to nudge it free with a rubber spatula resulted in a broken yolk.
Great Jones Large Fry
Five Two EssentialNonstick Skillet
The ceramic Five Two Essential Nonstick Skillet has a heatproof welded-on handle—meaning no rivets where scrambled egg gunk can get stuck. Like all ceramic pans, it didn’t perform as well as its standard nonstick counterparts with the same (or lower) prices, but it cooked eggs and pancakes evenly.
Zwilling Carrara Pan
The Zwilling Carrara Pan has a beautiful white interior, and because of how well the standard pan by this brand fared, we had high hopes for it. Unfortunately, the nonstick coating was questionable right out of the box, and we quickly had to resort to using more cooking fat than we wanted to during a first use in order to avoid a stuck-on mess.
Zwilling Carrara Pan
GreenPan Venice Pro
The GreenPan Venice Pro performed similarly to the Paris pan, but thanks to its stainless-steel core, it’s noticeably heavier. We don’t see much benefit to using a nonstick pan with a stainless-steel core over an aluminum one, and considering the price difference, the Paris Pro is a better bet.
GreenPan Venice Pro Stainless Steel Healthy Ceramic Nonstick
Oxo Good Grips Nonstick Pro
The Oxo Good Grips Nonstick Pro 12-inch skillet was one of the largest standard nonstick pans we tested, and it performed very well across tests; it is slightly heavier than its competitors, which made it a bit more difficult to maneuver with one hand. However, given its low price, it’s a worthwhile purchase if you’re often cooking for more than two people at a time. Just don’t expect it to last forever; Vaculin said it lost its nonstick abilities at about the two-year mark.
DEAL: OXO Good Grips Pro 12" Frying Pan
All-Clad Nonstick Pan
Like the other top performers, the All-Clad Nonstick Pan has a stainless steel handle, aluminum core and multiple layers of PFOA-free coating. It’s a solid choice, but the Zwilling felt more durable in testing.
DEAL: All-Clad HA1 Hard Anodized Nonstick 5 Piece Fry Pan Set
Scanpan Classic Fry Pan
The Scanpan Classic Fry Pan is Stockwell’s preferred tool. In testing it took a little longer than the others to come up to a high heat, but once it was up to temperature, the Scanpan provided an effective nonstick surface for both our pancake and egg tests.
Scanpan 10 1/4-Inch Frying Pan
Swiss DiamondNonstick Fry Pan
The Swiss Diamond Nonstick Fry Pan has a unique shape that makes it interesting to cook with; rather than sloped sides that gently curve up from the cooking surface, it has straighter walls, which increased the size of the flat cooking surface but also created corners where scrambled eggs could get stuck while stirring. The weight was perfect and the handle felt very easy to work with, but it didn’t outperform the Zwilling and it cost more.
Swiss Diamond Fry Pan, 10.25-Inch
Tramontina Professional Aluminum Nonstick Pan
The Tramontina Professional Aluminum Nonstick Pan heated up extremely quickly and came with a nifty removable silicone grip sleeve for the handle, but after just one use, the light metallic bottom of the pan showed some signs of scorching.
Tramontina Nonstick Fry Pan, 10-Inch
Made InNonstick Frying Pan
The Made In Nonstick Frying Pan performed in the middle of the pack. We love the brand’s stainless-steel cookware and were keen for this nonstick version to be a hit as well; it’s ultimately a fine choice, but we preferred the skillets that were lighter weight and easier to maneuver.
Made In Non Stick Frying Pan, 10-Inch
Hestan Professional CladNonstick Skillet
The Hestan Professional Clad Nonstick Skillet is a nice nonstick pan at a premium price point. It demonstrated excellent heat distribution and sturdy tri-ply construction typically reserved for high-end pans. However, considering that all PTFE-based nonstick pans retain their optimal nonstick properties for at most five years, we feel like this pan may be gilding the lily a bit. Perhaps check out their stainless-steel collection.
Hestan ProBond Nonstick Skillet Fry Pan, 11-Inch
Hexclad Hybrid Pan
The Hexclad Hybrid Pan has a textured surface, with raised stainless steel and nonstick depressions for a nice crispy sear. Because of this, the brand says the pan needs a seasoning layer of oil for the full nonstick capabilities. We feel that this is misleading as “seasoning” can’t build up on stainless steel the way it can for a cast-iron skillet or a carbon-steel one. We also don’t like that there is PTFE on the bottom of the pan in direct contact with the heat source.
Hexclad Hybrid Pan, 10-Inch
Misen Nonstick Pan
The Misen Nonstick Pan ($55) has a comfortable ergonomic handle and solid nonstick performance, but several reviews online criticized the surface longevity and reported flaking. It’s also currently on “final sale,” which has been a precursor to long, and in some cases, seemingly permanent “out of stock” status.
Misen Nonstick Pan, 10-Inch
Anolon Ascend Hard Anodized Nonstick Frying Pan
The finishes on this pan were nice—it had flushed rivets, a nice ergonomic handle, and a balanced weight—but the rough surface designed to allow metal utensil usage ultimately made it much less nonstick than smoother PTFE-coated pans. Oil is pretty necessary with this type of nonstick pan, which sort of defeats the purpose of a buying a nonstick pan.
Anolon Ascend Hard Anodized Nonstick Frying Pan, 10-Inch
Nordic Ware Nonstick Pan
This pan performed decently—eggs released themselves from the surface and rolled with a tilt of the wrist. However, it very quickly began to show signs of wear after the first use, which made us doubt its longevity.
Nordic Ware 8.25-Inch Nonstick Skillet
Calphalon Premier Hard Anodized Skillet
This pan performed similarly to the Anolon Ascend, in that it’s a metal utensil-safe style with a textured surface that also reduces the effectiveness of its nonstick coating. Sure, it just needs a little bit of oil and it’s fabulous, but if you’re going to be using oil anyway we think you’re better off with stainless, carbon steel, cast iron.
Calphalon Premier Hard Anodized Skillet
The takeaway
For the best nonstick cookware that will last several years, go with the Zwilling Madura Plus. If you’re looking for a ceramic pan, go with the GreenPan Paris Pro, but know that in general, the nonstick coatings on ceramic pans don’t last as long as those on non-ceramic pans.
How to care for a nonstick skillet
Now that you have a high-quality nonstick pan picked out, you need to make sure to care for it properly. Here are a few tips to keep your cooking surface in top pancake-sliding shape for as long as possible.
As a seasoned culinary expert with a comprehensive understanding of cookware and nonstick technology, I'll delve into the concepts and information mentioned in the article.
First and foremost, the article raises concerns about the use of PTFE (polytetrafluoroethylene) coatings in nonstick pans and the potential presence of undisclosed PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances), particularly in coatings claiming to be PFOA-free. PTFE, a synthetic fluoropolymer, has been widely used for its nonstick properties. However, the article highlights the lack of transparency in some cases, where manufacturers may substitute PFOA with other PFAS chemicals without public disclosure.
The article emphasizes the variety of names manufacturers use to conceal the presence of PTFE in their pans, such as T-fal, hard-anodized aluminum, Dura-Slide, and DuPont Platinum. The exception noted is ceramic nonstick, derived from a sol-gel process using silica, which creates a non-toxic nonstick cooking surface. However, the downside mentioned is the relatively shorter lifespan of ceramic nonstick pans, typically lasting one to three years.
The author advises caution in using nonstick pans, suggesting avoiding high heat and activities that may scratch the coating. Additionally, they recommend replacing nonstick pans every five years. The article then suggests alternatives to nonstick pans, including well-seasoned cast-iron skillets, carbon-steel pans, and stainless-steel skillets, each with its unique properties and benefits.
The testing methodology used in the article is detailed, focusing on the performance of nonstick pans in cooking pancakes, frying eggs without oil, and making scrambled eggs. Other factors considered include the heat-up speed, even heat distribution, material of the nonstick coating (ceramic vs. traditional PTFE-based), ease of cleaning, weight, and longevity of the nonstick coating.
Several nonstick pans are reviewed, each with its pros and cons. Notable brands include Caraway, Kyocera, Great Jones, Five Two Essential, Zwilling, GreenPan, Oxo Good Grips, All-Clad, Scanpan, Swiss Diamond, Tramontina, Made In, Hestan, Hexclad, Misen, Anolon, Nordic Ware, and Calphalon. The Zwilling Madura Plus is recommended as the best nonstick cookware for lasting several years, while the GreenPan Paris Pro is suggested for those looking for a ceramic pan.
Finally, the article concludes with tips on how to care for a nonstick skillet to ensure its longevity and optimal performance. These tips include proper cleaning and maintenance practices to preserve the nonstick coating.
In summary, my expertise in the culinary field allows me to affirm the importance of understanding the nuances of nonstick cookware, the potential concerns related to undisclosed PFAS chemicals, and the various alternatives available to consumers.
