The 7 best nonstick pans we tested in 2023

Publish date: 2024-07-09
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Nonstick pans can make cooking (and cleaning) meals so much easier than stainless-steel or cast-iron skillets. They’re also safe to use and don’t have to cost too much to be high quality.

However, your nonstick skillet will only treat you as well as you treat it.

So before scrolling down to see how all these nonstick pans performed for me, just remember that if you want them to perform well for you, too, you need to be careful with how you use them.

That means only using silicone and non-metal cooking utensils, not overheating your pan, not stacking other pots or pans on top of it and not burning food that you have to scrape off later. For more tips, Misen Cookware has a thorough guide that’s worth checking out.

I’ve used both inexpensive and top-of-the-line nonstick pans, and most of the time, both varieties do a great job of releasing food. The differences really only start to show up after you use them multiple times, and much of what distinguishes a great nonstick pan from a mediocre one is secondary factors such as how well it retains and distributes heat, how comfortable it is to hold and how durable the nonstick coating is.

In choosing which pans to test, I prioritized recognizable brands — both newer and older ones — so that when you go to a cooking supply store or browse online, you’ll have a good idea of the current lay of the land. For an abbreviated rundown of my testing results, see our comparison chart.

I also consulted with a cookware expert for advice on shopping for and using nonstick skillets, and a cookware materials expert for safety information about nonstick pans. Check out the cookware FAQ and safety FAQ with them at the end.

Whether you’re looking to replace a worn-out pan — which is unavoidable, even with the very best nonstick pans — or you want to spruce up your cookware collection, you’ll find the right option for you here. Happy cooking!

How I tested

I tested seven different nonstick skillets over two months. I made sure to cook the same dishes with every pan multiple times and followed the guidance of a cookware expert in cleaning and storing the pans in between uses.

The dishes I cooked in the pans consisted of charred tomatoes, sautéd kale and a jalapeño pepper jack omelet. Each food was cooked separately, and I chose them to test the different properties of the cookware.

The tomatoes were a good test for the pans’ abilities both to withstand acidic ingredients and caramelize food; the kale tested the pans’ capacities and abilities to contain food while it’s being stirred and tossed around; and the cheesy omelet tested the pans’ nonstick abilities. In addition to these foods, I also cooked chicken and other dishes in the pans.

Comparison chart

Pros:

Cons:

My favorite aspect of this pan is the super mellow sloped sides — they’re so mellow, they basically make the pan look spherical. The rounded sides also make it easy to stir ingredients and reduce the likelihood that any food will overcook (which can happen with flatter pans). This pan also has noticeably a flared lip that reduces your chances of liquid dribbling down the outside after pouring anything out of it. It released food easily and I had no difficulties cleaning it, so it was one of the top performers.

The one not-insignificant downside to this pan is the large metal plate on the bottom. This is what makes contact with your stove’s burners, and because it’s quite thick and heavy, it throws off the weight distribution. When you pick this pan up by the handle, even if it’s empty, it sags downward in your hand, which isn’t great. The fluted design of the plate also doesn’t do much in terms of improving how evenly the pan distributes heat.

While the pan has a lot of smart design choices and excellent nonstick properties, there are better options that cost significantly less.

Pros:

Cons:

Although this pan is noticeably heavy (even heavier than my regular stainless-steel skillet), its handle is curved in a way to prevent the pan from dipping while you hold it — which makes a big difference when you’re picking the pan up to toss ingredients or when you’re plating food. This pan released food without any problems and did an excellent job of retaining heat, likely because of its stainless-steel construction. It’s also one of the few nonstick pans that comes with a glass lid, which is a nice bonus.

The gray color of the nonstick material meant that any burned spots showed up more visibly — which can be annoying if you’re a perfectionist about having spotless pans, but also helps you see which areas you need to clean better. Since this pan is made of stainless steel (that has been covered in a nonstick coating on the cooking side), the bottom is prone to discoloration, but it doesn’t impact the performance at all.

I ended up cooking with this pan the most because it was so easy to use, and if you can get it on sale from Zwilling, then it’s worth every penny.

Pros:

Cons:

Misen has a reputation for creating professional-quality kitchen items for everyday home cooks, and their nonstick pan lives up to their name. In addition to maintaining its slickness, the pan has sides that are rounded but steep, so they help to prevent food from flying out as you cook. The weight is pretty comfortable and the plate on the underside distributes heat evenly across the pan. It also has a slightly narrower handle than all the pans I tested, making it a good choice for anyone with smaller hands.

Misen’s panhandled all my ingredients without any problems. It’s the kind of nonstick skillet I would recommend to anyone who wants to upgrade their cooking gear but avoid overspending. Other pans work almost just as well and cost even less, though, so if you want to save money, you could go for this Tramontina instead.

All in all, a solid piece of cookware with no significant flaws.

Pros:

Cons:

Almost instantly, this became one of my favorite nonstick pans. It was lighter than almost everything else I tested (which was unexpected coming from a brand known for its heavy cast-iron cookware), and it performed flawlessly. Nothing stuck to it, and the solid metal plate on the underside absorbed and dispersed heat well across the entire cooking surface. This pan also has a slightly shorter handle, which I came to like because it gives me better leverage and ultimately makes holding the pan more comfortable.

Compared to other nonstick pans, this one has a slightly smaller cooking area; The sides take up more room connecting to the bottom of the pan. I thought this would limit how much food I could fit in the pan, but it didn’t affect that at all. You can also put this pan in an oven without damaging the nonstick surface, which is a nice bonus that not all nonstick options offer.

If you’re in the mood to splurge on name-brand cookware, this pan won’t let you down.

Pros:

Cons:

In my experience using OXO products in the kitchen, their tools usually either perform amazingly well or do an okay job without standing out. Unfortunately, their Pro Frypan let me down because it was the only pan that showed trouble releasing food even when it was brand new. I was still able to cook my eggs and get them out of the pan without burning anything, but it wasn’t very promising that the pan wasn’t releasing my omelet right away when the nonstick coating was fully intact.

This pan also didn’t hold heat very well — which isn’t a dealbreaker for nonstick pans, as they’re intended for cooking things quickly over a constant heat source. However, seeing how well the other pans excelled in this area, it didn’t enhance my experience. One of the best things about this pan is its lightweight design. If your wrists easily become tired while cooking and moving around cookware, this may be worth considering.

At full price, this pan isn’t the best deal you can find. But considering Amazon regularly puts them on sale, you can snag one at an affordable price if you’re interested.

Pros:

Cons:

If I were to buy someone cookware as an expensive gift, I would get them this pan without thinking twice. It’s unbelievably lightweight, and because of how well All-Clad’s D3 material conducts heat, the pan doesn’t need to have a heavy plate on the underside weighing it down. The sides are steep enough to prevent food from falling out while tossing or stirring, and the handle has a divot running down the middle that becomes a surprisingly comfortable spot to rest your thumb and gain better leverage while you’re holding the pan.

This was my favorite pan out of all the ones I tested. It passed my omelet test with flying colors, it seared my tomatoes and kale without developing any burn marks and it can go in the oven if you want to finish off a dish under high heat. All-Clad went above and beyond to make one of the greatest nonstick pans ever.

The one downside? Price. You do get what you pay for, but you certainly don’t need to spend almost $200 on a single pan. (Although if you can pick one up, you’re going to love it.)

Pros:

Cons:

The 1.0 version of the Always Pan had some drawbacks, such as not being oven-safe and chipping easily on its exterior. Thankfully, the Always Pan 2.0 corrected those flaws, and the result is a wonderfully versatile pan that performs excellently as a piece of nonstick cookware. I’ve found this pan’s nonstick coating to be exceptionally good at releasing food — so much so that I had a hard time getting anything to stick to it. This pan is also on the lighter side, and its super-tall sides, which are more similar to a sauté pan than a traditional frying pan, come in handy when you want to cook larger portions and don’t want any food falling out.

The Always Pan also includes useful accessories, such as a lid, wooden spatula and metal steamer basket. These are nice to have, but even without them, I would be inclined to recommend this item as a great nonstick cooking tool. The one area where the pan falters a bit is that it doesn’t always brown food very well, but that’s not really what nonstick pans are meant to do anyway, so it’s not a dealbreaker. Additionally, the square handle can be awkward to hold if you have smaller hands, and if Our Place ever releases a 3.0 version, I hope they make the handle more ergonomic.

If you can pick up this pan when it’s on sale, it’s a solid buy. However, if you want to do some serious searing on your stovetop and broiling in your oven, you’re better off grabbing two pans: the Tramontina Stainless Steel for high-heat cooking, and one of the less expensive nonstick options above.

FAQ on buying and using nonstick pans

Read our interview with Lisa McManus, Executive Editor of America’s Test Kitchen, to learn what to look for in a nonstick pan and how to take care of them.

What are the most common nonstick coatings used in nonstick cookware?

We think of nonstick coatings in two categories: traditional (PTFE-based, like DuPont’s Teflon), and ceramic. In our experience, traditional nonstick coatings last longer than ceramic coatings, but in recent years, ceramic coatings have improved in their durability. 

Do certain nonstick coatings perform better than others?

The biggest variable is the composition of the coating. Nonstick coatings can contain a variety of ingredients with different properties, so the formulation of one coating can vary widely from that of another. Other variables include the thickness of the coating, how the layers are applied (they can be sprayed or rolled on) and how long the coatings cure. Each of those things affects the overall quality of the nonstick coating.

Traditional nonstick made with PTFE tends to last much longer if you’re careful with it, but if it’s heated to above 500 degrees, it can release harmful fumes. Ceramic coatings on nonstick pans are made of a glass-like ceramic material derived from beach sand, and there is no risk of it releasing toxic fumes, even at high temperatures. But all ceramic surfaces are brittle by nature. As a result, ceramic coatings are more likely to develop microscopic surface cracks during everyday use and these allow food to stick.

Which cooking methods are best for nonstick pans, and which should be avoided?

We like nonstick for delicate foods like eggs and fish fillets, where the nonstick makes it easy to release them from the pan intact. They’re also great for stir-frying if you don’t own a wok.

It’s not a great idea to let anything burn in a nonstick pan. Not only does it make it lose its nonstick properties much faster, but any scrubbing you have to do will damage the coating further.

What is the proper way to clean and store a nonstick frying pan?

Never put any nonstick pans in the dishwasher. It will shorten the lifespan of the coating. Because they’re nonstick, a quick wash with hot soapy water and a soft sponge or cloth is all it takes to keep them clean. You never want to use abrasive products or scrubbers.

When cooking, even though most coatings say they are metal-utensil-safe, try not to scrape or bang metal utensils on a nonstick coating or cut in a nonstick pan.

When you’re storing a stack of pans, particularly skillets, stick a sheet of paper towel or a paper plate between each pan so they don’t scratch up the interior and damage the nonstick coating.

How long do nonstick coatings last?

You can expect five to seven years from a pan with a quality coating, according to Fran Groesbeck, managing director of the Cookware and Bakeware Alliance. That said, how you treat your pan will determine how long it lasts. 

What can I do to extend the life of my nonstick pan?

If food is sticking, you can actually “season” it a little bit like you would with cast-iron or carbon-steel pans.  Warm the pan over low heat for 30 seconds, put a teaspoon of neutral oil like canola inside and swipe it around with a cloth or paper towel, rubbing it all over the interior of the skillet. This can help it become a bit more nonstick again and you can do it periodically to give your pan a zhuzh. If it doesn’t help, it’s time to buy a new pan.

FAQ on nonstick pan safety

Read our interview with Nathan Donley, Environmental Health Science Director at the Center for Biological Diversity, to learn about any potential safety concerns associated with nonstick pans.

Are certain nonstick coatings generally safer than others?

The worst is PTFE or Teflon-like coatings. Ceramic is generally thought to contain fewer harmful ingredients and is fairly inert. The safest would be cast iron because it is just iron, nothing else.

With all the misinformation out there and companies trying to greenwash their products, it’s the only material I fully trust for cooking on. But it’s not for everyone. If you have a hard time lifting heavy things or want a completely maintenance-free product, go for ceramic. But expect to buy a new one every few years. 

How can the nonstick coating on a piece of cookware become potentially risky for a person’s safety?

The greatest risks come when the pan is heated to anything more than medium-low heat, or the coating is chipped or scratched at all. That’s when harmful chemicals will be more likely to be released.

Ceramic and PTFE are very prone to scratches and chips and I’ve rarely seen them last longer than a few years before needing replacement unless you are ultra-vigilant about their care. Most people think they will be, but in reality, mistakes happen. You really have to treat these pans as though they are made of fragile glass that can break with the slightest touch.   

What potential safety risks do any of the common nonstick coatings pose?

PTFE or Teflon-like coatings can release highly fluorinated chemicals like PFAS, which are incredibly harmful at very low doses. Ceramic isn’t thought to release harmful chemicals near the extent that PTFE pans do, but ceramic shouldn’t be used if chipped or scratched.

Both ceramic and PTFE have very short life spans and need to be purchased often. This leads to increased costs and increased consumption, which adds to their overall burden on the environment. Once discarded, PTFE pans can continue contaminating the environment wherever they are dumped. Those chemicals will never break down and may eventually make their way into water and contaminate our natural resources and wildlife and make their way back to our dinner plates.   

What can I do to reduce any potential risks when using nonstick cookware?

If using PTFE or ceramic, don’t heat above low-medium and replace if scratched. If buying ceramic, make sure it specifically says PTFE-free or PFAS-free. If the company does third-party testing, it is more likely to be trustworthy.  

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