Sick of Trashing Your Nonstick Pans? We Tested the Best Non-Toxic Cookware Sets

Our Top Pick

GreenPan Valencia Pro Hard Anodized Cookware Set

Orig. $400 $240 at Amazon $400 at Target $667 at Macy's

It's tough to beat GreenPan's Valencia Pro series if you want durable cookware. The 11-piece set includes three frying pans, two saucepans, a sauté pan, a stockpot, lids, and pan protectors. It's everything you need, and, since this cookware set is so pleasant to work with, you're likely to use every single piece.

The cookware needed, at most, medium heat to warm up quickly and evenly when in the kitchen of Allstar Frances Smith. She liked that the set strikes a good balance between larger and smaller pieces, which made it incredibly versatile during her testing. And importantly, no matter what she cooked, everything washed up quickly, with only the most minimal scrubbing.

This was exactly what was expected as each piece features GreenPan's signature Thermolon coating. It's infused with diamonds to make it ultra-tough and capable of meeting the challenges of metal utensils, high temperatures, and dishwasher cleaning. We love that it's induction-friendly and oven-safe to 600° Fahrenheit—the lids can handle temperatures up to 425° Fahrenheit—so you'll get plenty of use out of it.

The only real downside Frances could find was the handles on the frying pans. They are a tad on the shorter side and can get too hot while you're cooking. If you're in a large household, this cookware is also available as a 16-piece and a 22-piece set.

The Details: Ceramic; 11 pieces; dishwasher safe; oven safe to 600°F

Our Other Top Pick

Caraway Nonstick Ceramic Cookware Set

$395 at Amazon $395 at The Container Store View on Carawayhome.com

We've been fans of Caraway cookware for since our own Melanie Fincher gave it high marks. We love that it's been designed for real-life cooking. Eggs slide easily out of the frying pans, thanks to the sloped sides, and the lids have steam vents to avoid overboiling. There are even notches on the handles to physically warn you that you're getting to the hot part. Frances enjoyed all these aspects while testing in her home kitchen, and in the end, plans to replace her older cookware with more Caraway pieces!

The cookware's slight thickness allows for more controlled heating. It also warms uniformly across the cooking surface, even over low to medium heat. The set's capacity is also great for any household since it consists of a 10.5-inch frying pan, a 3-quart saucepan, a 4.5-quart saute pan, and a 6.5-quart Dutch oven. “There was plenty of space without having to worry about the food spilling while stirring or any boiling over,” Frances says.

Caraway's extreme nonstick coating continues to live up to the hype with Frances reporting that she barely scrubbed the pans. We do wish the set came with one or two small pans or saucepans. And Fincher's set did get a little dingy from stains, so you might have to do a deep clean now and then.

The Details: Aluminum and stainless-steel base with ceramic coating; 9 pieces; hand-wash only; oven-safe to 550°F

Best Budget

GreenPan Ceramic Nonstick 10-Piece Cookware Set

$200 at Amazon $200 at Target View on Nordstromrack.com

The GreenPan Chatham cookware is a great alternative to the Valencia Pro collection when budget is a priority. You still get quality pieces coated in the same excellent Thermolon diamond-infused ceramic, but the price is a little easier to swallow.

This Chatham set includes two frying pans, two saucepans, a sauté pan, and a stockpot. It's a great set for anyone just starting out, and the high quality and performance also make it a solid option for any home cook. Frances liked that, while inexpensive, it felt built-to-last, and each piece heated quickly and evenly. The cookware was easy to clean for her, only needing the most minimal of scrubbing, and nothing got caught around the rivets.

Frances did spot a few issues. The handles on the frying pans are on the short side, and can easily get hot-to-the-touch. She also felt the smaller capacities won't work for larger recipes, so you might need to buy a few more pieces to round out your cookware. But all in all, she thought this is a worthwhile starter set.

The Details: Ceramic; 10 pieces; dishwasher safe; oven safe to 600°F

Best Cast Iron

Lodge Seasoned Cast Iron 5-Piece Set

Orig. $150 $100 at Amazon $99 at Walmart $150 at Sur La Table

Cast-iron cookware is divisive—some home cooks swear by it for great performance and durability, while others don't want to deal with the hassle of seasoning and careful cleaning. In truth, there's nothing scary about maintaining cast iron, and when it comes seasoned, like this 5-piece Lodge set, you can start using it right away.

Allstar Lisa Lynn Backus tested all the pieces for us. The griddle was perfect for cheesy quesadillas and grilled sandwiches, while the two skillets were great for frying eggs and searing chicken thighs. The 5-quart Dutch oven was tested with Chef John's potato leek soup and chicken tortilla soup. Though Lisa Lynn found the cookware heavy, she loved that it cooked evenly and retained heat, though the handles did get very hot. “The Lodge set had all my favorite sizes of pans and Dutch oven for a starter set,” she says.

As with all cast-iron cookware, this Lodge set is not dishwasher safe. After cooling completely, a gentle hand wash with warm water and a small amount of soap will keep your pans clean. Regular maintenance will keep them in great condition and performing beautifully for years to come.

The Details: Cast iron; 5 pieces; not dishwasher safe; oven safe to 650°F

Best Stainless Steel

Cuisinart MultiClad Pro 12 Piece Stainless Cookware Set

$300 at Amazon $300 at Target $259 at Walmart

There's a reason stainless steel pans are a fixture in professional kitchens: they conduct heat effectively, stand up to repetitive use, and are generally quite difficult to destroy. Those are just some of the reasons why we love this stainless-steel set from Cuisinart.

The 12 pieces include everything you'll need, are oven-safe to 550° Fahrenheit, and will work on induction cooktops. We appreciated the even heating, tall sides, and comfortable handles during our tests. We even noted how nice the curved interiors were since they allowed our spatulas to fully mix ingredients.

One shortcoming of this set was that it can heat up a little too quickly, We don't recommend leaving it on high or medium-high heat for too long while cooking, or you'll risk food sticking and smoking. These pans are even dishwasher safe, though we prefer to hand wash cookware to avoid scratches or damage.

The Details: Stainless steel with aluminum core; 12 pieces; dishwasher safe; oven safe to 550°F

Best All-In-One

Our Place Always Pan 2.0

Orig. $150 $110 at Amazon Orig. $150 $110 at Target View on Nordstrom

The Our Place Always Pan looks so good you'll probably want to leave it sitting on your cooktop, but it has more than just good looks. We love its ability to sauté, fry, steam, and braise. It's so great, Lisa Lynn had a new favorite pan after testing. “This pan is my new favorite go-to pan!!“ she says.

What caused such a declaration was its impeccable performance. It heats up almost instantaneously and has enough room for whatever dish you're making. It's lightweight so it's easy to swirl around melted butter or shake during a saute. Lisa Lynn also loved that it's so easy to clean. Just a quick run through the dishwasher and it came out sparkling clean.

We have heard that, instead of food sticking to the pan, food can stick to the bamboo spatula, so you'll want to periodically give that a good seasoning. And while this is a multifunctional pan, it is only one pan. You might find yourself needing other cookware to cook a full meal.

The Details: Ceramic; 1 piece; dishwasher safe; oven safe to 450°F