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Allrecipes / Kristin Kempa
Regardless of your skill level in the kitchen, there's something deliciously satisfying about cooking with a great nonstick pan. Everything from eggs to fish to those crispy bits that ooze out of grilled cheese—arguably the best part—lifts with ease. Plus, nonstick cookware is so easy to clean it feels more like issuing a cursory rinse than an act of doing the dishes. But nonstick pans have a short lifespan. That coating eventually wears down, can flake off into your food, or can begin breaking down at high temperatures.
The most notorious nonstick chemical is perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), which was banned in Europe in 2008 and the United States in 2014. PFOA, along with PTFE (aka Teflon), is a member of the larger PFAS category—a group of chemicals still allowed in cookware—and many try to avoid the family of chemicals altogether.
To help us discover the best cookware sets free of PFAS and PTFE, we sent popular sets to the Allrecipes Allstars—our dedicated team of trusted experts—to see how the cookware behaves in a home kitchen.
Our Top Pick
GreenPan Valencia Pro Hard Anodized Cookware Set
Why It's Great: Has all the pieces you need for a full kitchen; excellent performance; easy to clean; oven-safe to 600°F
Grain Of Salt: Frying pan handles can get too hot
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
Allrecipes / Frances Carden
Allrecipes / Frances Carden
Allrecipes / Frances Carden
Allrecipes / Frances Carden
Allrecipes / Frances Carden
Allrecipes / Frances Carden
Our Other Top Pick
Caraway Nonstick Ceramic Cookware Set
Why It's Great: Visually appealing; well-designed; great for large households
Grain of Salt: No small pan included; interior can collect stains
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
Allrecipes / Jen Causey
Allrecipes / Frances Carden
Allrecipes / Frances Carden
Allrecipes / Frances Carden
Allrecipes / Frances Carden
Allrecipes / Jen Causey
Best Budget
GreenPan Ceramic Nonstick 10-Piece Cookware Set
Why It's Great: Same great Thermolon coating as pricier GreenPan sets; great variety of pieces; heats evenly
Grain Of Salt: Might need to buy larger pans or saucepans; short handles can get hot
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
Allrecipes / Frances Carden
Allrecipes / Frances Carden
Allrecipes / Frances Carden
Allrecipes / Frances Carden
Best Cast Iron
Lodge Seasoned Cast Iron 5-Piece Set
Why It's Great: Basically indestructible; great performance; includes essential pieces
Grain Of Salt: Will require maintenance
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
Allrecipes / Lisa Lynn Backus
Allrecipes / Lisa Lynn Backus
Allrecipes / Lisa Lynn Backus
Allrecipes / Lisa Lynn Backus
Best Stainless Steel
Cuisinart MultiClad Pro 12 Piece Stainless Cookware Set
Why It's Great: Heats up evenly and efficiently; tall sides; comfortable handles
Grain of Salt: Can get too hot when on high heat
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
Allrecipes / Fred Hardy
Allrecipes / Fred Hardy
AllRecipes / Fred Hardy
Best All-In-One
Our Place Always Pan 2.0
Why It's Great: Does the work of multiple pans; looks great; oven-safe; lightweight
Grain of Salt: Food can stick to the included spatula
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
Allrecipes / Lisa Lynn Backus
Allrecipes / Lisa Lynn Backus
Allrecipes / Lisa Lynn Backus
Allrecipes / Lisa Lynn Backus
Allrecipes / Lisa Lynn Backus
Our Takeaway
The GreenPan Valencia Pro Hard Anodized Cookware Set is one of our top picks because it's comprehensive and performs excellently in the kitchen. We're also longtime fans of the Caraway Nonstick Ceramic Cookware Set. It's a high-quality, high-performing set of cookware that also looks great on your stovetop.
How to Pick the Right Nontoxic Cookware Set
Material
For our recommendations, we stick to stainless steel, cast iron, and enamel or ceramic coatings. Stainless steel and cast iron both take some getting used to, but they'll last indefinitely, and you don't have to baby them. Both need a little heat before adding your oil and food, and both can require some regular maintenance. But both can heat evenly, with cast iron taking a bit longer to heat up and better at retaining heat.
Ceramic and enamel coating tends to hold up well, but again, it's worth being mindful of how you're navigating the surfaces. You'll want to be careful with metal utensils since they can scratch the coating. You should still use a little oil, and be gentle when washing.
Ease of Cleaning
Again, nonstick will always be the easiest cookware to clean, but seasoned raw cast iron and enamel coatings will feel almost as slick. The former will need maintenance to keep its nonstick quality, but you can be rougher with it when cleaning. Enamel doesn't need the maintenance, but you'll have to be on the gentler side.
Durability
Cast-iron cookware lasts forever, and these types of pans have been passed down from generation to generation. They only get better and more nonstick with use and age. Stainless steel pans are right up there in durability. High-quality stainless steel cookware, if cared for properly, can last for years.
Nonstick and ceramic cookware do not last as long as cast iron or stainless steel ones do. Ceramic has a shorter lifespan, only lasting for around a year, and can chip and discolor.
About Our Tests
We analyze each cookware set on its performance, heat distribution, and ease of cleaning. We pay special attention to the design and the full set's versatility. To find the best nontoxic cookware, we've tested sets in our test kitchen, and had the Allrecipes Allstars Frances Smith and Lisa Lynn Backus test multiple sets in their homes. The tests included:
- Frying eggs in a skillet to assess heat distribution, the pan’s ability to create a nonstick environment, and ease of cleaning.
- Boiling pasta, simmering sauce, and making rice in the saucepan and stockpot for heat distribution and retention, capacity, the effectiveness of the lid design, and how comfortable the handle design is.
- Searing meat in the larger fry pan or saute pan to test heating distribution, pan design, and ease of cleaning.
Common Questions
What does nontoxic cookware mean?
To us, nontoxic cookware is free of PFAS or per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, which are allowed by the FDA in certain food-contact scenarios.
“There are several different types of PFAS that the FDA has evaluated and are approved for use in food contact applications,” reads the FDA website. Some of these PFAS are allowed in the manufacture of nonstick cookware coatings because “studies show that this coating contains a negligible amount of PFAS capable of migrating to food.”
If this leaves you worried, be sure to choose cookware that is entirely free from PFAS, which includes PFOA and PFOS.
Is there nontoxic, nonstick cookware?
Definitely! Enamel and ceramic coatings are two ways to get nonstick without the PFAS. The former is made of glass, while the latter is often sand (silica) or mineral-based. Neither will react to acidic ingredients or leach into your food.
Is cast iron nontoxic?
Raw cast iron is one of the safest cookware to use. If properly maintained, it will develop a nonstick surface that shouldn't rust. It will also prevent your pan reacting with acidic ingredients, though you should only cook acidic food in cast iron for short periods of time.
Why Take Our Word For It?
Allrecipes is a community-driven brand committed to providing helpful resources and trusted information to home cooks. Contributor Summer Rylander selected the best nontoxic cookware based on their quality, performance, and reputation among culinary professionals. In addition to her work researching kitchen products for The Cookware Review and reviewing tools for The Kitchn, Summer maintains a personal collection of nontoxic cookware in a variety of materials and finishes.
Siobhan Wallace is our senior commerce editor and keeps this list updated after every round of testing. She’s been covering and testing cookware for three years.