6 Best Nonstick Pans Of 2022 – Top-Rated Nonstick Pans – Delish

Sarah Ceniceros

Everyone knows the tragedy (and horrible burning smell) of getting food stuck to your skillet. But you don’t have to suffer through breakfasts of charred scrambled eggs and blackened pancakes. You may love your stainless steel cookware, but any professional chef will tell you—everyone should own at least one nonstick pan.

Another benefit of owning a nonstick pan is that it doesn’t require a lot of oil or butter to prevent sticking, which leads many to think it’s the most healthy cookware to use. To settle the score on the healthiest type of nonstick pan, we turned to the Director of the Good Housekeeping Institute’s Kitchen Appliances & Culinary Innovation Lab, Nicole Papantoniou, who has nearly a decade of experience professionally testing kitchen tools and gadgets.

“I don’t like saying that the pan itself is healthy because it’s a pan and you don’t eat it,” Papantoniou quipped. “But cooking with a nonstick pan allows you to use less oil, which leads to a consumption of fewer calories, so it could be healthier because of that. You also tend to use a lower cooking temperature with nonstick pans, and some think that cooking food at lower temperatures is healthier than blasting it with heat.”

Regardless of your reasoning, picking up one of these kitchen essentials is bound to get you jazzed about all the pan-fried salmon, fluffy French omelets, and sizzling skillet recipes like lemon-herb chicken and potatoes you’ll be making—all with minimal cleanup and no sticking, shredding, or scorching. Inexpensive, long-lasting nonstick pans.

We have recommendations for the best frying pans for every type of cook, but if you’re looking to outfit your whole kitchen, you’re in luck! Whether you’d prefer to spring for a whole nonstick or ceramic cookware set or you want to splurge on a sleek, buy-it-for-life cast iron skillet, we’re here to offer a helping hand.

Our top picks

How we picked these products

To find the best nonstick pan, we turned to our friends at the Good Housekeeping Institute, who have identified the best and highest-rated brands and put them to the test. Their team of on-staff experts—which includes all types: engineers! data analysts! registered dietitians!—rigorously put everyday products to the test (and then more and more tests) in their New York City-based labs to determine which ones you can trust.

From frying and scrambling over 120 eggs to searing 15 steaks, these Kitchen Tech Experts put a plethora of pans (in fact, 80 nonstick cookware sets and 15 additional nonstick pans) through rigorous tests to analyze their user-friendliness, durability, cleanability, weight, heat distribution and retention, ergonomics, and ability to balance on a stovetop. After reviewing their findings and discussing their road tests in-depth with Papantoniou, we’ve determined that these are the best nonstick pans you can buy in 2022.

1

Best Nonstick Pan

OXO

Good Grips Pro Hard Anodized Nonstick 10-inch Frying Pan

2

Best Budget Nonstick Pan

Tramontina

PRO Fusion 10-Inch Aluminum Nonstick Fry Pan

3

Best Splurge Nonstick Pan

Le Creuset

Le Creuset Toughened Nonstick Pro 10-inch Fry Pan

4

Most Durable Nonstick Pan

Ninja

C30026 Foodi NeverStick Premium 10¼-inch Fry Pan

5

Best Ceramic Nonstick Pan

GreenPan

Valencia Pro Hard Anodized Ceramic Nonstick 10-inch Frying Pan

6

Best Stainless Steel Nonstick Pan

Made In

Made In 10-inch Non Stick Frying Pan

7

Are nonstick pans safe?

Nonstick pans have gotten a bad rap from those ugly rumors of toxicity, but the truth is, these are not the nonstick cookware sets you grew up hearing about. They are lightweight, affordable, convenient, and perfectly healthy (as long as you heed the manufacturer’s recommendations).

Nonstick cookware gets its signature slick, nonreactive surface from a synthetic coating like perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) or the FDA-approved polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE). Even if these chemical compounds don’t sound familiar, you’ve likely heard of their more popular brand name: Teflon. But before you start worrying about carcinogens and chemicals, it’s important to note that PFOAs and PTFEs are inert (a.k.a. they won’t react with chemicals inside or outside your body). Not only are these compounds safe to cook with, but also, let’s not forget why “Teflon” is practically synonymous with “durability.” However, that doesn’t mean your nonstick pans will last forever, even if some brands claim otherwise.

Papantoniou provided some insight on how often you should replace your nonstick pans: “You likely need to replace your nonstick pan every couple of years. Over time the nonstick coating starts to wear, and any time you see a nick or scratch on the surface, you’ll want to replace it because it compromises the integrity of the pan,” she said.

Some brands tout having the longest-lasting nonstick cookware, but she explained, “It’s less about the brand and more about the pan’s construction. Some have more layers than others, for example, which makes for a better nonstick pan.” Between shopping for a nonstick pan with the right materials and caring for it properly, you can get a good 5-10 years out of it before its time to shop around for a replacement.

Here are some tips for getting the most out of your nonstick pan:

• You should never—ever—use nonstick cooking spray on a nonstick pan. It may seem counterintuitive, but these sprays gradually leave a film on the nonstick surface that is nearly impossible to remove, and therefore compromises the coating’s integrity over time.
• However, you still need to put oil, butter, or some kind of fat in a nonstick pan. (Trust us, it’s healthier in the long run if you do than if you don’t!) “You never want to heat a nonstick pan without anything in it, so using oil helps you not overheat it ultimately,” Papantoniou advised. “And in terms of cooking, it’s not needed per se, but it definitely makes things taste better.”
• Meanwhile, there is a spray you can use on your nonstick pan: Nonstick repair spray. To repair a nonstick coating and make your nonstick pan, well, nonstick again, this nifty spray should do the trick—just keep an eye out for any scratches.
• Unless otherwise permitted by the manufacturer, do not use metal utensils with your nonstick pan or put in the dishwasher. Metal utensils can of course cause scratches and scuffs that threaten the longevity of nonstick coatings, but harsh soaps, high pressure, and scalding temperatures can cause equally disastrous results.
• Some manufacturers may say it’s okay, but it’s best to avoid using nonstick pans over high heat to prevent damage or the release of harmful odors or chemicals. Instead, consider cooking with low to medium-low heat. (And in the event cooking on high heat is unavoidable, try not to do so for longer than 30 seconds.)
• When the time comes to send your nonstick pan off to pasture, Papantoniou had some advice for what you can do once you’ve determined it’s time to throw away your old, scratched, and ineffective nonstick pans: “Check your manufacturer’s instructions to see what the best disposal process is. Some metals are recyclable, but with the coatings, it can depend, so always check the manufacturer’s instructions.”

8

How do you choose a nonstick pan?

Whether you’re a longtime nonstick fan looking to replace your trusty pan or you’re a nonstick novice, we’re here to make sure you don’t get burned by crummy cookware. These versatile pans are already plenty affordable, but you also want to ensure they meet your needs in the kitchen. First and foremost, it’s important to know what makes a good nonstick pan.

“I like a nonstick pan that has some heft to it, so it’ll sit on your burner without toppling, and ones that take a little bit longer to heat up, so you don’t risk getting to that 450º F temp fast, which is typically the maximum temperature recommended for using nonstick pans,” Papantoniou explained. “I like coatings that say they can be used with metal utensils, not necessarily because I want to use metal utensils, but because it’s a good indicator that they’re more durable. And cleanup is really important too—pans that have some grit to them, which makes them more durable, are actually harder to clean.”

When selecting a nonstick pan, construction is key. But there are a lot of factors to choose from, such as weight, materials, and design features. Pans with more heft can get you a good sear on a steak, but they’re not as easy to lift and flip. Meanwhile, more lightweight pans can be less durable and heat up too quickly.

Papantoniou had some pointers if you’re struggling to choose a nonstick pan: “I think the main thing to consider is, how are you going to use it? Are you looking for something to just make eggs in the morning, or are you looking to cook a whole meal for your family? Because that will determine the size—an 8-inch pan is good for a single portion of eggs and breakfast foods, whereas 10 inches is a good average size, and our test kitchen likes 12 inch pans for cooking in bigger batches. The second thing I would look for is material. Do you want a standard nonstick pan that lasts a little longer, or do you want a ceramic pan that can somewhat handle higher temperatures? And then the other thing is heft. If you’re looking for something lightweight, it’ll heat faster and it’s easier to handle, whereas if you go with something heavier, it’ll be more durable.”

Kaitlin Mahar Contributing Writer Kaitlin Mahar is a California-based freelance writer covering the shopping and lifestyle beats.

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