Cookware
The 9 Best Non Stick Pans, According to Home Cooks
Most non stick pans are meh, but these are among the best we've ever used.
Non stick pans have a bad rep among the restaurant chef crowd, not unlike measuring by volume with teaspoons and cups. Slow heat conductors, they say. Not durable! Weak! Cast iron or bust! Maybe the overall “fragility” of the non stick pan is ill-suited for the rigorous and high-heat cooking at restaurants, but at home where things are wayyy more chill, it’s a flippin’ godsend.
But pros do have legitimate causes of hesitation. If you’re worried about the other bad rap that non stick cookware gets, know that non stick pans made after 2013 are made without polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) and perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), also known as C8. While these were some of the main chemicals that created the shiny, super-slick nonstick coating, they’re also potentially carcinogenic if exposed in high amounts. Still, it’s best to err on the side of caution and make sure the labels say they’re PTFE- and PFOA-free. And using high heat on a non stick pan is a one-way ticket to ruining it—always stick to medium heat to ensure your eggs don’t burn.
Ahead, the best (and safe) nonstick pans that our favorite home cooks, contributors, and even yours truly uses everyday for fluffy, cloud-life pancakes, crispy salmon skin, braising, and of course, all. the. eggs.
1. ZWILLING Madura Plus Nonstick Fry Pan, $59.99-$169.99 $59.99-$139.99
“I bought this pan before I started working at Food52! It's genuinely the best. Fried eggs and omelets slide around with no problem, fish skin gets super-crispy (and again, never sticks!) It's also oven-safe, which is very handy for frittatas!” —Rebecca Firkser, assigning editor
2. TECHEFF Tamagoyaki Japanese Omelette Pan, $32.99 $22.99
“I know it’s meant for tamagoyaki (Japanese rolled omelets), but I’m convinced every egg wishes it could hatch and get fried up in this non stick pan. Chili oil fried eggs release lickety-split! Veggie omelets suffer zero wear and tear. Oh, and the pan’s rectangular shape was destined for toasting sliced bread. One may argue it’s the best invention since.” —Justine Lee, contributor
3. Five Two Essential Nonstick Skillets, $69-$139
“I believe in having only one non stick—for frying eggs, pancakes, and the like. For the rest of your cookware, invest in a material that lasts forever. Non stick saucepans and stock pots don't make sense to me! I may be biased, but it'd have to be the Five Two Essential Nonstick Skillet (the 12-inch with the lid!). After a year of almost-daily use, it looks almost like it did fresh out of the box. A much better value than another pan I paid twice as much for. And the sparkly blue interior? Swoon.” —Maurine Hainsworth, copywriter
4. Great Jones Large Fry, $75
"The Small and Large Fry from Great Jones are my go-to non stick pans. While there are pros & cons to a ceramic-coated non stick (pro: chemical free! con: ceramic coating wears away over time), I’m going on three years with my Small Fry & eggs still slide out like day one. Plus, I love that they are oven-safe, so I’ve used them for frittatas, Dutch babies, and even cakes!" —Megan Pearson, home cook
5. All-Clad Nonstick Hard-Anodized 2-Piece Fry Pan Set, $49.99
“My favorite non stick pan is technically two pans, and the only “pan-pans” I have in Hawai'i. While you can get by just fine with one large non stick pan, I think the smaller size is perfect for a crispy egg and justifies the cabinet space it takes up. My other go-to nonstick pan is a tamagoyaki pan. I also love how small and compact it is! In the mornings, it's the easiest pan to reach for to brown some Berkshire sausages, a breakfast staple for me.” —Kiera Wright-Ruiz, contributor
6. GreenPan Premiere Stainless-Steel Ceramic Nonstick 10" & 12" Fry Pan Set, $129.95
“I love the Greenpan Premiere line. These pans technically have a ceramic finish, but it functions exactly like non stick. I mainly use these for pan-searing salmon and they manage to get the skin super crispy (crispier than other non stick pans) while still offering an easy release. Plus, I like that they don't look like non stick because when it comes to cookware, looks matter.” —Kelly Vaughan, staff writer
7. Joycook Durastone Marble Coated Cast Aluminum Nonstick Wok, $54.99
“I use this non stick wok everyday for fried eggs, stocks, braises…literally everything. The angle and depth of the wok are just perfect. Most importantly, the weight is light enough that even when it’s full with food, I can still carry it without breaking my wrist. It’s cheap enough to replace every few years [if I need to], even though I think I’ve owned mine for the last four years. If I can only cook with one pan/pot, this would be it.” —Seung Hee Lee, chef and author of Everyday Korean
8. Circulon Symmetry Hard Anodized Nonstick Frying Pan Set, $79.99
“After a fair amount of research, I took a chance on a set of non stick pans from a brand I hadn't heard of before—Circulon. The larger one passed my non stick pan test with flying colors: preparing a Spanish tortilla. I easily executed the requisite flip and barely had to clean the pan. My old cast iron has taken the back burner ever since.” —Caitlin Raux Gunther, contributor
9. Abbio Small Nonstick Skillet, $80
“I’ve been using this for the past two years almost every day to make lunch during the pandemic. It’s the perfect size for one, and has a slightly curved handle that makes it easy to hold and flip eggs, veggies, and more. There’s been minimal sticking so far, and everything cleans easily enough with a bit of dish soap and water. It's oven-safe and comes with a silicone pad to protect your kitchen table if you use it as a serving dish, too (which happens quite often since I'm working from home).” —Jada Wong, market editor
Written by: Justine Lee
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13 Comments
One of my Made-In nonsticks is going on 3 years old & it's still rockin' with 85% - 90% of it's original slipperiness, so I choose them too. Wonder why you didn't. 5 ply SS with 3 coats of their proprietary nonstick coating. Quality craftsmanship too.
there's once again a limited sample tested, there's a hopeless east coast bias to what they test, and their criteria are by no means universal- it is, after all, a matter of taste. But the Oxo skillets are quite good.
@Smaug I am with you on Oxo products. I have not tried their nonstick, but every implement that I have purchased has been positive: quality, good ergonomics and just overall useful.
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