Nonstick pans are notoriously short lived, which is why every maker advertises their product as "durable" and "long lasting." In truth, durability and longevity are twin holy grails for nonstick cookware, as they don't tend to last more than a few years. But there are ways to make your nonstick last as long as possible.
We'll talk about those here, plus share some alternatives to nonstick that have a lower cost-per-year-of-use.
Nonstick Pans Defined
The two types of nonstick cookware are PTFE and ceramic, but PTFE is really the only truly nonstick cookware--food won't stick even if you don't use oil or butter.
PTFE
All-Clad HA1 nonstick pan set.
The only truly nonstick cooking surface is PTFE (polytetrafluoroethylene), more commonly known by its brand name, Teflon®. Today, there are hundreds of brands of PTFE on the market, including Dura-Slide, Granite Rock, Granitium, Eterna, Eclipse, HALO, QuanTanium, Xylan, Skandia, ILAG, Stratanium, and many more. The Dupont company invented PTFE in 1938, but today it is manufactured by many different companies: Teflon by any other name is still PTFE.
PTFE is a member of the PFAs family of "forever chemicals," but it is quite stable and nonreactive--and therefore safe--at temperatures below 500F. (PFAs stands for per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances.) PTFE also has many applications beyond cookware, so not all PTFE products are nonstick pans.
When PTFE pans are new, they need no cooking oil or butter and food slides right out. As they age, these properties wane, but even older PTFE can retain decent nonstick properties when well cared for.
If you're wondering about the safety of PTFE pans, see the FAQ section below, or see our statement about Teflon and PTFE cookware.
Ceramic Nonstick
GreenPan ceramic nonstick skillet.
Ceramic nonstick pans have become extremely popular, largely because they don't contain PTFE or other PFAs. Some well known brands of ceramic nonstick include GreenPan, GreenLife, and Caraway. Many cookware makers now have at least one line of ceramic nonstick cookware.
Though marketed as nonstick, ceramic nonstick isn't truly nonstick like PTFE. Most brands tell you that these pans need to be "seasoned" and that you must use cooking oil to achieve nonstick results. Though ceramic nonstick pans can be almost as nonstick as PTFE when new, this wears off quickly, and cooking oil or butter becomes a necessity.
We talk more about the safety of ceramic nonstick in the FAQ section below.
How to Make A Nonstick Pan Last as Long as Possible
As promised, here are the ways you can make a nonstick pan last as long as possible. All of these tips apply to both PTFE and ceramic nonstick unless otherwise noted.
Don't Use High Heat
This flame is too high for a nonstick pan.
High heat is the number one killer of nonstick pans. You shouldn't heat a nonstick pan of either type above medium heat, ever. PTFE can give off toxic fumes at temps as low as 390F, and heat of 500F will cause it to degrade into toxic PFAs, including PFOA--so it is very important to not overheat PTFE pans.
High heat won't cause ceramic nonstick to be unsafe (as far as we know), but it loses its nonstick properties at high heat.
Heat damage to PTFE is cumulative, which means that over time, all heat causes it to degrade. This is why you need a new nonstick pan every few years, even if you take good care of it. This may also be true for ceramic nonstick, but we're not entirely sure yet what causes it to lose its nonstick properties (we just know that it does).
You may see ads showing the beautiful sear you can get with a nonstick pan, but if you look at the flame, you can see that it's always much higher than it should be. But the truth is that because nonstick is so slippery, it's hard to get a good sear at any temperature. If you want a good sear, use cast iron, carbon steel, or clad stainless steel. This is not what a nonstick pan is for.
Many new stoves have numbers for the heat level. If you're not sure what a low to medium-low heat level is, err on the side of caution and only use the lowest two or three settings.
Don't Heat an Empty Pan
Never, ever heat an empty nonstick pan!
Because overheating is such a huge issue for both safety and longevity, you should never preheat an empty PTFE pan. Empty pans can reach high temps surprisingly fast: we heated an empty pan over a medium gas flame, and it reached 505F in just 5 minutes.
The same goes for ceramic nonstick, minus the safety issues.
Don't Use Metal Utensils
No metal utensils!
Many nonstick pan manufacturers claim that their cookware is safe for use with metal utensils. But if you want your nonstick to last, don't use metal utensils. This is particularly important for PTFE, which scratches easily. Ceramic nonstick may be able to handle metal utensils, but we recommend erring on the side of caution and not using metal utensils.
Even nonstick coatings that have been reinforced with granite, diamond dust, titanium, or anything else meant to make the coating more durable can't stand up to metal utensils. They can still scratch the surface and could ruin the nonstick coating.
In fact, if you read the fine print of any nonstick cookware, you'll probably find that most makers recommend using non-metal utensils--yes, even if they market their pans as metal-utensil safe.
The only exception is hybrid cookware, which has a stainless steel lattice that protects the nonstick coating--although you should still avoid sharp metal utensils like forks and knives, because these could pierce the underlying nonstick coating.
Always Wash By Hand
Always wash your nonstick pans by hand.
Many nonstick pan makers say that you can put their pans in the dishwasher, but don't do it if you want your pan to last. This is true for both types of nonstick. Dishwasher detergent contains abrasive particles that are bad for nonstick coatings. You should always hand wash your nonstick pans with a sponge, dish rag, or soft-bristled brush.
This is mostly true for PTFE, but dishwasher detergent can be hard on a pan's exterior, as well, so washing by hand ensures that your pans will stay looking good, too (especially if the exterior is aluminum, anodized aluminum, or has a colored coating).
Don't Use Abrasive Pads or Cleansers
Don't use anything abrasive to clean nonstick.
Abrasive scrubby pads and cleansers are almost as bad for PTFE as heat. Never, ever use anything abrasive on a PTFE pan, as they will scratch it, which makes a pan unsafe to cook in.
Ceramic cookware, however, can handle abrasive cleansers. In fact, if your ceramic pan has lost its nonstick properties, a good scrubbing with a slurry of baking soda and water may help restore some of the nonstick properties.
Only Use It When Necessary
Only use your nonstick when you really need it.
This is probably obvious, but don't use your nonstick pan unless you really need it. Use it for eggs, fish, and other foods that you know will stick.
If you restrict your nonstick pan to using only when you need it, it will last a lot longer than if you use it for everything.
Be Careful How You Store It
You can buy pan protectors like these, but anything that covers the surface will work.
If you store your cookware in a cupboard, don't stack anything on top of a nonstick pan without placing some kind of pan protector on the nonstick cooking surface. You can buy pan protectors made for this, or just use dish towels or a few layers of paper towel. What you use doesn't matter; what matters is protecting the nonstick coating from damage.
When to Stop Using a PTFE Nonstick Pan
This pan isn't scratched, but the discoloration shows that the PTFE is worn out.
Here are the indications that a PTFE pan is no longer safe to use:
These may or may not apply to ceramic nonstick, as well, but because the safety issues aren't as significant as with PTFE, it's not as important to discard an old or damaged ceramic nonstick pan. In fact, you can continue to use ceramic nonstick with cooking oil long after it's lost its nonstick properties with no health concerns (that we know of). However, if the cooking surface is peeling or flaking, you should discard ceramic nonstick, too (because you don't want that in your food, either).
Alternatives to Nonstick
Here we'll talk about cookware that will give you a lot more bang for your buck than nonstick cookware. We know that some of you will never give up your nonstick, but if you're on the fence, consider these alternatives, which are cheaper in the long run no matter how much you pay for them because they'll last for decades.
Cost Per Year of Use
First, we want to talk about the idea of cost-per-year-of-use. This is an important idea when buying any cookware, but especially if you're considering nonstick.
Cost-per-year-of-use means how much you pay for cookware over time. It might seem like inexpensive nonstick pans are a good bargain. Heck, even higher end nonstick brands like All-Clad and Anolon are reasonably priced compared to their clad stainless. But if you consider use over time, you'll see that nonstick pans aren't much of a bargain.
Here's why. Say you pay $30 for a 10-inch nonstick skillet and it lasts for 5 years (which is generous). This means your cost-per-year-of-use is $6.
Now say you pay $200 for a 10-inch clad stainless steel pan (which is high for most brands). This pan lasts for 40 years, and is still nice enough to hand down to your children. Your cost-per-year-of-use over 40 years is $5. If you pay a more realistic $120 for a high-end 10-inch stainless skillet, your cost-per-year-of-use over just 30 years is $4.
If you compare nonstick to cast iron or carbon steel, the cost-per-year-of-use is even more impressive. A 10-inch Lodge cast iron skillet costs about $20, or $40 if you get it with accessories or special features. This skillet will probably last for more than 100 years, but if we're conservative and say 30 years, your cost-per-year-of-use is only $1.30--and that's for the $40 pan. So the cost-per-year-of-use for the basic Lodge skillet is about $0.65.
You get the idea: any cookware that lasts longer than nonstick is going to be cheaper in the long run, regardless of how much you pay for it.
Clad Stainless Steel
Clad stainless steel is the most versatile cookware you can buy.
Clad stainless steel is our pick for the best all-around cookware. It's versatile, comes in pretty much every type of pot and pan available, and can be bought individually or in sets of any size.
People dislike stainless cookware because "everything sticks to it," but this is only because they don't know how to cook with it. It's true that it's far from nonstick, but there are simple methods that prevent sticking, and even methods that take advantage of sticking, such as making a pan sauce by deglazing all the crusty bits in the pan with stock or wine (yum!).
Good quality clad stainless cookware has great heating properties, is very durable, and also a safe, stable surface to cook on that won't transfer any toxins into your food. We even think it's easy to clean: a light coating of cooking oil will prevent most foods from sticking, but if you do have sticking, you can soak and/or scrub the pan. They can take high heat (though you don't usually need it), metal utensils, and any other abuse you can throw at them. They are kitchen workhorses that will last for decades and stay looking like new.
Prices for clad stainless vary quite a bit. For a 10-piece set you can spend anywhere from $250 to over $1000. There are cheaper brands on the market, but we recommend you spend a little more than the minimum to get a set of good quality that will last. Most major brands come with a lifetime warranty, so you can feel good about whatever you buy.
We have several articles about how to buy clad stainless cookware, including The Top Stainless Steel Cookware Brands and A Guide to the Best Induction Cookware, as well as reviews on specific brands, including All-Clad, Viking, Demeyere, Tramontina, Cuisinart, Heritage Steel, Made In, Misen, 360, waterless cookware, and more. See our Cookware home page for more information.
Cast Iron and Carbon Steel
Lodge deep cast iron skillet.
Matfer-Bourgeat carbon steel skillet.
We group cast iron and carbon steel together because they are nearly identical materials, with cast iron, somewhat ironically, containing slightly more carbon than carbon steel: cast iron has 2-4% carbon, while carbon steel has about 1% carbon. The higher carbon content of cast iron is why it's thicker: the carbon makes it more brittle, so the greater thickness helps prevent cracking.
Neither contains nickel or chromium, like stainless steel, which is why both of these materials need to be seasoned. Without a protective coating, they will rust. But with a protective coating, they are some of the most durable, long-lasting pans you can buy.
Both cast iron and carbon steel retain heat very well, so they're great for high-heat searing, deep frying, and braising. Many people use cast iron and carbon steel for their daily cookware, too, because the seasoning makes them nearly as nonstick as PTFE, with none of nonstick's drawbacks: they can take high heat and metal utensils, and are pretty much impossible to ruin.
The main drawback to cast iron and carbon steel are that they need to be seasoned, and although seasoning is a simple process of baking oil onto the pan at high heat, causing it to transform into a polymer that protects the surface and makes it similar to nonstick, it can be tricky to do right and can take practice to get right. Many pans are sold pre-seasoned, but even so, they typically need more seasoning to get the smooth, slippery cooking surface you want. However, just using the pan with cooking oil can improve the seasoning, which tends to get better and more nonstick over time just from use (unlike nonstick pans, which lose their nonstick properties over time).
You probably won't find entire sets of cast iron or carbon steel, as they are mainly used as skillets or Dutch ovens (you'll find grills and griddles, too, which cast iron is great for). This isn't really a drawback, but if you want matching cookware, it's something to consider.
Another potential drawback is weight: these pans are heavy, so if you have issues lifting heavy pans, these are both probably a bad choice for you. Carbon steel is slightly lighter than cast iron, but it's still heavy. If you want to avoid a heavy pan but also want to avoid nonstick, your best bet is probably clad stainless steel.
Both cast iron and carbon steel have uneven heat distribution, so they require several minutes of preheating for best results.
Most brands of both pans are reasonably priced, and they have gained popularity in recent years, probably because people want nonstick without the short-lived and possibly unsafe nonstick coatings. You can spend hundreds on boutique cast iron and carbon steel, but you don't need to. No matter how much you spend, you're getting the same basic heating properties. What you do get with more money is a smoother cooking surface when new. If you buy a Lodge or other inexpensive brand, you'll need to use the pan several times before it gets its lovely, smooth patina. But if you have patience, it will happen.
Seasoned cast iron and carbon steel aren't technically nonstick materials, but they're the closest you can come without worries about toxic chemicals in your cookware.
For more information, see our articles The Best Cast Iron Skillets: How Much Should You Spend? and The Best Carbon Steel Pans. Though most brands are similar, there are some important differences to consider, and these articles will help you understand what they are.
Enameled Cast Iron
Le Creuset Dutch oven.
Enameled cast iron has become popular in recent years, too, with people buying it instead of nonstick. But you should know going in that this enamel is not nonstick: it is semi-nonstick at best. The enamel used on cast iron is traditional, made from molten glass, which means it is a completely different material than ceramic nonstick coatings and contains no nanoparticles or other unknown chemicals.
You can buy enameled cast iron in sets, you really only need it for one piece: a Dutch oven, used for braising, because liquids won't eat away at the enamel as they will the seasoning on bare cast iron. Seasoned, bare cast iron is more nonstick than enameled cast iron, so is the better choice for skillets.
Since enameled cast iron tends to be more expensive than bare cast iron, knowing this can save you a few bucks when putting together a cookware set.
Prices for enameled cast iron Dutch ovens vary a lot, from around $40 to more than $400. You don't have to buy at the top of the market to get good quality, but Le Creuset enamel is harder, longer lasting, and slightly more nonstick than the enamel found on less expensive brands.
We think an enameled cast iron Dutch oven is a necessity because it's such a versatile piece. You can use it for so many things, such as soups, stews, stock, braises, baking bread, and even in a pinch as a skillet. But we don't recommend buying an entire set of enameled cast iron because you don't need it in a skillet, and it makes for a pretty heavy sauce pan (clad stainless is a much better choice for sauce pans).
For more information, see our article The Best Enameled Cast Iron Dutch Ovens.
Other Options
The truth is, pretty much any kind of cookware you choose is going to last longer than either type of nonstick. So it's hard to go wrong with anything that isn't nonstick. Whether your concerns are safety or durability, they're all better options than nonstick.
Nonstick Pan FAQs
Here are some common questions about nonstick cookware.
Which Lasts Longer, PTFE or Ceramic?
Surprisingly, PTFE cookware tends to last longer than ceramic nonstick. Even though PTFE is the softer material and ceramic nonstick is quite hard and can withstand higher temperatures, the nonstick properties of ceramic nonstick tend to be very short lived, sometimes only lasting for a month or two. PTFE will keep its nonstick properties longer, assuming it is properly cared for, but once worn out, it is no longer safe to use. You can continue to use ceramic nonstick without worries even after it loses its nonstick properties (just use enough cooking oil to keep food from sticking).
Which Is Safer, PTFE or Ceramic?
Neither can be considered completely safe.
PTFE is a member of the PFAs family of "forever chemicals" that are toxic to humans, animals, and the environment. They've been associated with cancer and many other health issues. More than 90% of Americans have some PFAs in their bodies, due largely to the nonstick cookware industry. While PTFE itself is safe when used correctly, it requires toxic PFAs to manufacture, and can break down into toxic PFAs when overheated (which is fairly easy to do).
Ceramic nonstick is sold as a safer alternative to PTFE, so people settle for the less-than-stellar nonstick properties in exchange for what they believe is safer cookware. And while they are free of forever chemicals, the nanoparticles used in ceramic coatings are such a new technology that there is very little research about them. But what there is isn't great. Nanoparticles have been associated with tumors and other health issues, and because they're so small, they can easily pass through the blood/brain barrier, which could have unknown long term effects. So though they're probably better for the environment than PTFE pans, it's impossible to state that these pans are completely safe (and, in fact, may not be safe at all).
How Long Can You Use a Nonstick Pan?
Depending on care and frequency of use, the average life of a nonstick pan is 1-5 years for PTFE and a little less for ceramic nonstick. If you are careful with the pan and use it only when necessary (such as for eggs), you may get more life out of it.
When a PTFE pan shows signs of wear such as discoloration, peeling, or scratches, or stops being nonstick, it's time to toss it and get a new pan.
Do More Expensive Nonstick Pans Last Longer?
There's no definitive evidence that more expensive nonstick pans last longer than cheaper ones. All PTFE is the same molecule, and all ceramic nonstick is pretty much the same, also. More expensive pans may have extra layers or "reinforcements" like diamonds or titanium, but even so, they really don't seem to last longer than less expensive brands. When you pay a premium price for a nonstick pan, you are typically paying for build quality such as a thicker aluminum base, stainless steel lids and handles, etc. These are great features and if you have the budget they may be worth it to you. But a more expensive nonstick pan probably won't last much longer than a cheaper one.
Can You Recycle Nonstick Pans?
Yes, nonstick pans are recyclable, but less than 5% of curbside programs take them, so it requires some effort to find a recycling program and ship the pan to it. For this reason, most discarded nonstick pans end up in landfills.
Final Thoughts
If you take very good care of your nonstick pan, you can get a bit more life out of it than if you don't. And following care and use instructions is certainly the safest way to handle your nonstick cookware. But heat damage is cumulative, so no matter how well you take care of your nonstick, it's going to wear out. Most nonstick pans only last for a few years. But if you do everything right, you will get the maximum life out of your nonstick pans.
Thanks for reading!
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