Confused about your options for nonstick pans? You’re not alone. The world of nonstick cookware is full of Orwellian-level disinformation. It’s incredibly easy to get misled by the marketing jargon because…well, because it can be misleading.
There are a few reasons for this. One is because in the past few years, PTFE–better known as Teflon, Dupont’s brand name for the original PTFE product–has gotten a bad rap, so people are worried that it’s not safe. So companies began to downplay, or just plain hide, the fact that their pans had PTFE in them.
Also, ceramic nonstick, which first came on the scene only about 10 years ago, has been giving PTFE a run for its money. (The vast majority of late-night infomercials that show the egg sliding around in the pan and the burnt cheese wiping right off are for ceramic nonstick pans.) But ceramic nonstick can’t really compete with PTFE head to head; even though it’s considered “non-toxic” and “more durable” than PTFE, its nonstick properties have an even shorter shelf life than PTFE.
For these reasons, nonstick pans are marketed with all sorts of deceptive claims. This article addresses many (we hope most) of these claims with the goal of helping people wade through the nonstick cookware market with enough clarity to buy the product they really want.
PTFE or Ceramic Are Your Only Options
Titanium, granite, stone, even diamond: there are all sorts of substances in nonstick cookware. While these substances may help toughen nonstick’s notoriously fragile and short-lived surface, this probably isn’t the primary reason they’re in there.
They’re in there so manufacturers can obfuscate the truth about their product, which is: It’s either PTFE or ceramic.
These are the only two types of nonstick cookware on the market: PTFE (aka Teflon) and ceramic.
So when a pan is marketed as “titanium” or “earth stone” or “granite” or even “diamond,” these are only additions to whatever nonstick coating it actually has. And you’ll have to dig a little deeper to find out what that is.
PTFE
PTFE (an acronym for polytetrafluoroethylene) has been around for about 5 decades. It is a long-chain organic molecule derived from hydrocarbons: a type of plastic. It was accidentally discovered in the 1950s by a Dupont scientist. Dupont named it Teflon, and it dominated the nonstick cookware market until Dupont’s patent expired. Now there are many, many versions of PTFE/Teflon on the market. PTFE is also used in many other industries and can be found in common household products like plumber’s tape and dental floss.
Is PTFE Safe?
Is PTFE safe? The truth is that PTFE is not a dangerous substance. It is completely inert and won’t react with the human body in any way. You could eat a bowl of it without any adverse effects (except maybe a stomach ache). This is why many PTFE pans are touted as “healthy” and “non-toxic”, even though those adjectives are assumed by many people to mean the pan has no PTFE in it.
It’s not quite that simple, though. There are a couple of issues with PTFE cookware.
The first is that PTFE’s melting point is around 600F, and it starts to break down around 450-500F or thereabouts. And when it breaks down, it can give off fumes that may not be safe to breathe. Of course, this is also true for most substances: oil at its smoke point, for example, is also not good for human lungs. And any burning food smoke should also be avoided.
Whether degraded PTFE is more dangerous than these other common kitchen fumes is debatable. But the fact remains that you do not want to heat a PTFE pan much past 400F to be on the safe side. And that can be a tricky thing to never do. (For example, never go above medium heat, never heat an empty pan, never leave a heating pan unattended, never use cooking spray or metal utensils, and never let people who don’t understand the dangers of PTFE use the pan ever–see? Tricky.)
PFOA: The Toxic Substance Once Associated with PTFE
The second issue with PTFE is a substance called PFOA (perfluorooctanoic acid). It is used to manufacture PTFE cookware (as well as many other things). PFOA is an environmental hazard that doesn’t break down easily in the environment and can cause all sorts of ecological problems. It is also considered toxic and possibly carcinogenic to humans. (You can read more about PFOA here.)
PFOA is almost completely used up by the time manufacturing is complete, leaving trace amounts in PTFE cookware (if any). In fact, you’ll probably get more PFOA in your food and drinking water than you will from your cookware. So even though it’s a nasty chemical, it’s never really been a threat from your PTFE pan.
Even so, as of 2015, all cookware sold in the US is “PFOA-free.” And while this is a good thing, the label–“PFOA Free”–has caused some confusion for buyers. When a pan is labeled “PFOA Free,” this usually means that the pan does contain PTFE, and that it’s no longer made using PFOA. This is not always the case, but it often is.
The upshot here is that “PFOA-free” is now a meaningless term, since all cookware sold in the US is PFOA-free.
You can read more about PFOA and PTFE at the American Cancer Society website.
Are PTFE and Teflon the Same Thing?
Short answer: Yes. Teflon is simply Dupont’s brand for its PTFE product. Here’s what a PTFE molecule looks like:
Some companies claim that PTFE and Teflon are different substances, but they aren’t. Here’s a short article to substantiate this.
Dupont invented Teflon (or actually, it was accidentally discovered by a scientist at Dupont), so for many years, Teflon was the only nonstick cookware coating available. When Dupont’s patent expired, a lot of companies got in on the nonstick cookware market.
Today, there are dozens–maybe even hundreds–of different brand names for PTFE. Many of them even have some form of “stone” or “granite” in the name. Even if this is meant to speak to the durability of the product, it can be confusing for people looking for a ceramic nonstick, because ceramic is also made from stone, sand, and clay.
We tried to put together a comprehensive list of PTFE brand names, but that information was incredibly hard to find. So instead, we’ll just advise that if a pan lists what sounds like a brand name, you can often find out what it is by doing an Internet search. In this way, we discovered that Eterna, Eclipse, QuanTanium, HALO, Xylan, Skandia, Dura-Slide, ILAG and even some types of Greblon (which was originally only a ceramic coating!) are all trade names for PTFE.
Ceramic
Ceramic has only been around for about a decade. Ceramic nonstick coating is made from inorganic sources like clay and sand. These inorganic materials are made into a sort of gel and sprayed onto cookware, then baked (“cured”) in a very hot oven. The result is a very hard, very slippery (i.e., nonstick) coating. It withstands much higher heat than PTFE–far more than you can reach in a home kitchen–and even when scratched or chipped won’t leech or give off any dangerous chemicals.
Safety of Ceramic Cookware
Ceramic cookware, being inorganic, is also probably the better environmental choice. However, it may also have a few problems. First of all, the process of making ceramic cookware is as involved as that of making PTFE cookware. It’s not a “more natural” pan because it’s derived from sand. In fact, some ceramic manufacturing processes can involve lead or cadmium, both of which are toxins. There may be other toxic chemicals involved in the manufacturing, as well.
Cookware sold in the US should be free of all toxins. However, to be safe, you shouldn’t buy uber-cheap ceramic nonstick. You should purchase ceramic nonstick with a known legacy. E.g, thermolon or greblon cookware with a known background (Healthy Legend and Green Pan, for example).
It’s okay if a pan is made in China–nearly all of them are–but you should purchase from manufacturers who’ve been around for awhile and who guarantee there are no toxic chemicals in their product. (Whether or not this includes the latest round of late night informercial products, we can’t say. They’re probably safe, but they’re probably also not very fine quality.)
Since most ceramic nonstick is cheap, you can still spend very little to get a safe, reputable pan.
(However, remember that Greblon may also be PTFE now–so if you don’t buy a known brand like Healthy Legend, read the fine print!)
Is Ceramic “Better” than PTFE?
Overall, ceramic is perceived as the “healthier” nonstick cookware. And it’s true that even when ceramic overheats, chips, or scratches, it’s not going to give off toxic fumes. But its nonstick properties are so short-lived that many people still prefer PTFE.
So it’s not as clear cut as one type of nonstick being better than the other. Both have good points and bad points.
Here’s our best advice:
If you and the people in your household will be careful with your nonstick cookware and always use and care for it properly, PTFE is the better choice because it lasts longer. If you have people in your household (kids, for example) who won’t be careful when using nonstick, you should buy ceramic; even though it’s not as good, it’s the safer choice.
Your mantra for buying nonstick cookware should be to buy often and buy cheap–but not too cheap.
About Other “Nonstick” Cookware
Cast iron and carbon steel both come very close to being nonstick when seasoned properly. But cast iron and carbon steel are not direct competitors for nonstick cookware; they’re considered a different market.
Also, neither cast iron nor carbon steel are associated with possible health risks, so the marketing is straightforward for them: you know what you’re getting when you buy a Lodge pan.
Thus, the “nonstick cookware” label belongs to PTFE and ceramic exclusively.
Having said that, we believe that cast iron and carbon pans are excellent alternatives to nonstick-coated cookware. No, they’re not 100% nonstick, but they come close, and their life spans are considerably longer than any PTFE or ceramic nonstick pan.
How Do You Figure Out If a Nonstick Pan is PTFE or Ceramic?
Here we start to get into the real issues, which are that a lot of people want to avoid PTFE, and a lot of manufacturers make it difficult to do so. Descriptions can be confusing and not clearly state what a pan is made from.
Marketing terms like titanium, stone, etc. contribute to this problem. So do some of the cookware brand names, like Granite Rock, which is PTFE, and brand names of PTFE, such as Granitium.
Also, some brands make both types of nonstick cookware, so you have to be careful and read the fine print. You expect this from the cookware giants like T-fal, Cuisinart, and Circulon. However, even some smaller brands make both types of cookware. Ozeri has a reputation for making good nonstick ceramic, but their Stone Earth line is PTFE–and they don’t go out of their way to advertise that.
It can be very confusing.
Somewhere on the Amazon page or the manufacturer’s home page, you can usually find the truth–but not always. Manufacturers can sometimes manage to have pages and pages of jargon without a single actual fact about what their pan is really made of.
This is most often the case for PTFE pans, so that’s your first clue.
There are other clues, as well. Here are some ways you can sometimes-but-not-always figure out what a pan is made from if it isn’t clearly stated.
- “PFOA and PTFE free” means a pan is ceramic (because it contains no PTFE). However, you have to be careful. Some pans claim to be free of PTFE but go on to say they contain a PTFE coating (such as Quantum 2). This is probably unintentional, and not meant to be deceptive; the person writing the copy just doesn’t realize that the pan contains PTFE.
- “PFOA free” usually means a pan is PTFE.
- “PFOA-, APEO-, and BPA-free” usually means PTFE.
- In fact, being free of any list of acronyms and/or toxins doesn’t mean it’s a PTFE-free pan, unless one of the acronyms is PTFE.
- If a brand name for the nonstick coating is given (e.g., Teflon, Autograph, Eterna, Quantium, Greblon, etc.), you can search for it on the Internet and find out that way whether the coating contains PTFE.
- “Diamond,” “Titanium,” “Earth Stone,” and “Granite” mean nothing. These substances can be added to both PTFE and ceramic to strengthen the nonstick coating (although they’re usually added to PTFE).
- “Healthy” and “Non-toxic” mean nothing. Now that PTFE pans are made without PFOAs, and because PTFE itself is non-toxic, both types of nonstick coating are technically non-toxic, and can be labeled as such.
- Even “ceramic” doesn’t always mean a pan contains no PTFE. “Ceramic” can be used as an adjective, just like “stone” and “titanium” don’t always mean the pan actually contains those materials. A lot of PTFE pans have the word ceramic somewhere in the description. Again, you have to read the find print–and if you still can’t determine what a pan is made of, you should assume that it’s PTFE.
- Be especially careful about Greblon coatings. Greblon was one of the original ceramic nonstick coatings, but today there are several iterations of Greblon, and many of them contain PTFE. (This is very sneaky!)
- If you can’t figure out what the coating is, assume that it is PTFE.
- Finally, look at the photo. PTFE has a matte finish, while ceramic nonstick has a shiny finish. You can’t always tell, but sometimes it’s obvious.
Ceramic nonstick has a shiny finish, like this Green Pan Lima.
PTFE has a matte finish, like this All-Clad HA1.
Buzzwords to Understand
Here are some terms you may see that can be confusing.
APEO-free: Means the cookware has no alkylphenols in it. Both PTFE and ceramic nonstick can be labeled as APEO-free.
arsenic-free: see “lead-free” below.
Artech: Brand of PTFE coating.
cadmium-free: see “lead-free” below.
Classic: This usually means a PTFE coating, but not always.
Diamond: Some nonstick coatings are reinforced with diamond dust to improve durability. Usually PTFE, but may also apply to ceramic.
Earth: Marketing term, largely meaningless. Can apply to PTFE (as in “Ozeri Stone Earth” pan) or ceramic (as in “Ozeri Green Earth” pan).
Granite: Marketing term. Can apply to PTFE or ceramic.
Green: Almost always used to describe ceramic (“GreenPan,” Green Earth” etc.). But it’s a marketing term, so be careful and read the fine print.
Greblon: Greblon was one of the original ceramic coatings developed about 10 years ago now. Today, Greblon makes several nonstick coatings, some of which are PTFE. So be careful when looking at a pan with a Greblon coating, as it could be either PTFE or ceramic. This website lists the Greblon brand names and whether they’re ceramic or PTFE.
Healthy: Marketing term. Means nothing. All cookware is “healthy” when used properly. However, the term often leads to assumptions that the pan has no PTFE in it, but that isn’t always the case. Read the fine print–and if you can’t figure it out, it’s probably PTFE.
ILAG: Brand of PTFE coating.
lead-free: Some inexpensive ceramic nonstick could have lead, cadmium, arsenic or other toxic chemicals in it. No cookware sold in the US should contain any toxic chemicals, however, so being “lead-free” or “cadmium-free,” while reassuring, doesn’t mean a whole lot. Lead and cadmium are typically associated with ceramic cookware, but now we’re seeing these labels even on PTFE cookware, which is not only largely meaningless, but adds to the confusion. Most cookware is made in China, but if it’s a reputable brand, there’s almost no danger from toxic chemicals, whether ceramic or PTFE. The best way to avoid toxins in your cookware is to not buy cheap cookware.
Non-Toxic: See “Healthy” above.
PFOA-free: As of 2015, all PTFE pans sold in the US are PFOA-free, so this is a largely meaningless term. It can lead people to believe that a pan is not PTFE, when it often means that a pan is PTFE. (If a pan is ceramic, it’s usually labeled “PTFE- and PFOA-free.”)
Polymer/Polymerized/Polymeric/Polymerization: Polymers are types of plastic molecules, so descriptions with any reference to polymers or polymerization are PTFE (which is a plastic molecule).
Professional: Often means PTFE, but not always.
Quantium: Brand name of PTFE coating.
Stone: Marketing term that can refer to either PTFE or ceramic coating. For example, GraniteStone cookware and Stone Earth by Ozeri are both PTFE-coated pans (even though they sound like they’re ceramic).
Thermolon: Brand name for a type of ceramic nonstick coating. Green Pan is a brand that has Thermolon coating.
Titanium: Can refer to a brand name (“Zwilling Titanium”), to titanium added to a nonstick coating (either PTFE or ceramic), or, rarely, to the composition of the cookware (i.e., titanium rather than aluminum or stainless). Says nothing about the composition of the nonstick coating. (For more info, see our article on titanium nonstick cookware.)
This list is not complete, and we will add to it as we find new terms.
Why Do So Many Pans Look Alike?
Rachel Ray cookware set
Paula Deen cookware set
Sometimes companies don’t make their own products. Instead, they simply buy a product made by a factory, usually in China, and have their logo put on it.
If you’ve noticed that a lot of pans by different makers look similar–if not identical–this is what’s going on.
It’s particularly common at lower price points. For example, the cookware brands shown above are almost certainly made in the same factory. The now famous Copper Chef-type cookware comes in at least half a dozen brands: those, too, are probably made in the same factory in China. (BTW, we assure you there is no actual copper in these inexpensive pans.)
Some will have small differences in handles or lids, while others will look exactly the same, except for the logo.
The moral is this: if there are several brands that seem to be identical, buy the cheapest one–or better yet, keep looking for something a little higher quality. You’ll pay a little more for it, but it will almost certainly be better cookware.
Recommendations: Pans We Like and Trust
Green Pan Lima: a very nice, not too expensive ceramic skillet
For ceramic nonstick cookware, we really like the Green Pan Lima and Healthy Legend. Zwilling Spirit is also top notch quality, but probably more than you should pay for a nonstick skillet that’s not going to last more than a few years.
Healthty Legend skillet
For PTFE, our absolute favorite pan is the Anolon Nouvelle Copper skillet. It’s cast aluminum with an amazing amount of copper and aluminum in the bottom, giving it fantastic heating properties. Anolon makes several lines of cookware, but this is probably their best. The 8-in./10-in. combination is probably the best deal.
Anolon Nouvelle Copper skillet, exploded view
We also like the All-Clad HA1 cast aluminum skillets. These are a thick cast aluminum with a stainless disc on the bottom that makes them induction compatible and reinforces them against warping. They are made in China, but they are good quality pans nevertheless.
All-Clad HA1 cast aluminum skillet
There are a lot of brands we haven’t tested, so this are by no means the only good nonstick pans out there. A few brands we like (but don’t know a lot about) are Berndes, Ecolution, and de Buyer.
In general, we don’t like “celebrity” lines of cookware, or anything else that’s super inexpensive (less than, say, $25 for a medium-sized skillet). Even though you don’t want to spend too much on a nonstick pan, you also want one with decent heating properties. These tend to be cast aluminum rather than stamped.
The List of Nonstick Brands
This list is by no means comprehensive. We included as many brands as we could, with a focus on the most popular brands and the most confusing brands. We tried to stick to strictly cookware, ignoring griddles, grills, and electric appliances with nonstick surfaces or insets (although a few of them made it on the list).
In some cases, it was impossible to determine whether a pan was PTFE or ceramic. We feel your pain: this can be really tricky!
We will continue to add to the list, so please feel free to send any thoughts or information that would be helpful.
It’s not perfect, but we hope this list will be helpful for those of you shopping for nonstick cookware. You may be surprised, as we were, by the truth behind some of the marketing.
AiCook: ceramic
Aidea 2-Pc Ceramic Frying Pans: These do not state that they are PTFE free, but they are probably ceramic.
All-Clad (all lines): PTFE
Almond Nonstick Skillet: PTFE
Almond Nonstick Ceramic: ceramic
Almond Nonstick Ceramic Copper: ceramic
Alpha COMIN16JU043594 MFI-26 iNoble Stone Nonstick Frying Pan: PTFE
Alpha MF-30: ceramic
Alpha Nonstick Fry Pan w/6 layers of iNoble Coating: PTFE
Amazon Basics Nonstick Cookware Set: PTFE
American Kitchen Tri-ply Stainless: PTFE
Anolon Advanced Bronze Hard-Anodized Nonstick Skillet: PTFE
Anolon Advanced Onyx: PTFE
Anolon French: PTFE
Anolon Nouvelle Copper: PTFE (IC)
Amore Kitchenware Flamekiss: ceramic
Avacraft Hard Anodized Nonstick Frying Pan w/Lid: PTFE
Ayesha Curry Home Collection: PTFE (probably all Ayesha Curry products contain PTFE)
Ballarini Parma Forged Aluminum Nonstick, Granite: PTFE (“Granitium”)
Beka Chef EcoLogic: ceramic
Bene Casa: PTFE
Berndes Crepe Pan: PTFE
Berndes SignoCast Classic: PTFE
Berndes Tradition skillet: PTFE
Berndes Vario Click Pearl Induction: ceramic
Bialetti Aeternum: ceramic
Bialetti Granito: PTFE
Bialetti Italian Collection: PTFE
Bialetti Petravera Pro fry pan: probably PTFE
Bialetti Sapphire: Probably PTFE
Bialetti Simply Italian: PTFE
BioExcel Copper Frying Pan set: ceramic
Bisetti Stonerose: ??? Probably PTFE (all products)
Blue Diamond Toxin Free Ceramic Fry Pan: ??? Possibly a combination of PTFE and ceramic–says “PFOA free” but doesn’t say “PTFE free” anywhere–but it looks like a ceramic pan.
Bocca Aluminum Frying Pan: PTFE
Brewsly: ceramic
Bronx crepe pan by Essenso Soho: ?? claims to be PTFE-free, but looks like PTFE
BulbHead Red Copper: ceramic
Cate-Maker Aluminum Nonstick Wok: PTFE
Cate-Maker Copper Frying Pan: PTFE
Cate-Maker Stone Earth Nonstick Frying Pan w/Bakelite Handle: PTFE
Carote Deep Frying Pan: ?? Probably PTFE
Carote Frying Pan w/Stone-Derived Nonstick Coating: PTFE
Castey Fundix line: PTFE
Catering Line Natura Pan: ceramic
CeraPan Perfect Grip Aluminum Fry Pan: ceramic
Calphalon Classic: PTFE
Calphalon Simply Calphalon: PTFE
Castey Fundix: PTFE
Catering Line Nature Ceramic Skillet: ceramic
Chantal Induction 21 Steel Ceramic-coated Fry Pan: ceramic
Chef Delicia Nonstick Copper Frying Pan: ceramic (and also do not contain any copper)
Chef Direct Stainless Mini Nonstick Fry Pan: PTFE
ChefHub Nonstick Cookware Set: PTFE
Chef’s Star Frying Pan: ceramic
CHOC Nonstick Aluminum Pan by De Buyer: PTFE
Circulon Acclaim: PTFE
Circulon Contempo: PTFE
Circulon Elite: PTFE
Circulon Genesis: PTFE
Circulon Infinite: PTFE (IC)
Circulon Innovatum: PTFE
Circulon Momentum: PTFE
Circulon Premier Professional: PTFE
Circulon Symmetry: PTFE
Cleverona Nonstick Fry Pan: PTFE
Concord Ceramic-coated Frying Pan: ceramic
Cooker King Ceramic Nonstick Frying Pans: ceramic
Cooker King Nonstick Pots and Pans set: PTFE
Cook King Tri-Ply Stainless Honeycomb frying pan: PTFE
Cook N Home 3 Piece Set: PTFE (IC)
Cook N Home 12 Inch Frying Pan: PTFE
Cook N Home Multicolor Nonstick Cookware Set: PTFE
Cook N Home NC-00358 Nonstick Ceramic Cookware Set: ceramic
Cook N Home Heavy Gauge Fry Pan Set: PTFE
Cooksmark 10 Piece Cookware Set: They say they’re PTFE-free, but I suspect the Maxlon coating is a type of PTFE (they look like PTFE).
Cooksmark Faraday Granite Nonstick Coating: ??? They say they’re ceramic, but they are also Maxlon coating, which may be PTFE.
Cooksmark Kingbox: PTFE
Cooksmark Copper Pan: Claims to be ceramic, but may have PTFE in it (“Maxlon”)
Cooksmark Love Pan: ceramic
Cooksmark Multicolor Cookware Set: PTFE
Cooksmark Signature Ceramic Set: ceramic
Cooksmark Swan Cookware Set: ceramic
Cooks Standard 02477 Hard Anodized Skillet Set: PTFE
Copper Aluminum Frying Pans by Imperial Home: ceramic
Copper Chef (all): ceramic (and do not contain any actual copper)
CopperHead Collection 6″ Fry Pan: probably ceramic, possibly PTFE (oven safe to 450F usually means PTFE, but seller says PTFE-free–???)
CorVex fry pan: ceramic (all products–but they look like PTFE)
CorVex Nonstick Ceramic Cooking Set: ceramic
Country Kitchen Marble Gray Frying Pan: PTFE (probably the same pan as sold by Cate Maker and others.)
Cusinaid Nonstick Cookware Set: looks like PTFE, seller guarantees they’re ceramic
Cuisinart 5922-30HR Elements Open Pan: ceramic
Cuisinart Advantage Ceramica XT Cookware Set: ceramic
Cuisinart Contour Skillet: PTFE
Cuisinart Chef’s Classic: PTFE (all pieces)
Cuisinart DSA55-24 Casserole: PTFE
Cuisinart DSI19 2 Qt. Saucepan: PTFE (“DSI” stands for dishwasher-safe-induction, all DS seems to be PTFE)
Cuisinart DSI22 Skillet: PTFE
Cuisinart GreenGourmet: ceramic
Cuisinart 59122-24BK Open Skillet: ceramic
Cuisinart 59122-30HBK Open Skillet w/Helper Handle: ceramic
Cuisinart Chef’s Classic skillet: PTFE
Cuisinart Multi-Clad Pro: PTFE
Curtis Stone DuraPan: PTFE
de Buyer CHOC Aluminum Nonstick Pan: PTFE
DEIK: ceramic
Deslon Quartz Maifan Stone Healthy Frying Pan: Probably PTFE
DuraPan by Curtis Stone: PTFE
Ecolution Bliss: ceramic
Ecolution EABK-5128 Nonstick Fry Pan: PTFE
Ecolution Nonstick Cookware Set: PTFE
Ecolution Endure: PTFE???
Ecolution Evolve Heavy Gauge Aluminum Nonstick Fry Pan: PTFE
Ecolution Symphony: PTFE
Emeril Lagasse Hard Anodized Nonstick Cookware: PTFE
Emeril Lagasse Hard Anodized Nonstick Cookware 10 Pc. Set: PTFE
Epicurious Aluminum Nonstick Cookware Set in Copper: PTFE
Essenso Lazio Ceramic Braiser: ceramic
Essenso Soho Bronx crepe pan: claims to be PTFE-free, but looks like PTFE.
Eurocast Professional Cookware w/Removable Handle: ceramic (IC)
EuroHome Copper Frying Pan: ceramic
Farberware Classic Series Nonstick Pan: PTFE
Farberware Dishwasher Safe Nonstick: PTFE
Farberware Restaurant Pro: PTFE
Farberware Glide: PTFE
Farberware Hard-Anodized: PTFE
Farberware Restaurant Pro: PTFE
Finnhomy Super Value Hard Anodized Cookware Set: PTFE
Finnhomy Hard Porcelain Enamel Cookware Set: claims to be PTFE-free, but looks just like their PTFE set (which also looks just like the Rachel Ray set, which is PTFE). Maybe “ceramic” here refers to the exterior coating?
FlavorStone Sapphire: PTFE
Flamekiss by Amore Kitchenware: ceramic
Frieling USA Black Cube Hybrid: PTFE
Fundix by Castey: PTFE
Germany’s Stoneline Xtreme: PTFE
Gibson Home Hummington Ceramic: ceramic
Gibson Home 7 Pc Cookware Set (carbon steel–?): PTFE
Gotham Steel: ceramic
Granite Rock Non-stick No warp frying pan: PTFE (All GR products are most likely PTFE)
Green Earth by Ozeri: ceramic
GreenLIfe Classic Pro: ceramic (Thermolon)
GreenLife Gourmet: ceramic
GreenLife Healthy Ceramic Nonstick: ceramic (Thermolon)
GreenLife Lift: ceramic
GreenLife Soft Grip: ceramic
GreenLife Diamond: ceramic
GreenEarth (by Ozeri):
Green Pan Chatham: ceramic
GreenPan Lima: ceramic
Green Pan Limited Edition: ceramic
Green Pan Padova: ceramic
GreenPan Paris: ceramic Thermolon)
Green Pan Venice Pro: ceramic
Green Pan Valencia: ceramic
GreenPan Rio: ceramic (Thermolon)
Greystone by Moneta: PTFE (“polymeric” coating)
Healthy Legend: ceramic (all products)
Home Icon Copper Pan: ceramic
hOmeLabs Nonstick cookware set: PTFE
hOmeLabs Ceramic: ceramic
Imperial Home Copper Aluminum Frying Pan: ceramic (induction compatible)
Imperial Home Healthy Nonstick Ceramic-coated pans: ceramic
Joie Mini Nonstick Egg Pan (by MSC International): PTFE
Kinden Lightweight Cast Iron Skillet w/Nonstick Coating: PTFE
knf Nonstick Frying Pan w/Lid: neither PTFE nor ceramic. Modified stainless steel w/honeycomb texture (similar to All-Clad D3 Armor–not recommended)
Kyocera Nonstick Pan: ceramic
Kutime Ceramic Nonstick Frying Pan: probably ceramic
LexiHome Marble Nonstick Frying Pan: ?? probably ceramic (IC)
Lestaven Nonstick Fry Pan: PTFE
Lux Decor Kitchen Frying Pan: PTFE
Magma Cookware with Nonstick Ceramica: ceramic
Mastertop: PTFE
Matfer Bourgeat 906024: PTFE (probably all M-B nonstick is PTFE)
Mauviel M’Stone Nonstick Pan: It says PTFE-free, but Eclipse is a brand name PTFE coating–so we’re going with PTFE.
Michelangelo (all lines): ceramic
Mirro Get a Grip: PTFE
Momscook Aluminum Ceramic Nonstick Coating Cookware: probably ceramic, possibly PTFE
Momsook 2 pc Stainless Nonstick: PTFE
Momscook Hard Anodized Aluminum Nonstick Cookware Set: PTFE
Moneta Azul Gres Ceramic Nonstick Frying Pan: ceramic
Moneta Greystone Nonstick cookware: PTFE (“polymeric” coating)
Moneta Nova Induction Compatible Nonstick: PTFE
Moneta Zeus Induction Grill: PTFE
Mopita Roccia Viva frying pan: PTFE
Mopita Grail frying pan: PTFE
MyLifeUNIT Japanese Omelet Pan: PTFE (Yes, it says “PTFE free” but Whitford Quantum2 is a PTFE coating.)
Neoflam Eela: ceramic (probably all Neoflam products are ceramic)
Oneida Ceramic Nonstick: ceramic
Orgreenic Ceramic Cookware: ceramic
Original Copper Pan: ceramic
Ozeri Stone Earth Frying Pan: Probably PTFE (“Stonehenge” nonstick coating: what is it?)
Ozeri Green Earth Frying Pan: ceramic (Greblon)
Ozeri Professional Series Ceramic Earth Fry Pan: PTFE–You may not believe it but it’s true!
Ozeri Professional Series Induction Fry Pan: PTFE
Ozeri Stainless Pan with Eterna nonstick coating: PTFE
Ozeri Stone Earth All-in-One Sauce Pan: PTFE
OXO Good Grips Covered Fry Pan: PTFE
Paderno World Cuisine Mini Pans: probably ceramic
Paula Deen Riverbend: PTFE
Paula Deen Signature: PTFE
Pensofal Bio-ceramix Nonstick cookware: Probably PTFE, but possibly ceramic. Possibly a mixture of both.
Pioneer Woman Vintage Speckle Nonstick cookware: PTFE
Primecook Smerelda: ceramic
Rachel Ray Cucina: PTFE
Rachel Ray Hard-Anodized Nonstick: PTFE
Red Copper BulbHead: ceramic (and do not contain any actual copper)
Rosle Elegance Stainless Steel Cookware w/Ceramic Coating: ceramic (good up to 750F means its ceramic)
Saflon Granite Frying Pan: PTFE (likely all Saflon nonstick products contain PTFE)
ScanPan Ceramic and Titanium: PTFE
ScanPan Classic: PTFE
ScanPan CTX: PTFE
ScanPan Pro S5: PTFE
ScanPan Professional Fry Pans: PTFE
Shineuri Cookware Set: ceramic (probably the same maker as Copper Chef or something similar)
Silit by WMF Cookware Set w/Nonstick Skillet: PTFE
Starfrit The Rock Frying Pan: probably PTFE
Stone Earth All-in-One Sauce Pan by Ozeri: PTFE
Stoneline Xtreme Germany: PTFE
Sturable Nonstick Skillet: PTFE
Sunbeam Newbrook Nonstick Cookware Set: PTFE
Sushar Frying Pan w/German Nonstick Granite Coating: PTFE (Note: This pan is identical to many others sold by Carote, Cate Maker, Country Kitchen, and others. Probably the same pan with different labels on it, meaning they’re all PTFE.)
Swiss Diamond (all lines): PTFE
Tafond Oven Safe Grill Pan: ?? Probably PTFE
TeChef Japanese Omelet Pan: PTFE
TeChef Onyx: PTFE
TeChef Goody pan: PTFE
TIBEK: PTFE
T-fal C921S2 Initiatives: ceramic
T-fal Ceramic: ceramic
T-fal Initiatives: PTFE
T-fal Metallics Thermo Spot: PTFE
T-fal Signature: PTFE
T-fal Soft Sides w/ThermoSpot Indicator: PTFE
T-fal Titanium Advanced Nonstick w/ThermoSpot Indicator: PTFE
Tramontina Professional Restaurant Fry Pan: PTFE
Tramontina Ceramica: ceramic
Tramontina Simple Cooking Cookware Set: PTFE
UrbanixChef Frying Pan: PTFE (Greblon!)
Utopia Kitchen Nonstick Frying Pan: PTFE (probably all their nonstick contains PTFE)
Vario Click cookware by Berndes: ceramic (can tell by the oven-safe temp)
Viking Professional 5-Ply Nonstick with Eterna nonstick coating: PTFE (IC)
Viking Hard Anodized Cookware: PTFE
Vesuvio: ceramic
Vollrath Wear-Ever Pan w/CeramiGuard II: PTFE
Vollrath Wear-Ever HardCoat: PTFE
Vollrath Wear-Ever w/PowerCoat 2: PTFE
VonShef: Probably PTFE
Vremi Ceramic Nonstick Cookware: ceramic (IC)
Vremi Nonstick Cookware Set: PTFE
Vremi Nonstick Saute Pan: PTFE
WaxonWare Emerald Nonstick Frying Pan: ceramic (IC)
WearEver B022SF Nonstick set: PTFE
WearEver C94407 Pure Living: ceramic
WearEver C944S2 Pure Living pan: ceramic
WearEver C957SC Admiration set: PTFE
Wee’s Beyond Nonstick Fry Pan: PTFE
Woll Nowo Titanium: PTFE (all Woll products are probably PTFE but we’re not sure)
Xtrema 100% Ceramic Skillet: ceramic (note: this cookware is 100% ceramic, and not necessarily nonstick–read reviews carefully before buying)
Yzakka Stone Earth Saucepan: probably PTFE (all Yzakka nonstick is probably PTFE)
Ziling Nonstick Fry Saute Pan w/Lid: PTFE
Zinnor Mini Heart-Shaped Egg Pan: PTFE
Zwilling Madura: PTFE (“DuraSlide”)
Zwilling Spirit: Ceramic
Zyliss: Probably PTFE
Final Thoughts
Once again, this list is by no means comprehensive. The nonstick cookware market is changing all the time. Even so, we hope we’ve helped you sort through some of the confusing jargon and labeling that can make buying nonstick cookware so frustrating.
And remember: you can always go with the original nonstick cookware, cast iron or carbon steel. These are both a great option for those of you trying to avoid toxins and cook healthy.
Thanks for reading!
