The Ultimate GreenPan Review

GreenPan (also called Green Pan-two words) is one of the ceramic nonstick cookware brands that contains no PTFE or PFOA. If you're looking for an alternative to Teflon® (aka PTFE), GreenPan could be your answer. 

In this review, we dive into GreenPan cookware to provide an in-depth analysis for potential buyers. If you want to learn all about GreenPan cookware, you've come to the right place.

Green Pan Cookware Lines at a Glance

GreenPan makes several lines of cookware, and we'll say up front that it can be hard to tell the differences between some of them. If you're still having trouble choosing between lines, don't worry about it too much. As long as you get the basics right-e.g., induction compatibility, type of coating--it doesn't matter all that much which line you buy. The one exception is the GP5, which is considerably thicker than other GreenPan lines and will provide exceptionally good heating and heat retention (and is induction compatible, too).

Bodies: To summarize, GreenPan bodies can be aluminum, anodized aluminum, or clad stainless (the Treviso line is stainless with a disc base rather than full cladding). We recommend anodized aluminum for the affordable price and better heating properties.

Handles: GreenPan handles can be plastic or stainless steel. We recommend stainless steel for durability.

Lids: GreenPan lids are mostly glass and are not included with most skillets, though a few buying options do include a lid. Note that the Hudson line of sauce pans does not have lids (which is weird), and as far as we know, GreenPan does not sell lids for sauce pans separately. You can buy lids separately for most skillets.

Colors: Some lines come in several colors. We list these in the table below.

Nonstick coatings: There are different formulations of Thermolon™, the standard GreenPan nonstick coating. The newer ones are reinforced with diamond dust or other minerals to make the nonstick coating more durable. We list the type of Thermolon™ the line has where we can, but they're not always given. Most pans with reinforced coatings are more expensive, and may not provide a longer nonstick life span. If you want a newer Thermolon coating, we recommend the Padova line (Thermolon Minerals coating) for its great price and stainless steel handle, or the GP5 line (Infinite8 diamond coating) for its all around excellent build quality. 

The lines are in alphabetical order. An asterisk indicates our recommendation. You can read more detailed reviews about our recommendations below.

Our rating is based on our own research and testing and is independent of Amazon ratings (although they had an influence in our decisions).

NOTE: GreenPan changes their lines frequently, but most of them are very similar. Rather than update this review to try to keep up, we are only adding new lines only if they offer something that's actually innovative. For a complete list of the GreenPan collections, go to GreenPan.com.

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GreenPan Cookware Pros and Cons

About Nonstick Cookware: General Information

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We go into more detail about nonstick cookware in other articles, but here's a broad overview. (See our Cookware page for more information.)

First of all, nonstick cookware is coated cookware, which means that the nonstick cooking surface is applied to some other surface. Most typically, this is aluminum or stainless steel. Aluminum is usually less expensive and also has better heating properties. Therefore, we recommend buying aluminum nonstick cookware over tri-ply clad stainless steel. 

When buying nonstick cookware, you really only have two options: PTFE or ceramic. PTFE, more commonly known by Dupont's trade name Teflon®, is a hydrocarbon-based coating, actually a type of plastic. PTFE is an acronym for polytetrafluoroethylene. It's been around for about 70 years. Today, there are hundreds of PTFE coatings manufactured under as many trade names; some common ones are Eterna, Eclipse, QuanTanium, HALO, Xylan, Skandia, Dura-Slide, Granite Rock, Granitium, ILAG, and Greblon C2 (yes, Greblon, an early manufacturer of ceramic nonstick, now makes PTFE coatings, too). 

PTFE is an inert substance at normal temperatures, however, if it's heated above 390F, it begins to give off toxic fumes. These fumes get worse with increased heat, and over 500F can cause flu-like symptoms in humans and are lethal to birds. (And you'd be surprised how quickly a pan can get that hot even on a medium setting. If you have an infrared thermometer, you can test your pans to see how quickly they get hot.)

Another concern with PTFE-coated cookware is PFOA (perfluorooctanoic acid, part of a family of chemicals called PFAS), which until 2015 was used in the manufacturing of PTFE cookware. There's evidence that PFOA is carcinogenic, and it is a terrible environmental hazard because it's a "forever chemical" that does not break down naturally; because of this, PFOA has built up in the soil and water, and has entered the water supply such that more than 90% of Americans have some PFOA in their bodies. 

PFOA is no longer used to make cookware, but it's main replacement, GenX, is from the same chemical family and has many of the same toxic properties. These chemicals are not regulated by the EPA and have contaminated water supplies around the globe. Though GenX is relatively new to the nonstick cookware industry, people have tested positive for it and there are already lawsuits pending against Dupont ("Chemours") for releasing GenX into the environment.

See our article What is PFOA? A Guide to Nonstick Cookware Chemicals for more information

In 2007, the new ceramic nonstick coating was invented. Ceramic nonstick coating is silicon-based, which means it's made basically from sand. Sand--or more accurately silicon dioxide--is converted into what's called a sol-gel solution and sprayed onto the surfaces of cookware (usually aluminum, sometimes stainless steel), then baked at a high temperature to produce the finished nonstick cookware. 

Ceramic nonstick cookware has gained a reputation for being safer than PTFE, and for having fewer environmental concerns. However, there are a few issues potential buyers should know about. (We talk more about this below.) 

As far as we know, there are two types of ceramic nonstick coating, Thermolon™ and Greblon®. These are trade names. The coatings are sold to many different cookware manufacturers for use on their cookware. For example, Healthy Legend cookware uses a Greblon® ceramic coating.

The two coating brands are quite similar, and both are applied to cookware using the sol-gel process. 

All GreenPan cookware uses Thermolon™ coatings. Thermolon™ does not make any nonstick coatings that contain PTFE; all are silicon-based ceramic.  

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Ceramic Nonstick Cookware Vs. PTFE Nonstick Cookware

How do the two types of nonstick stack up against each other? Here's a look.

The biggest difference as far as daily use is probably in heating: while you have to constantly monitor PTFE cookware to make sure it doesn't get overheated, there really is no upper safety limit on ceramic cookware: you can heat the crap out of it and it won't emit any dangerous fumes.

However, to maintain the longest possible nonstick lifespan, both types require the use of low-to-medium heat. High heat will destroy your nonstick cookware faster than just about anything else, and this is true for both types.

Also, while ceramic nonstick is generally considered the safer, healthier choice, there are concerns about the sol-gel process used in making ceramic nonstick cookware. This article about nanoparticles in ceramic cookware is an interesting read. There is limited research on this topic, but the research that exists indicates that it may be a valid concern. It looks like the temperatures required to release nanoparticles are higher than possible to reach with typical kitchen use, but if your ceramic pan gets scratched, you may want to think twice about continuing to use it. 

As for which one is more environmentally friendly, there's conflicting information there, as well. GreenPan claims that their manufacturing process has a considerably smaller carbon footprint than that of PTFE cookware, but some research indicates otherwise. While we have no conclusive information at this time, we'll just say that both types of nonstick cookware are manufactured on a large scale, almost exclusively in China, and therefore, both require a good deal of resources to produce; unfortunately, this is hard to avoid when making any mass-produced product. 

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Who Makes Green Pan Cookware?

GreenPan cookware is made by The Cookware Company, a Belgian firm founded in 2005 that has manufacturing facilities in China. (All GreenPan cookware is designed in Belgium and made in China.) The Belgian founders knew of a ceramic material made in Korea and used in industrial applications. They put a deal together with the Korean company and began selling the first ceramic-coated nonstick cookware--GreenPan--in 2007.

Today, The Cookware Company has sales of about $120 million annually and employs about 2000 people, almost all of them in China. They have offices in Asia, Belgium, and the US, as well as distribution warehouses around the world. 

The Cookware Company makes several other cookware lines including GreenLife, also a popular brand of ceramic nonstick cookware in the US.  

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GreenPan Vs. GreenLife: What's the Difference?

GreenLife cookware is also a Thermolon™-coated nonstick aluminum product, but it's not quite the same as GreenPan. GreenPan is a higher end product, with more high end options (like clad stainless bodies). GreenLife is stamped aluminum, and is thinner than most GreenPan lines, so it doesn't heat quite as evenly or hang onto heat quite as well.

If you're looking for an inexpensive ceramic coated pan, GreenLife is a decent choice. But if you spend a little more and go with GreenPan, you will get better heating (and in most cases, a prettier pan, too).

See greenlife cookware on amazon

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Is GreenPan Cookware Really Green?

The answer to this question is complicated, as the cookware has both pluses and minuses.

On the plus side:

• GreenPan uses some recycled materials to make their products, including 100% recycled aluminum.
• According to the GreenPan website, their application process uses 60% less carbon dioxide than that used in applying PTFE coatings.
• Does not use any PFAS--groundwater and soil contaminants and a carcinogen--in the manufacturing process.
• Does not produce toxic fumes at any cooking temperature.

On the minus side:

• There's speculation about GreenPan's claim that their process is more environmentally friendly than that used for PTFE nonstick cookware, although this is hard to get clear information about.
• The nanoparticles used in the sol-gel coating process may be carcinogenic; while GreenPan produced a paper about the safety of their cookware, it does not address the nanoparticle issue, which seems like a rather big omission.
• Though made of recyclable aluminum, GreenPan, like most nonstick cookware, requires a special recycling process. For this reason, many discarded GreenPans end up in landfills.

In comparison to other types of cookware, most people believe GreenPan (and all ceramic nonstick) is healthier, safer, and better for the environment. Though we think this is probably the case, the true answer is that it is a complicated issue to understand, and beyond the scope of this article. You will have to do the research and decide for yourself, based on which issues are the most important to you. (The links we've provided throughout this article are a good place to start.) 

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Is GreenPan Cookware Really Nonstick?

Technically, GreenPan cookware is not nonstick.

GreenPan recommends that you use cooking oil with their cookware. And most other ceramic nonstick cookware makers do the same. Some go so far as to call their product "semi-nonstick," meaning that you shouldn't expect it to be nonstick without cooking oil.

Not that there's anything wrong with this. Oil adds flavor, improves browning, and even helps your body absorb certain nutrients. But to be completely technically correct, ceramic nonstick coatings are not considered the same as PTFE.

Still, they have pretty good release, especially when new. But if you want to achieve the best nonstick properties you can with them, use a bit of cooking oil or butter in the pan before you add food.

Is Green Pan Cookware Recyclable?

Because it's a coated product, meaning that it has layers of different substances, you probably won't be able to throw an old GreenPan skillet into your recycling bin; this is true of all nonstick cookware. There are a few municipalities that will take it, but the vast majority--about 95% of them--do not. 

However, if you're willing to look, you can probably find recycling centers that will take old ceramic nonstick cookware (as well as other cookware). This article at Earth911.com discusses how to recycle cookware; though it doesn't talk about ceramic nonstick directly, it provides options that will probably work. 

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Is GreenPan Cookware Safe (and Healthy)?

While we've already looked at a number of health and safety issues with GreenPan, but here's the upshot:

• GreenPan produces no toxic fumes like PTFE cookware can at high heat
• GreenPan contains no PFAS, which are known carcinogens and serious environmental hazards
• GreenPan is made using a sol-gel process, which uses titanium dioxide nanoparticles, which may be carcinogenic. There is little research about this to be had, so we can't be sure it's unsafe. But if you're considering ceramic nonstick cookware, you may want to do some more research before you buy. (GreenPan claims to not use nanoparticles, but our research has shown that that's what the sol-gel process uses. So again, more research needed.) Here's a good article that summarizes the nanoparticles issue well. This same site also had a more detailed article about nanoparticles (highly recommended).
• GreenPan products may also contain other toxins, but this is speculative, as well.

Overall, GreenPan, like all ceramic nonstick cookware, is almost certainly safer than PTFE nonstick. Unfortunately, the jury is still out on some of the chemicals GreenPan may contain.

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Drawbacks of Green Pan Cookware (and Ceramic Nonstick Cookware in General): It Doesn't Last

Aside from the possible carcinogenic nanoparticles in the sol-gel application process (which may or may not be an issue), the biggest drawback of ceramic nonstick cookware is that it simply tends to lose its nonstick properties quickly.

If you read reviews on Amazon, you will see some people complain that a pan's nonstick properties lasted only a few months. However, other people love their GreenPan pans and say they get many years of use out of them.

It's possible that people disappointed with the nonstick properties are using their pans improperly (even though they almost always claim otherwise). Probably the number one culprit for ceramic nonstick is heat: you should always use low to medium heat with any nonstick coated pan.

Yes, ceramic nonstick can withstand high heat without breaking down (unlike PTFE), but high heat absolutely kills the nonstick properties. 

You also have to avoid using metal utensils (yes, just like PTFE cookware), and probably the dishwasher too, to get the longest life span out of your ceramic pan. Manufacturers may claim this is not the case (including GreenPan), especially with some of the newer reinforced coatings. However, no ceramic coatings are durable enough to tolerate metal utensils, dishwashers, and high heat. 

The upshot: nonstick cookware of both types is rather fragile and delicate, and probably isn't going to last very long, no matter how well you take care of it. 

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How to Extend the Life of Your GreenPan Cookware

Aside from using low heat, avoiding metal utensils, and washing by hand, there's one other little trick we'd like to share about extending the life of your nonstick cookware.

If food starts sticking to the pan, try scrubbing with a little bit of Barkeeper's Friend. Sometimes, there's buildup in the pan that you can scrub away with an abrasive cleaner, making the pan slippery again.

This won't always work, but it will work at least a few times--so try it before throwing the pan out and replacing it. 

NOTE: Never scrub a PTFE--Teflon--nonstick pan with anything abrasive, including Barkeeper's Friend. 

Here's another interesting tidbit about GreenPan: you can still use the pans safely after the nonstick coating wears out. So if you've tried to bring it back and it doesn't work, you can keep using the pan anyway as you would cast iron or stainless steel--with cooking oil or butter.

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What to Know Before Buying

There are just a few simple yet important things to look for when in the market for a nonstick skillet. These are:

• Type of nonstick (how to know what you're buying)
• Heating properties
• Build  quality/Durability
• Pan design
• Warranty.

Here are the details of each of those considerations.

NOTE: Since we only recommend buying nonstick skillets or sauté pans, we aren't going to discuss other pieces of cookware. 

Type of Nonstick

As we talked about above, there are only two true types of nonstick cookware: PTFE/Teflon® and ceramic. Most people who want "safe" and "healthy" nonstick are trying to avoid PTFE, so want to buy ceramic nonstick, even though the nonstick properties tend to not last as long. 

Green Pan is ceramic nonstick cookware. It contains no PTFE or PFOA.

If you're still in the early stages of buying and aren't yet set on GreenPan cookware, you should know that it can sometimes be hard to tell which type of nonstick a pan is. We put together a list of the cookware sold on Amazon to help you figure out what you're buying: see Nonstick Cookware Brands: PTFE or Ceramic? A Comprehensive Guide for more information. 

We also recommend you consider buying cast iron or carbon steel skillets. These aren't considered true nonstick, but with seasoning and use, they build up a slippery surface that is almost as good as nonstick, with the bonus of being extremely durable (they will both last for decades and decades). Neither cast iron nor carbon steel contain any potentially unsafe chemicals, either, and there are no worries about which utensils to use, high heat, or any of the other concerns that come with nonstick coatings. 

There are a few caveats to using cast iron or carbon steel, but for the most part they're great, multi-purpose pans. You can learn more about cast iron in our article The Best Cast Iron Skillets: How Much Should You Spend? You can learn more about carbon steel in The Best Carbon Steel Pans.

See cast iron skillets on Amazon

See our favorite carbon steel skillet on Amazon

Heating Properties

The heating properties of cookware are probably its most important attribute, yet people often don't know how to judge which pans have the best heating properties. We can't teach you all about it here, as it's a big subject, but we can provide a few pointers. 

In general, thicker cookware is going to have better heating properties than thinner cookware. Heating is going to be more even, and the pan is going to have onto heat better.

Most nonstick cookware has an aluminum build, but there are different types of aluminum. Stamped aluminum is the thinnest and most inexpensive nonstick cookware (whether PTFE or ceramic); one example of a stamped aluminum pan is the T-fal Professional. Then there's cast or forged aluminum, which is thicker and heavier and generally heats really well: the All-Clad HA1 is cast aluminum and has excellent heating properties. 

You can also find tri-ply stainless nonstick cookware, but we don't recommend it because it's more expensive and, because it has less aluminum, the heating properties probably aren't going to be as good (although this can vary by brand). 

Many nonstick aluminum pans are made from anodized aluminum. This greatly improves the durability--at little added cost--but adds nothing to the heating properties. 

It's hard to tell whether GreenPan skillets are stamped or cast aluminum. It doesn't matter all that much, though, because the skillets are thick enough to hold heat well and provide rapid, even heating. Overall, the heating properties of GreenPan skillets are very good (although we definitely recommend the aluminum lines over the stainless steel lines).

One other consideration is that Thermolon™ is supposed to be an excellent heat conductor, much better than PTFE. Even if this is the case, we're not sure it matters because both coatings are so thin they don't have a lot of effect on heating. Though we could be totally wrong about that, we didn't notice a lot of difference in our testing.

Build Quality and Durability

Almost as important as heating properties is durability, and probably the main reason why you want to spend just a little more to get a higher quality pan. Even if you only expect to get a few years of use out of a nonstick pan, a well-built pan is much more pleasurable to use, and you can get one for not a lot more money.

A thick aluminum is what you want to look for. It is not only going to heat better, but also going to be more durable. It will be less likely to warp, as well. 

Anodized aluminum is as durable as stainless steel, so going with anodized aluminum is a great idea. It resists scratching and will hold up for years. A thick, anodized aluminum body is extremely durable.

Handles: Stainless steel handles are more durable than any type of plastic or resin handles. Plastic handles won't hold up to heat, and will eventually wear out and fall off (or melt). Stainless handles will never wear out.

Rivets: You should also look at how the handle is attached. Rivets are going to hold up better than screwed-on handles (plastic or resin handles are more likely to be screwed on, while stainless steel handles are more likely to be riveted on). 

Some GreenPan lines have coated rivets, or rivets that are mesh with the cooking surface. This makes a pot much easier to clean because there's nowhere for gunk to collect. While flat rivets aren't a must-have, they are a nice feature.

Lids: Stainless steel lids are also more durable (and lighter) than glass lids, however, almost all GreenPan cookware has glass lids, and their separately sold lid is also glass. Though not a deal-breaker, the durability of stainless steel lids is much preferred. (There's no reason you can't buy a stainless steel lid from a different manufacturer.) 

Induction: Even if you're not concerned about induction compatibility, the metal plate added to the pan's bottom is going to increase durability, making a pan more warp-resistant. 

Overall, you want a pan with a good heft, a nice thickness, and a stainless steel handle. These are all indications of a well-built skillet. 

Pan Design

Design is mostly about preference. Do you prefer a shallow skillet or one with higher walls? Do you want steep walls with a lot of flat cooking surface, or a pan more wok-like in shape? Is the handle comfortable? Does the lid fit well? If it's a large pan (e.g., 12 inches), does it have a helper handle? (A helper handle is less important with most GreenPan skillets because they're pretty lightweight to begin with. Most of the GreenPan lines do not come with helper handles.)

Most GreenPan skillets are nicely shaped, with straight, shallow sides and a good amount of flat cooking surface. They're an excellent all-purpose frying pan. 

If you want to augment with a sauté pan or a wok for other cooking tasks, click on the links to see GreenPan sauté pans and woks. Unfortunately both woks and sauté pans are more expensive than skillets, but the good news is that the skillet is an excellent all purpose pan, and will work in a pinch as either a wok or a sauté pan.

Warranty

You should always buy cookware with a solid warranty that you know is going to be honored by the company. This, more than anything else, is why you should buy from a reputable, established company like GreenPan instead of a lesser known or lower priced competitor. You may pay a little more for GreenPan, but even so most of their lines are affordable, and the few extra dollars you spend buys you peace of mind as well higher quality: all GreenPan cookware comes with a lifetime warranty against manufacturing defects and a 2 year warranty on the nonstick coating. And you can be sure that they will honor these warranties. 

We really like GreenPan's 2-year warranty on their nonstick coating. It lets you know that they are a conscientious company. Many nonstick cookware manufacturers offer a "lifetime" warranty, but this doesn't not cover the nonstick coating, as many people assume. 

With GreenPan, you know up front exactly what you're getting.

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GreenPan Vs. Caraway, Our Place, and Equal Parts: Which Brands Are Best?

If you're considering other brands of ceramic nonstick, especially some of the coveted direct-to-consumer (DTC) brands that have been dominating your Facebook and Instagram feeds, we strongly recommend going with GreenPan.

Why? Simply because the DTC brands are too expensive. Many of them don't disclose their "proprietary" formulas, but we can tell you with confidence that they are simply ceramic nonstick, so either Thermolon or Greblon. And since there are no new formulas of ceramic nonstick that have miracle nonstick properties (that we know of), they are not going to last any longer than GreenPan. 

Which, we believe, makes these DTC brands overhyped and overpriced.

(If you don't believe us, check out Wirecutter's nonstick pan review, which comes to the same conclusion.)

GreenPan also has some high-priced lines, but if you avoid those and go with one of their more reasonable lines--as we review and recommend below--you'll get a good deal on a good quality pan without paying too much.

GreenPan FAQ

Where's the best place to buy GreenPan (deals, promotions, etc.)?

Though you will often find deals and sales on the GreenPan site, we have found that Amazon usually has the lowest overall prices (even with sale prices on the GreenPan site). Other retailers also usually have lower prices than GreenPan. 

However, you should always check more than one site to be sure you're getting the best price.

What is GreenPan's warranty?

GreenPan offers a lifetime warranty on manufacturing defects on most of their lines, and a 2 year warranty on all of their Thermolon coatings.

2 years may sound short, but it is realistic for a nonstick coating. Most nonstick cookware makers that offer a "lifetime" warranty do not honor it for the nonstick coating. Thus, GreenPan is more honest than many other makers.

What is GreenPan's return policy?

GreenPan has a 60 day, no-questions-asked return policy on all their products. After 60 days, a pan has to be defective for them to honor a return.

Is GreenPan good quality?

GreenPan is good quality overall. Their pans tend to be on the thin side, so you may notice less even heating than on some heavier pans. Even so, GreenPan has a good reputation for durability and their pans tend to hold up over many years. The nonstick coating is also good quality, and should last as long or longer than GreenPan's competitors--expect anywhere from 6 months to 5 years.

GreenPan's newest line, GP5, is 5mm thick--the thickest aluminum pan we've seen, so it will have excellent heating properties and is unlikely to ever warp.

We recommend buying a line with stainless steel handles for best results.

Is GreenPan non-toxic and safe for the environment?

This is a complicated question. Compared to PTFE/Teflon pans, GreenPan is almost certainly less toxic and better for the environment. 

However, GreenPan products contain some questionable materials, and there's some evidence that the manufacturing process is not as green as they claim. Check out the sections above for more information.

Our GreenPan Recommendations

Here are our favorite GreenPan skillets--the lines we recommend. Our Green Pan recommendations are based on these factors:

• Price: You shouldn't spend a lot on nonstick cookware, so we don't recommend any of the higher priced lines. There are excellent choices, including those with the newest and most durable Thermolon™ coatings, to be had for reasonable prices.
• Frying pans only: Since nonstick coatings don't last, we recommend buying only frying pans rather than whole sets. So our recommendations include the lines with the best frying pan options. If you stick to frying pans (or sauté pans, if that is your preference), you not only save yourself from having to replace entire sets every few years, you also contribute less to landfills.
• Aluminum is best: Aluminum cookware is not only less expensive than clad stainless, it heats better (because of the greater aluminum content). Therefore, as pretty as some of the clad stainless options are, we do not recommend them. If you need induction compatibility, you can get it in the Paris/Paris Pro line. 
• Cooking tests: All of our recommendations also did well in testing. We fried eggs and scrambled eggs, fried chicken breast and salmon, and even made a pan sauce. While we prefer clad stainless for developing fond, the GreenPan did better than PTFE nonstick because we weren't afraid to crank the heat a little when necessary. Browning was decent, and the nonstick properties held up through several tests--although we don't expect that to continue indefinitely: such is the nature of nonstick cookware.

Other GreenPan lines are equally high quality, and any of them are good products. But these are our picks if you want the most bang for your buck.

Best Overall: GreenPan GP5

See GP5 skillets on Amazon

See the whole GP5 line at GreenPan.com

About $50 for the 8-inch or 10-inch skillet, $65 for the 12-inch (without lids)

The GreenPan GP5 is one of GreenPan's highest quality pans, and our new pick for best overall GreenPan skillet. It's 5mm thick and has GreenPan's most advanced diamond-reinforced Thermolon coating, Infinite8. It also has stainless lids and handles, and it's induction compatible.

One of its coolest features is the reverse rivets, which make the cooking surface smooth (nowhere for gunk to get stuck).

Best of all, though it's a little higher priced than some of our other picks, the prices aren't at all unreasonable.

If you want stellar heating properties, it's hard to beat the GP5. We can't promise the coating will last any longer than other ceramic coatings, but the heavy body and all its other great features make the GP5 a real pleasure to cook with.

If you want your pan to last, use non-metal utensils and wash by hand.

buy greenpan gp5:

Older Favorite: GreenPan Paris/Paris Pro

See Paris Pro buying options on Amazon (best prices!)

See Paris Pro at greenpan.com

Though no longer our top pick, the Green Pan Paris is a great all-around frying pan. It's inexpensive (compared to some of their other lines) without being cheap, with a newer Thermolon™ coating ("Minerals"). Paris also comes in several buying options, including sets (though, again, we do not recommend buying entire sets of nonstick cookware). 

What?! Stainless lids?! As far as we know, Paris is one of the few GreenPan lines with stainless lids (on the pieces that have lids). Unfortunately, they aren't sold separately, so if you want a lid for your Paris frying pan that didn't come with one, you have to buy GreenPan's standard glass lids.

The only real drawback is that these pans aren't induction compatible. For that, you need to go with the Valencia Pro (reviewed below), GP5, or one of their clad stainless lines (which we think are too expensive for nonstick cookware).

If you want your pan to last, use non-metal utensils and wash by hand.

buy Greenpan paris Pro:

Best Deal: GreenPan Padova

See Padova skillet set on Amazon (about $50)

See Padova 10 piece set on Amazon (about $250)

See Padova at greenpan.com

About $75 for the 8-inch/10-inch skillet set

If you want to go all the way to the low end, you should look at GreenPan Rio. If you want a low price yet a pan with some great features--features we think are worth paying a little more for--then go with GreenPan Padova.

The Rio set has bakelite handles which make them unsafe for the oven. However, the 8 inch/10 inch set is about half the cost of Padova, so you will save quite a bit if you go with Rio.

We don't recommend it, though. At about $50 for the two skillet set, Padova is still a great price (even a little less than you'd pay for a set of good quality PTFE pans like All-Clad HA1 or Anolon Nouvelle Copper). And you will get so much more joy out of using these better-constructed pans (over the Rio line). We love that the rivets have Thermolon™ coating to make cleaning even easier--and remember, the Padova has the upgraded Thermolon™ Minerals coating, which makes these pans more durable than the older technology used on the Rio line.

These extra touches make the Padova line a great bargain.

If you want your pan to last, use non-metal utensils and wash by hand.

Buy green pan padova:

Lid Included: GreenPan Lima 12 Inch Frying Pan

See GreenPan Lima 12 inch frying pan with lid on Amazon 

See GreenPan Lima Limited Edition skillet set on Amazon

See GreenPan Lima at greenpan.com

About $35 for the 10-inch skillet with bamboo spatula

About $45 for the 12-inch skillet with lid

The GreenPan Lima is a tried-and-true line with their standard Thermolon™ coating and it's reasonably priced. The 12 inch skillet with lid will set you back about $45. For a 12 inch pan, that's a good price--especially with the lid included.

The 10 inch pan doesn't include the lid but does come with a bamboo turner, a nice extra. It will set you back about $35. We think the 12 inch with lid is a better deal, so that's the one we recommend. (You can get a bamboo turner for about 6 bucks, while a lid is going to run at least $15--you do the math.)

The Lima frying pans come in two color options, grey and bronze. The bronze is very pretty, but you will pay more for it. (Prices and links given here are for the grey option.) Bronze also does not come with any extras like a lid or bamboo turner. 

Like all GreenPan products, the Lima has a limited lifetime warranty on construction and a 2 year warranty on the Thermolon™ coating.

Amazon typically has the best prices, but check both sites to make sure before buying.

If you want your pan to last, use non-metal utensils and wash by hand.

buy green pan Lima:

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Final Thoughts on GreenPan Cookware

GreenPan is a quality maker of ceramic nonstick cookware, which has both pros and cons. On the pro side, ceramic nonstick contains no PTFE, PFOA, or other PFAS and is generally considered a safer and cleaner choice than Teflon/PTFE nonstick. On the con side, ceramic nonstick tends to have an even shorter nonstick life than PTFE cookware and has almost as many use-and-care restrictions as PTFE, including low heat, no metal utensils, and washing by hand. The nanoparticles in the nonstick coating may also pose health concerns, but there isn't a lot of research out there to know for sure.

Also, ceramic nonstick works best when you use a small amount of cooking oil or butter, especially after you've had it for a few months.

But if you're looking for ceramic nonstick cookware, GreenPan is our favorite brand. You'll get the same performance as you will from DTC brands like Caraway and Our Place, but for a significantly smaller investment.

The lines we like best are:

• GP5--best all around and induction compatible, with 5mm thick body for stellar heating
• Paris Pro--affordable and good quality
• Padova--best bargain line
• Lima--comes with a lid.

These lines combine the best features at the best price. We also really like the SearSmart line, but they're too expensive (for nonstick) for us to recommend. 

While Green Pan ceramic nonstick cookware is considered safer, healthier, and better for the environment than PTFE nonstick cookware, the truth is that there is little research available on many potential issues. But if you want nonstick cookware without the PTFE issues, GreenPan is one of the best choices out there.

Thanks for reading!

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