Every kitchen needs a nonstick pan, at least for your morning egg jobs. But which one is the best?
By Editor Team | May 15, 2023
IT CAN’T BE denied that nonstick pans—with or without PTFE—are must-have tools in every kitchen. That’s because they’re way lighter than our cast-iron workhorses and friendlier than stainless-steel skillets to handle the duties that need a high nonstick power, such as effortless flipped omelets, thick Frittatas and pan-fried fish. Moreover, these pans require less (or no) oil to cook, making them popular among people with healthy practices.
Today, there’re lots more nonstick choices than ever before: Teflon, ceramic or even stainless-nonstick hybrid. Each have its own charm and excels at different tasks, and here we aren’t talking about the construction yet. If this sounds mysterious to you, don’t worry—we’ve gathered our favorites for every task and budget.
Nonstick lovers? Be sure to read our guide on Best nonstick sets and Best ceramic cookware.
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Image: Calphalon
Best All-Around
Calphalon Signature Frying Pan, 10””
Calphalon Signature is a finest pick if you look for a reliable nonstick skillet to handle versatile duties. It reminds us of “the old Calphalon”: it’s built high quality, performs impressively and works easily. You get a heavy-gauge skillet with a very rigid nonstick surface. The nonstick ability is impressive, giving beautiful fried eggs, mildly browned sears to crunchy fish steaks without nasty scorches—all done effortlessly.
Either mavens or beginners, you’ll enjoy its ease of use. We like its good classic skillet shape: sloped sides, rolled rims and a roomy cooking surface. There’re an ergonomic, stay-cool stainless-steel handle and solid weight for sitting firmly on the stove but not too heavy to maneuver. It also lets you cook at high heat, use metal utensils and dishwashers. A great all-around workhorse here.
Material: Hard-anodized aluminum, nonstick
Oven-Safe: 500°F
Induction Compatibility: No
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Image: All-Clad
Solid Performer
All-Clad HA1 Pan Set, 10” & 12”
The All-Clad is the OG of stainless-steel cookware, and it doesn’t skip on nonstick things. With a surprisingly touchable price, the All-Clad HA1 outpaces the rivals in all assets—cooking performance, nonstick power, durability and usability. At this price, it’s one of the toughest nonstick surfaces we’ve found: it can resist to high heat, scratching and warping. It heats fast and fantastically evenly, delivering beautiful-browned sears, good sautés and unforced egg releases, on every stovetop.
Not a traditional shape, it has taller sides with a generous cooking space, but this lets you sauté and stir fries as a wok alternative. There’re also a solid, well-balanced weight, a stainless bottom plate for induction compatibility and a nice helper handle for a 12” skillet. The only snag is the “All-Clad’s style” flat handle, which might be unfavorable for some home cooks—not a deal-breaker to stop us from voting it.
Material: hard-anodized aluminum, nonstick
Oven-Safe: 500°F
Induction Compatibility: Yes
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Image: OXO
Best Budget & Lightweight
OXO Good Grips Pro Fry Pan, 10”
At about $50*, this latest America’s Test Kitchen’s winner can handle nonstick tasks far better from many pricier pans out there—nothing sticks, literally. This ceramic pan makes your nonstick routines way more effectively and easily, from morning eggs, fluffy pancakes, cheesy tortillas to delicate salmon steaks. Clean up is breezy, by just a whip. There’re also many of practical features for practical cooking—a broad cooking surface, an ideal shape for stirring food easily without spilling, a comfortable “Good-Grip” stainless-steel handle and an affordable price.
Another thing we love is its light weight. With only about 2 pounds, it lets you lift, tilt and move easily, without burdening to your wrists—perfect for those who can’t bear hefty things. Not the toughest player here, but the nonstick performance is undoubtedly great.
Material: hard-anodized aluminum, ceramic nonstick
Oven-Safe: 430°F
Induction Compatible: No
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Image: Misen
Most Value
Misen Original Nonstick Pan, 10”
The key to perfect omelets and scramble eggs is continually moving them around a pan over low, steady temperature, so ideal egg pans should have excellent heat distribution, completely nonstick, sloped sides and a no-strain weight—that’s why this Misen skillet is favored. With a thick 4.2 thick aluminum base and a quality PFOA-free nonstick, it delivers perfect fried eggs, omelets, pancakes and pan-seared tilapia like a charm—no over browning or burning.
User-friendly, there’re a lightweight, a big cooking surface and a comfy no-slippery handle, making it incredibly easy to stir, flip or move around with no pain. The straighter sides and oven compatibility fittingly are also good for making frittatas, breakfast casserole or one-pan dish. Another plus, it can work with any stovetops.
Material: Aluminum, nonstick
Oven-Safe: 450°F
Induction Compatibility: Yes
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Image: All-Clad
Best Upgraded Performer
All-Clad NSR2, D3 Stainless-Steel Nonstick Fry Pan, 12”
This is a phenomenal nonstick skillet—stellar heat performance, functional design and high-quality build. Made of All-Clad’s reliable 3-ply stainless-steel build coated by durable nonstick surface, it earned flattering remarks from many experts and food enthusiasts for exceptional fast and even cooking with zero hot spot, consistent heat controlling and unfailing nonstick power. Among nonstick rivals, not only egg tasks, this pan does produce better sautés, fries and sears on every stovetop.
It has an ideal skillet shape—a truly flat base, gently sloped sides with flare rims and a long—that lets it more useful for various culinary duties. The downsides, it comes with both massive weight and price, but you won’t be regret to buy if expecting for that outpacing cooking experience.
Material: 3-ply stainless-steel, nonstick
Oven-Safe: 500°F
Induction Compatibility: Yes
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Image: Made-In
Best for Induction
Made-In NonStick Frying Pan, 12”
This is a wise way to get a professional skillet in a cut down price. With a robust US-made, quality 5-ply build and a quality nonstick, this DTC pan offers a par equivalence of All-Clad 5-ply stainless-steel nonstick (NSR), so it can handle both delicate and high-heat cooking tasks excellently, from routine eggs, quesadillas to crisp-skinned salmon steaks. The cooking performance and durability outdo most nonstick colleagues, giving admirable results on every stovetop from gas to induction hobs. We really like the nonstick coating—very effective, vigorous and long lasting.
The modern aesthetic design with a unique blue-colored coating makes a sophisticated look. With the 5-ply build make this pan very hefty. It’s slightly heavier than All-Clad but about 1/3 cheaper*, but these aren’t vicious flaws for a large utility pan.
Material: 5-ply stainless-steel, nonstick
Oven-Safe: 500°F
Induction Compatibility: Yes
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Image: Le Creuset
Most Robust
Le Creuset Toughened Nonstick PRO Fry Pan, 11”
Skip those heavy cast-iron skillets, Le Creuset offers a much lighter but extremely solid workhorse for nonstick admirers. The forged hard-anodized aluminum body with a fully encapsulated aluminum core gives excellent durability and cooking performance. It has the same vibe as cast-iron: it takes time to heat up but produces impressive even outcomes and retains heats longer than other pans, outshining for sautéing, frying and searing and high-heat techniques. It also allows for metal utensils and dishwashes, though we don’t recommend doing this regularly.
Another besting part is the nonstick coating—not only entirely no-sticking, but it’s ultra-robust and last much longer than most common practices. Whether weight or quality, this premium pan is nothing light, but you’ll definitely get what you pay for.
Material: Hard-anodized aluminum, nonstick
Oven-Safe: 500°F
Induction Compatibility: Yes
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Image: GreenPan
Best Ceramic Nonstick
GreenPan SearSmart Fry Pan, 12”
For non-toxic living devotees, this is a nifty assistant for everyday basis. Not only outperforming for releasing eggs and tacky food, GreenPan SearSmart is also considerately designed for searing matter. There’s a wide cooking surface with slightly rough-textured finish to accommodate larger cuts of meat and create crustier-skin effects, delivering satisfying sautés and browned sears. Certainly, it won’t produce the same results like stainless pans, but you’ll get a decent lighter workhorse to cook delicate proteins in way crispier and safer than traditional nonstick comrades—at least, it’s completely free from PFAS, PTFE, lead and cadmium.
Though the pan is advertised as being highly heat resistant and dishwasher-safe, you shouldn’t regularly go over mid-high temperature or place in the dishwasher to make it last longer.
Material: Hard-anodized aluminum, ceramic nonstick
Oven-Safe: 600°F
Induction Compatibility: No
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Image: Anolon
Mid-Priced Performer & Wok Alternative
Anolon Nouvelle Copper Fry Pan, 12”
This is a wise bet to utilize “copper with nonstick” without breaking the bank. With hard-anodized aluminum powered by a 4.6-mm thick base of three super-conductive layers (two aluminum and a 0.6mm copper layers), Anolon Nouvelle is one of the tempest performers at mid-range. Given this price, it delivers excellent thermal controlling, giving very fast and consistent cooking without hot spots—not only on the gas, it beats most on-par rivals on induction and flat stovetops.
The deeper-shaped skillet mightn’t be ideal (but still work) for omelets or flipped stuffs, but it’s a lighter alternative for doing wok duties, like steamed dumplings, deep fried wings to Pad Thai. It has average durability and is a bit cumbersome for tossing, but you’ll get a powerful everyday pan at a touchable price.
Material: Hard-anodized aluminum, nonstick
Oven-Safe: 500°F
Induction Compatibility: Yes
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Image: Material Kitchen
The Nimble Master
Material Kitchen: The Coated Pan, 10.5”
This is one of the most vivid performers here, reminding us of All-Clad Copper Core coated with a great nonstick. The Material presents a luxurious 5-ply build: a nearly 1-mm thick copper core sandwiched by layers of aluminum, undoubtedly giving exceptional thermal performance. We appreciate that it spreads heat very evenly throughout the cooking surface and gets a desired temperature swiftly—no over- or under-shooting. The scramble eggs, gravies and seared fish filets turn out very impressive.
It feels rigidly solid—a bit heavy but still practical. With all promising features and a contemporary design, we don’t think spending $95* for this pan is a splurge: you get a copper pan with a long-lasting nonstick at a more negotiated cost than the big brands. A big downside, there’s an only one size available.
Material: 5-ply with a copper core, nonstick
Oven-Safe: 500°F
Induction Compatibility: Yes
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Image: Anolon
Best for Searing Lovers
If you’re rave for deeper caramelized onions, better sautés, crustier steaks or tastier fried rice but still want to stay in the nonstick garden for handling not-too-sticky dishes sometimes, Anolon X is a good match. This hybrid pan takes the benefits from both materials: nonstick that excels at searing. As such, it outperforms other traditional nonstick rivals for sears, sautés and any areas that need high heat-distributed—giving the closest outcomes to stainless-steel. Moreover, the special SearTech surface lets it keep oil anywhere you want, making less sticking and better fry effects, even on flat or induction stovetops.
Design-practical, it’s solid, hard to scratch, ergonomic to use and easy to clean. But it mightn’t worth the hype if you need very high nonstick power—not excellence for egg- or cheese-based tasks.
Material: Hard-anodized aluminum, hybrid nonstick
Oven-Safe: 500°F
Induction Compatibility: Yes
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Image: Ninja
The All-in-One Pan
Ninja Foodi NeverStick PossiblePan
Thankfully, you don’t have to get tons of this and that to feed yourself (or two) a good meal. This Ninja PossiblePan presents a cooking system that wears the same great characters of the famous Foodi NeverStick—a well-built hard anodized body with super-hard, effective nonstick surface. Specially designed as an all-in-one pan, it lets you used for a variety of cooking methods, from morning eggs, crispy salmon steaks, sauteed veggies, creamy pastas, steamed buns to one-pan dish. The set has a good complement: a large 4-quart pan, a stainless-steel basket, a 12mm-thick glass lid and a color-matching spatula—no extra piece needed.
We also like its comfortable weight and stylish look. It’s rather pricy for this capacity, but definitely a perfect go-to staple for singles, occasional cooks or space-limited dwellers, with a 10-year warranty.
Material: Hard-anodized aluminum, nonstick
Oven-Safe: 500°F
Induction Compatibility: Yes
There’re some nice products in the market that we like but not as much as in our favorites—maybe too heavy, too expensive or not so durable. But, some of these “second-best” arsenals might be one of your favorites.
Here’re what we discovered after years of using these pans.
Most experts tell us not spending much for nonstick cookware due to the limited lifespan. Sooner or later, the coatings do wear down. That’s why they recommend you “buying cheap”—don’t go over $100. However, after years in the kitchen: this isn’t necessary an iron rule. Some quality pans can survive longer and produces far better results in various jobs than most nonstick rivals. So, if budget doesn’t your issue, it’s still worth to go.
A typical nonstick pan will start to damage and loose nonstick after 2-3 years (or less), but a quality pan—like All-Clad, Made In and Woll—can last to 5-6 years. This also depends on how often you use and how well you care for. You can get a few more years if you use it properly—no metal utensils, no harsh scrubbing, no dishwasher and no higher heat than recommended.
Not only for nonstick pans, the construction does a big effect on heat performance for any cookware. Yet, rather than producing “better” or “worse” cooking performance, you need to keep in mind: each material of your nonstick pans has its own thermal characteristic.
Most of today’s nonstick pans are safe to use. We focus on “most” and “today”—why? For decades, Teflon (by Dupont) has been the center of nonstick drama as containing PFOA, the forever chemical that links to serious health concerns. But after 2015, PFOA (and some PFOS components) was officially banned from the United States (and Europe in 2008). This gives you a peace of mind that nonstick pans these days are safe.
However, this law hasn’t regulated all countries yet, so you can come across the products with PFOA in the market. That’s why you should stick with reliable brands, particularly from unknown oversea.
Ceramic become a popular hideaway for nonstick enthusiasts who ditch from Teflon. Some brands—like GreenPan—phase out all PFAS components., making a peace of mind for safer cooking.
However, they’re prone to scratch and lose the nonstick property faster than Teflon pans, mostly within 1-2 years. On the other hand, Teflon pans—or PTFE (a component of PFAS)—are typically slicker, more durable than ceramic equivalents. Currently, Teflon pans without PFOA are consider “safe” if you use them properly, though they can also emit toxic fumes when overheating.
Hybrid nonstick pans are an upcoming trend. With a mix cooking surface of stainless-steel and nonstick, it makes possible develop fond to get “crusty seared skins” and better sautés like stainless-steel—not at the same peak, but far better than typical nonstick pans.
However, hybrid pans aren’t for everyone. They’re rather unpleasant for jobs demanding for high nonstick power, such as eggs, cheesy- and flour-based recipes. Moreover, the luxury price mightn’t be worth the common tasks.
A small 8” nonstick pan is a solid size for most egg needs for single or two portion. A 10.5” to 12” pan is good for most kitchen tasks, cooking bigger batches and pan sears. The pans with a broad surface let to accommodate more capacity.
A hefty pan isn’t unnecessarily bad, but too heavy pans can harm your wrists when moving and feel burdensome, especially for people with arthritis. A good pan should have a good weight—heavy enough to keep balance on the stoves without toppling. The good ergonomic handle can also help you control the pan easier.