EarthPan Hard Anodized Cookware

For consumers wishing to avoid potentially harmful materials often found in nonstick coatings, EarthPan Hard Anodized Cookware offers an alternative. The anodized aluminum cookware has an eco-friendly, silicone-based nonstick coating that is free of perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE). Less expensive than many other brands of green cookware, EarthPan performs well in professional reviews. Reviewers say EarthPan cookware has well-made handles and is easy to clean. However, one magazine finds durability issues with the eco-friendly coating, and in user reviews, some say the nonstick coating begins to degrade after a few months. Also, some users find that the handles get hot, and others note that the pots in the set are too small. A more durable brand of nonstick cookware that's still free of PFOA and PTFE is Scanpan Classic Cookware (*Est. $500 for an 11-piece set) , but it's considerably more expensive.

ConsumerReports.org includes several green options, including EarthPan Hard Anodized Cookware, in its test of nonstick cookware sets. Editors look for design flaws while evaluating evenness of cooking, durability of the nonstick coating and ease of cleaning. Cook's Illustrated magazine puts eight green skillets through rigorous testing to see if they measure up to other nonstick cookware. We also consult reviews at Amazon.com to see whether owners are happy with their EarthPan cookware.