Nonstick Skillets

Nonstick is easier to clean, but less durable than stainless

Despite the fact that chefs and reviewers generally recommend uncoated cookware, many consumers prefer at least one nonstick skillet for cooking eggs and other sticky foods without increasing the fat content by adding oil or butter to the pan. The safety of Teflon and other nonstick coatings is an issue for some consumers who are concerned about the potential health hazards the chemicals in these coatings pose. In response, some manufacturers offer nonstick skillets made without perfluorooctanoic acid (look for "eco-friendly" or "no PFOA" on the skillet's packaging). However, in a detailed test at Cook's Illustrated magazine, alternative coatings made with ceramic or silicon don't prove to be better than Teflon, or as durable.  

Nonstick coatings are most often applied to hard anodized aluminum, which puts a hard coating over the normally soft aluminum to make it more durable. A nonstick coating can also be applied to the interior of a stainless-steel skillet, which is a lighter weight yet pricier option. The main downside of nonstick is that, even with care and hand washing, the coating will eventually degrade and flake off. It's harder to create good fond (the browned, caramelized bits produced when food sticks slightly to the pan) with nonstick surfaces and the maximum oven temperature for nonstick pans is most likely lower than for uncoated cookware.

Many experts recommend budget nonstick cookware, since all nonstick pans have a limited lifespan. One standout for value and cooking performance is the Calphalon Contemporary Nonstick Omelette Pan Set (*Est. $50), which includes both a 10-inch and a 12-inch skillet. Made from anodized aluminum with three layers of a Teflon-type nonstick coating, these pans have flared rims and cast stainless-steel handles that users say stay cool to the touch on the stovetop. They are oven-safe to 450 degrees Fahrenheit and come with a limited lifetime warranty.

We did not find any professional comparison tests of the Calphalon Contemporary Nonstick Omelette Pan Set, but the majority of more than 1,000 reviews at Cooking.com recommend it. Another 175 or so user reviews at Amazon.com give the set an average rating of 4.1 stars out of 5. Users rave about the nonstick surfaces of these skillets as well as their even heating and good heat retention. Most owners agree that the pans are comfortable to handle and easy to clean (although, like most nonstick skillets, they are not dishwasher-safe). While some reviewers say these skillets have held up well for years, a few users said their coating came off within six months. We also read a couple of complaints about the skillets warping, which means they will no longer sit flat on a burner (especially important for those who have smooth cooktops). However, at least one user praises Calphalon for honoring its warranty and replacing a set that was "starting to show wear" after three years of use.

Another option, the Cuisinart Chef's Classic Nonstick Hard-Anodized 12-Inch Skillet (*Est. $50), gets mixed reports from experts. This skillet has a hard-anodized aluminum exterior and Quantanium brand nonstick coating, which is made with the same controversial chemicals as Teflon. The Cuisinart skillet also receives high marks from owners at Amazon.com; while we did see a few complaints about scratching and loss of nonstick properties, most users say it holds up well. Professional tests rate this nonstick skillet between good and excellent for cooking performance, but it gets only middling marks for design, and it universally flunks tests of its coating durability. In one professional test, eggs began sticking to the pan after only half a dozen had been cooked.

Eco-friendly nonstick coatings

If you want a nonstick skillet, but prefer to avoid controversial chemicals, there are now quite a few choices. However, there's evidence that these pans don't hold up or cook as well as Teflon.

Ceramic is one such coating that's being used in alternative nonstick skillets, but editors at Cook's Illustrated magazine say this coating is very brittle and not very good at retaining heat. Silicone copolymer, which is a thin layer of silicone, is another alternative coating. Cook's Illustrated magazine editors say silicone coatings hold up and perform better than ceramic, but still not nearly as well as Teflon. A few pans don't use PFOA, the chemical in Teflon that's linked to birth defects, but still use polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), the major component of Teflon. Cook's editors say this surface comes closest to traditional Teflon but, like Teflon, can emit harmful fumes when overheated.

In this category, we found the most reviewer discussion about Cuisinart's GreenGourmet line of cookware, including skillets. The Cuisinart GreenGourmet Hard Anodized 12-Inch Skillet (*Est. $50) uses a ceramic coating instead of Teflon that is both PFOA- and PTFE-free. Its stay-cool handle is made from 70 percent recycled stainless steel, attached by rivets. The nonstick coating is safe to use in the oven and under the broiler, but the manufacturer says it shouldn't be cleaned in the dishwasher. Cuisinart also makes this skillet in 8-inch and 10-inch sizes.

In performance, however, the GreenGourmet skillet attracts divergent opinions. While editors at Fine Cooking and Food & Wine magazines don't report any trouble with sticking foods, the GreenGourmet skillets aren't recommended at all in two other high-profile reviews due to uneven heating and sticking foods. We turned to user reviews as the tiebreaker. About half of the more than 100 owner reviews posting to Amazon.com report the same problem: While they liked the skillet at first, the nonstick coating degrades after only a few weeks, resulting in eggs sticking to the pan.

We found two professional recommendations for the EarthPan line of alternative nonstick cookware, including the EarthPan Pro 12-Inch Open French Skillet (*Est. $45). This skillet uses a layer of sprayed-on silicone instead of Teflon. In professional reviews, the EarthPan fares a lot better than the GreenGourmet skillet in terms of even heating, ease of use, comfort and durability. Although we didn't find as many user comments for this pan, we did read reports that the nonstick coating does start to lose its slickness after a few weeks, resulting in the same sticking described by users of the GreenGourmet pans.

Denmark's Scanpan makes nonstick cookware that is PFOA-free, but still contains the chemical PTFE. The Scanpan Professional 12.5-Inch Fry Pan (*Est. $140) costs a lot more than the Cuisinart GreenGourmet and EarthPan lines, but it's another option for cooks who are concerned about PFOA. The Scanpan skillet is made of pressure-cast aluminum with a ceramic-based nonstick coating that is dishwasher-safe and appears to have better nonstick qualities than the Cuisinart GreenGourmet. One foodie magazine says it cooks eggs without sticking and has good browning ability and finds its nonstick coating more durable than those of seven other green skillets tested. However, editors say one downside of this oversized pan is that it feels heavy and unbalanced. The editors of Fine Cooking magazine, by contrast, find this pan well balanced and lighter than most, and they add that it heats evenly and without sticking. The most obvious drawback is the price -- especially considering that all nonstick coatings eventually wear off.