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Every cook needs one of the best nonstick pans in their arsenal. That slick surface makes everything from frying eggs to sauteing vegetables easier. Plus, the coating makes clean-up a breeze with just a little water, soap, and a soft sponge. While cast iron or stainless steel are often celebrated as the best cookware material, nonstick deserves a spot in your home for quick, hassle-free cooking.
We tested 21 pans and talked to three experts to find the best nonstick pans for your cooking needs. The Le Creuset Toughened Nonstick PRO Fry Pan is our top pick because it releases fried eggs with no fuss, retains heat, and heats quickly and evenly. At $100 less, the Blue Diamond Diamond-Infused Ceramic Nonstick Frying Pan is our budget pick. It's PFAS-free and heats quickly, though eggs stuck a little to the surface.
Learn more about how Business Insider Reviews tests and researches kitchen products.
Top picks for nonstick pans
Best overall: Le Creuset Toughened Nonstick PRO Fry Pan - See at Amazon
Best budget: Blue Diamond Diamond-Infused Ceramic Frying Pan - See at Amazon
Best splurge: Made In Non Stick Fry Pan - See at Amazon
Best professional: Anolon Ascend Hard-Anodized Nonstick Frying Pan - See at Amazon
Best ceramic: Our Place Always Pan - See at Amazon
Best overall
The Le Creuset Toughened Nonstick PRO Fry Pan is the best nonstick pan we tested, thanks to its impressive nonstick surface, even heating, and excellent heat retention.
- Impressive nonstick surface released eggs perfectly
- Excellent heat retention
- Heats evenly
- Better than average heating speed
- Contains PFAS
- Handle got a little warm when cooking
The Le Creuset Toughened Nonstick PRO Fry Pan is the best nonstick pan because it received perfect scores on each of our tests. When frying sunnyside-up eggs without oil, the egg came loose with just a little jiggle of the pan. The flared sides gently half-piped the egg onto the plate, leaving the yolk intact.
The Le Creuset heated evenly and retained the heat when cooking pancakes. I couldn't find any parts that were browned more than others, with both sides coming out even. It also heated up faster than most of the pans we tested.
The hard anodized aluminum skillet felt heavy in my hand, but it was well-balanced. While cooking, the handle largely stayed cool, but it got a little warm close to the pan body. The nonstick coating made clean-up a breeze, whether washing by hand or in the dishwasher. I didn't find any wear and tear after we tested it.
The Le Creuset Toughened Nonstick PRO Fry Pan's biggest negative is it contains PFAS. If that's a dealbreaker, consider our best budget and best ceramic nonstick skillets below.
Best budget
The Blue Diamond ceramic pan has a lightweight feel and budget price, but it's PFAS-free and performs outstanding, heating quickly and evenly.
- Heats up the fastest of the pans in our guide
- Retains heat
- Lightweight
- Ergonomic stay-cool handle
- PFAS-free
- Eggs stuck to it even after cleaning
The lightweight feel of the Blue Diamond Diamond-Infused Ceramic Nonstick Frying Pan stood out during testing. It was easily the lightest fry pan and still did an outstanding job cooking. This is particularly impressive considering it costs less than $20.
The Blue Diamond was the fastest skillet in our guide to bring water to boiling, doing so in under two minutes. It also retained the heat well, though it had a few hot spots. The pancakes in our tests came out pretty evenly browned, though you could see some less-done areas on the pancakes cooked near where the handle meets the pan.
I really liked the construction of the pan: the shape is ideal for sliding food onto a plate, and the ergonomic handle remains cool while cooking.
Unfortunately, the Blue Diamond Diamond-Infused Ceramic Nonstick Frying Pan wouldn't release the egg I cooked without oil. I had to use a spatula, and pieces were stuck on even then. After a trip through the dishwasher, I could still see remnants of the egg and some wear around the rim of the pan. You might not get years of use out of this pan, but we don't mind considering the price.
Best splurge
We love using this pan for eggs and fish, which glide smoothly and effortlessly off the slick, durable, and scratch-resistant surface.
- Heats quickly and evenly
- Retains heat
- Eggs slide off easily without oil
- Well-balanced design with an ergonomic, stay-cool handle
- Made with PTFE
- Questionable durability
The Made In Non Stick Frying Pan heats up quickly, which I noticed both when I boiled water in it and when I made pancakes.
During the pancake test, I started by turning the flame on high, and the Made In pan heated so fast and maintained that initial temperature so well that the first few pancakes came out too dark. However, unlike other pans that fluctuate rapidly in temperature throughout cooking, the Made In surface was easy to keep at a constant. The pancakes I made after that first batch came out perfectly.
The Made In pan is more expensive than most others we tested, but I could see why while using it. It is well-made and balanced cookware with a useful flared rim to help food slide out smoothly and an ergonomic handle. The nonstick coating works well after months of regular use, though the surface shows scratches.
For about $15 less than Made In, the Sardel Nonstick Pan is another great high-end option. It heats up faster than most of the pans we tested, and food slides right off without nudging. I didn't love the textured surface, a honeycomb nonstick layer infused with stainless steel to supposedly give the pan more durability. Since we can't yet verify that claim, we docked a few points from the pan when our pancakes came out with a diamond print. Read our Sardel Cookware review.
Read our full Made In Cookware review.
Best professional
Compatible with all cooktops, the Anolon Ascend Frying Pan retains heat well and releases food with ease. The pan is dishwasher safe and oven safe up to 500 degrees, making it versatile and convenient to use.
- Cooked eggs slid right off
- Maintains heat
- Cooks evenly
- Heated slowly
- Contains PTFE
I loved cooking with the Anolon Ascend Frying Pan. At $60, It falls in the middle of our price range, and you can use it on any stovetop, including induction. Plus, since it has no silicone handle, you can go straight from the stove to the oven (up to 500 degrees).
Like our other top picks, there was no resistance when cooking eggs and tipping them onto a plate. We put this pan through the dishwasher and the nonstick surface remained pristine.
Though it didn't boil water quickly, it retains heat remarkably well for an aluminum pan. This is likely due to the edge-to-edge stainless steel base. Making pancakes in the Anolon pan was as easy as making them on a griddle — I rarely adjusted the heat while cooking, the batter stayed in the center, and the pancakes were a smooth, golden brown.
We also tested the AllClad NS Pro Nonstick pan, which has the same construction and specs as the Anolon. Though the NS1 heated up faster, it was harder to moderate the temperature, leading to unevenly colored pancakes.
Best ceramic
Our Place's Always Pan is a multi-functional pan that has earned spots in our best nonstick and best ceramic cookware guides. The nonstick coating is slick, and the tall sides are perfect for sauteing, steaming, and making one-pot meals.
- Incredible nonstick properties
- Heats quickly and evenly
- PFAS-free
- Available in eight colors
- Comes with spatula, steamer basket, and lid
- Not dishwasher-safe
- Steep sides make flipping items difficult
- Only oven-safe to 450 degrees
- So-so heat retention
The Reviews Kitchen team was skeptical of the Our Place Always Pan because of its claim that it's the only pan you need. We're still unconvinced it can replace all other pieces, and that seems to be a popular concern considering that the brand now sells cookware sets with multiple pans. That aside, this is an excellent ceramic pan with unparalleled nonstick qualities.
My sunnyside egg slid free from the pan onto my plate with a light shimmy. The Always Pan also did an excellent job of heating evenly, producing perfect pancakes. The Our Place skillet heats faster than most, though the heat retention was less impressive.
I also didn't like the shape of the pan, specifically how the sides are more vertical than flared. This is great if you want a frypan that doubles as a saute pan, but it wasn't helpful when flipping items or transferring them to a plate without a utensil.
Other than that, I liked the PFAS-free construction. The Always Pan is on the heavy side but well-balanced. It comes with a wood spatula and has a little knob for nesting it on the panhandle. The pan also comes with a lid and steamer basket.
Lastly, we love the color selection. Choose from eight colors, including Steam, Blue Salt, and Turmeric, to match your kitchen's decor.
What else we tested
Ceramic nonstick
GreenPan Padova Pro Nonstick Ceramic Fry Pan: We tested two GreenPan styles: this and the Stanley Tucci Ceramic pan. This option was better, heating quickly and evenly and retaining the heat. However, items tended to stick to the surface more than we would have liked.
OXO Ceramic Professional Non-Stick Fry Pan: This pan has an impressive nonstick surface that easily releases food, but it heated slowly and didn't retain temperature as well as others. Still, it's one of the best ceramic pans we tested and is PFAS-free.
Caraway Fry Pan: This pan performed well in our cooking tests, although it was one of the slowest pans to boil water. Notably, the pan's high and straight sides make it difficult to tip out a pancake or an egg.
Misen Nonstick Pan: Although the Misen pan passed all our tests, it did not stand out in any particular category and is in a higher price range. During the egg test, there was slightly more resistance while moving the cooked egg around the pan.
Traditional nonstick
Tramontina Nonstick Restaurant Fry Pan: Our former top pick, this pan is easy to use and maneuver in the kitchen, thanks to its slick surface, even heating, and flared rim. However, it's only oven-safe to 400 degrees.
All-Clad D3 Stainless 3-ply Bonded Nonstick Fry Pan: While it retained heat and cooked pretty evenly, the All-Clad is pricey, heats slowly, and the nonstick surface wasn't very nonstick, even though it uses PTFE.
Ozeri Chef Pan Skillet: The primary issue I had with the Ozeri pan is that it was difficult to adjust the surface temperature while cooking pancakes. If I lowered the burner, the pan almost immediately cooled down instead of holding onto the heat. This resulted in some really dark pancakes and some really pale ones.
Ninja Foodi NeverStick Premium Hard-Anodized Fry Pan: I had the same issue with the Ninja Foodi pan as I did with the Ozeri. When I turned down the heat while cooking pancakes, the Ninja Foodi pan went cold too quickly, resulting in some very pale pancakes.
T-Fal Ultimate Hard-Anodized: This hard-anodized pan is completely nonstick and heats quickly. However, it isn't a top pick because of the construction — the rim of the pan is straight instead of flared, and the silicone handle cannot be removed.
Hybrid skillets
HexClad Hybrid Fry Pan: The fry pan Gordon Ramsay recommends, the HexClad combines stainless steel with nonstick. It's the best hybrid of this sort we've tested. However, it contains PFAS, and we weren't impressed with the nonstick surface, which requires seasoning and maintenance.
What to look for in a nonstick pan
Type of coating: Traditional nonstick coatings are extremely slick and often cheaper, while ceramic coatings will lose their nonstick quality faster but are PFAS-free. Our picks include traditional and ceramic options, so you can decide based on your priorities.
Material: Most of the cookware on this list is made of aluminum, stainless steel, or a combination. Some pieces have internal layers of aluminum (for heat conductivity) with an exterior of stainless steel (for durability). Any piece made fully of aluminum will heat up quicker than one with stainless steel, but will not be as sturdy.
Handle: As with any piece of cookware, the handle needs to be long enough to keep your hands away from the heat source, comfortable to hold while actively in use, and easy to store among other cookware.
PFAS vs. ceramic coating
PFAS, also known as per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, are chemicals used in a variety of food contact substances, including some nonstick coatings. According to the FDA, "Studies show negligible amounts of PFAS in this coating can migrate to food." Of the options we tested, only the ceramic pans are entirely PFA-free. The ceramic nonstick coating is derived from silicone and doesn't use PFAs in production like traditional nonstick coatings.
While the FDA, NIH, and others are increasing their efforts to research the health effects of PFAS, the areas of largest concern are contaminated food and water supplies, not cookware. Recently, the FDA revoked its approval of PFAs used in grease-proofing food-contact substances.
For more information, check out the FDA's article "Questions and Answers on PFAs in Food" and the NIEH expert interview on "How does NIEHS research on PFAS affect me?".
How we test nonstick pans
Long-term durability is a big issue with nonstick pans because the nonstick coating can wear down and flake off over time. We will continue to test the pans we recommend for daily cooking to evaluate durability.
Nonstick surface: We made a sunny-side-up egg and three pancakes on each skillet in our cooking tests. We didn't use any fat when cooking the egg to evaluate the nonstick surface, noting if the egg slid off or needed a nudge to come off the pan.
Heat retention: When making pancakes, you start with a high heat to warm the cooking surface before turning it down to prevent burning and encourage a smooth finish on the pancake. During testing, we looked to see if the pans held a consistent temperature after lowering the heat or if the pans required high heat throughout the batch of pancakes. We also looked for even browning on the surface of each pancake.
Heating efficiency: To evaluate how quickly the pans heated up, we filled the 10-inch pans with a cup of water, 10.25-inch pans with 1.25 cups of water, and the 10.5-inch pan with 1.5 cups of water. Then, we measured how long it took to get a boiling temperature in the center of the pan.
Ease of use: We noted if the handle felt comfortable and if it got hot to the touch during cooking. While all the pans we tested are classified as frying pans, there is some variation in the height of the sides. We prefer slightly lower and flared-out sides. We found it more difficult to tip out the fried egg when the pan had high and flat sides.
Nonstick pan FAQs
How long do nonstick pans last?
Avoiding metal utensils and harsh cleaners will prolong the life of your pan, but even then, Lisa Chernick, author of Your Starter Kitchen, said to expect only a one to two-year lifespan. When your nonstick pan starts losing its slickness or when you can see parts of the coating coming off the surface, it's time to toss it. Chernick said, "You're essentially eating the pieces of the surface that flake off. It might not be toxic, but I don't want to eat pieces of Teflon."
What nonstick pan does Gordon Ramsay use?
According to the brand website and other interviews, Chef Gordon Ramsay uses HexClad Hybrid Stainless Steel Pans. This cookware features a hexagonal pattern with stainless steel ridges over a nonstick surface. While this may make the surface more durable, the HexClad pan requires nonstick seasoning.
How effective is the nonstick coating out of the box?
Nonstick pans are ready to use right away. We recommend washing all new cookware according to manufacturer instructions, but otherwise, you do not have to season or prep the nonstick surface.
