Best Nonstick Frying Pans
With these pans, making perfect eggs and golden pancakes couldn't be easier
When you shop through retailer links on our site, we may earn affiliate commissions. 100% of the fees we collect are used to support our nonprofit mission. Learn more.
A good nonstick frying pan is a necessity in many kitchens. Whether your sticky-food indulgences involve pancakes, skillet huevos rancheros, or creamy black-eyed peas, a great nonstick will allow them to slip from the pan easily, making cleanup practically effortless.
In Consumer Reports’ labs, we evaluate how evenly nonstick pans heat and test their nonstick abilities by frying four eggs consecutively without oil to see how easily they slide out. (In a recent nationally representative CR survey of 2,158 U.S. adults (April 2025), 20 percent of nonstick cookware users reported that one of their top reasons for using nonstick cookware was to make eggs.) We also measure nonstick coating durability by subjecting it to 2,000 strokes with steel wool, after which we fry even more eggs.
We also specify which pans manufacturers say are made without PTFE, commonly known as Teflon. PTFE belongs to a class of chemicals known as PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) that linger for years in our bodies and the environment.
If you want to avoid frying pans made with PTFE but value a nonstick surface, consider a pan with a ceramic coating. In our most recent tests, nonstick frying pans with ceramic coatings performed admirably, beating out traditional nonstick pans for the top three slots.
Below, in alphabetical order, are some of the top-rated nonstick frying pans from our tests. Shopping for an entire cookware set? See our full cookware ratings for the best choices. You can also buy the most necessary pieces separately (known as "open stock"). Consult our cookware buying guide for advice on choosing the best pots and pans of all types, including stainless steel, cast iron, carbon steel, and copper.
The Anolon Advanced Home Frying Pan Set is one of the top-rated nonstick models in CR’s tests. It aced our evaluations for nonstick food release, cooking evenness, handle sturdiness, and handle temperature. Nonstick durability was also very good, though not excellent. This aluminum set is less expensive than most of our other top-rated nonstick frying pans, and it includes a 10-inch and a 12-inch pan. But the set isn’t induction-compatible or dishwasher-safe.
In our tests of the Caraway Ceramic-Coated Non-Stick pan, fried eggs easily slid out one after another, and the surface heated evenly with no hot spots. The handle is super-sturdy and stays cool to the touch as you cook. The nonstick ceramic coating, which the manufacturer claims is made without PTFE, stood up very well in our durability test. This pan is also induction-compatible and is claimed to be oven safe to 550° F.
The GreenPan Spectra Thermobond Hybrid Ceramic Nonstick 10" & 12" Set offers a ceramic nonstick surface over stainless steel and receives an excellent score in our cooking evenness tests. Nonstick food release was also excellent, meaning four eggs fried consecutively with no oil slid right off the pan using only the force of gravity. According to the manufacturer, this top scorer can withstand oven temperatures of 850° F (if yours can even reach that high), and earned very good scores for nonstick durability and handle sturdiness.
A collaboration between GreenPan and the actor Stanley Tucci, the induction-compatible GreenPan Stanley Tucci Ceramic Nonstick frying pan received excellent scores in four of our five tests, including heating evenness, nonstick food release, nonstick durability, and handle temperature (the Italian-made pan scored just "very good" on handle sturdiness). Also notable, these pans are oven-safe to 600° F, according to the manufacturer (many nonsticks can withstand oven temperatures of only 400° to 500° F).
The Le Creuset Toughened Nonstick PRO frying pan comes in five sizes (we tested the 9.5-inch version). Its traditional nonstick coating endured exceptionally well in our test for nonstick durability, which simulates the use of metal utensils and abrasive cleaners on the coating. The induction-compatible pan also earned a top score for cooking evenly, handle temperature, and handle sturdiness. It didn’t get a top score in our nonstick food release test, but still performed very well.
We tested the original Our Place Always Pan in early 2022 after it became an internet sensation. At the time, it did well (but not great) in our nonstick frying pan tests. So when the Always Pan 2.0 came out, we tested it to see whether there were notable improvements. The company claims it improved the ceramic nonstick coating, but we didn’t find any differences in our cooking tests. We did see improvement with the stainless steel handle—the original handle was made of plastic.) As a result, the pan’s handle sturdiness score also rose from middling to excellent. This pan can be used on an induction cooktop, and according to the manufacturer, it’s made without PTFE.
We found the Oxo Ceramic Professional Non-Stick frying pan to be excellent at providing even cooking across its entire 10-inch surface. Its nonstick durability and food release results were also very good, and its ceramic coating is made without PTFE. This pan’s handle temperature was cool enough after stovetop cooking that it could easily be grabbed without a pot holder. Made of hard anodized aluminum, this pan can be used on induction surfaces and is oven-safe to 600° F.
If you prefer a traditional nonstick coating over ceramic, the Swiss Diamond HD Nonstick pan is worth considering. You can expect your pancakes to come out evenly cooked, and fried eggs should slide out with little effort. This pan performed excellently in our nonstick durability tests as well, meaning that after 2,000 strokes with steel wool, simulating years of use, its nonstick capability held up. If you have an induction cooktop or range, you’ll probably want to choose another pan, though, because the Swiss Diamond isn’t induction-compatible.
BEST TIME TO BUY:
