What Does Non-Toxic Cookware Even Mean?

If you've been worried about PFAs, a.k.a. per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances, you're not alone. Known colloquially as "forever chemicals," there's evidence they can cause a myriad of health and environmental problems. But what does this have to do with cooking, you may ask? Well, it's particularly pertinent to nonstick cookware.

In the 1940s, nonstick pans entered the market with coatings produced to resist grease, oil, and water. The chemicals that made this possible fall under the umbrella of PFAS and a subset of PFAS are polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) and (perfluorooctanoic acid) PFOA, which are commonly referred to as Teflon. With new research linking these chemicals to lowering immunity in children, kidney disease, thyroid disease, and other health concerns, the use of PFOAs has been phased out of many production lines over the past decade, though this is still a work in progress. While many brands today claim their cookware is free of these chemicals, there are more coatings than just Teflon, so even if your sparkly new nonstick pan says that it’s PTFE- or PFOA-free, it may still contain another chemical from the PFAS family.

But many people also really love nonstick pans (we get it, they're great for scrambled eggs!). What's a cook to do then? The good news is that there are a myriad of alternatives to nonstick that are non-toxic—including ceramic pans—let's dive in.

What Does Non-Toxic Cookware Mean?

Non-toxic cookware is any cookware made without the use of nonstick coatings, like PFAS. This means any cookware that is made of stainless steel, cast iron, or carbon steel—essentially any cookware that doesn’t have a coating—is the least toxic product available on the market. While there may be more of a learning curve when using these types of cookware, you’ll likely have less to worry about in the long run when it comes to health and environmental hazards.

Is Ceramic Cookware Non-Toxic?

Ceramic cookware is often offered as a non-toxic option for cooks who want a nonstick pot or pan. Ceramic pots and pans are coated with thin layers of silica, which is made from sand. This creates a smooth, impervious surface that is "nonstick." While they’re generally free of PFOA or PTFE, they might falter when it comes to durability. In order to keep ceramic cookware in good condition, it’s important to cook at the suggested temperatures, avoid temperature shocks (like putting a scalding hot pan under cold water), and never use metal utensils on the surface. In our nonstick vs. ceramic skillets deep dive, we simply couldn’t land on one side or the other as being better; at the end of the day, ceramic cookware isn’t perfect, but it could ease concerns about off-gassing or chemical migration.

The Best Non-Toxic Cookware 

When you’re looking at non-toxic cookware without any coating, your best choices include stainless steel, (enameled) cast iron, and carbon steel. The good news is that these are all already pots and pans we've tested, recommend, and use on a daily basis.

The Best Stainless Steel Pan

Made In 12-Inch Stainless Steel Skillet

$139 at Amazon $129 at Made In Cookware

If you’re looking for a great all-rounder of a skillet, the Made In 12-Inch Stainless Steel Skillet (and 10-inch pan) came out on top in our testing. It had impeccably even heating and was comfortable to hold and maneuver. Stainless steel isn’t nonstick in the same way that a nonstick pan is, so it can take some getting used to if you’re new to it. To prevent sticking, we recommend heating the skillet over high heat before adding oil, then adding your food once the oil is shimmering. 

Key Specs

• Compatible with induction cooktops: Yes
• Oven-safe temperature: Up to 800°F
• Material: 18/10 stainless steel
• Warranty: 1-year (Made In also offers a 45-day trial period)
• Dishwasher-safe: Yes, but hand-washing is recommended

The Best Stainless Steel Saucepan

Zwilling Spirit 3-ply Stainless Steel 4-Quart Saucepan

$120 at Amazon

A trusty 4-quart saucepan is a requirement for any home kitchen. Whether you're making caramel or cooking rice, we recommend the Zwilling Spirit 3-Ply Stainless Steel 4-Quart Saucepan, which performed best in all of our tests. It conducted heat well and evenly without hotspots. Plus, the handle stayed cool even during the water boiling test. 

Key Specs

• Weight: 5.2 pounds
• Induction compatible: Yes
• Oven-safe temperature: 400°F
• Also available in: 1, 2- and 3-quart sizes

The Best Stainless Steel Stockpot

Cuisinart 12-Quart MultiClad Pro Stainless Stock Pot With Cover

$180 at Amazon

For large quantities of stock or soup, you’ll want something big enough to hold everything comfortably while cooking it beautifully. From our tests of 22 stockpots, the Cuisinart 12-quart came out on top. It heated and browned food evenly without burning. Plus, it sports comfortable, wide handles that make it easy to carry. While we think a 12-quart stockpot offers plenty of room already, if you’re looking for something bigger, the Tramontina 16-quart was our favorite mega-sized pot.

Key Specs

• Weight: 9 pounds
• Induction compatible: Yes
• Oven-safe temperature: 550°F
• Also available in: 8-quart

The Best Stainless Steel Saute Pan

Made In Stainless Clad Saute Pan 3.5 QT

$189 at Amazon $189 at Made In Cookware

Also Great

All-Clad D3 Tri-Ply 3-Quart Stainless Steel Sauté Pan

$192 at Amazon View on Williams Sonoma View on Walmart

Having a wide, flat cooking surface and vertical sides comes in handy when you’re shallow-frying meatballs or braising chicken thighs—instances where you don’t want the oil or liquids ending up on you instead of on your dinner. After testing nine saute pans, we found the Made In Stainless Clad 3.5-Qt. Saute Pan and All-Clad D3 Tri-Ply 3-Quart Stainless Steel Sauté Pan were the best performers of the bunch. Both had great heat responsiveness and comfortable handles, making for an overall high-quality cooking experience.

Key Specs

• Weight (with lid on): 4 pounds (Made In); 4 pounds, 8 ounces (All-Clad)
• Induction compatible: Yes (both)
• Oven-safe temperature: 800°F (Made In); 600°F (All-Clad)

The Best Stainless Steel Cookware Set

All-Clad D3 Stainless 3 Ply Bonded Cookware Set

$800 at Amazon View on Williams Sonoma

If you’re on the hunt for an entire set of stainless steel cookware, our review of 18 stainless cookware sets identified the All-Clad D3 10-Piece Cookware Set as the top pick. Every piece in this set performed well and was easy to clean.

Key Specs

• Number of pieces: 10
• What’s included: 8- and 10-inch fry pans, 2-quart saucepan with lid, 3-quart sauté pan with lid, 3-quart saucepan with lid, 8-quart stockpot with lid
• Materials: Tri-ply stainless steel with aluminum core
• Dishwasher-safe: Yes
• Induction compatible: Yes

The Best Cast Iron Skillet

Lodge 10.25 Inch Cast Iron Pre-Seasoned Skillet

$25 at Amazon View on Walmart

Don’t be intimidated by cast iron. This type of cookware lasts for generations and is actually pretty low-maintenance once you understand how it works. We tested 12 cast iron skillets and the Lodge Pre-Seasoned Cast Iron Skillet came out as the winner. This skillet has been a staple in the Serious Eats test kitchen for years—and for good reason. It's durable, comfortable to handle, and affordable. Plus, cast iron becomes more naturally nonstick over time as its seasoning builds up with use.

Key Specs

• Weight: 5 pounds, 8.5 ounces
• Cooking surface: 8.25 inches
• Comes pre-seasoned: Yes
• Induction compatible: Yes

The Best Enameled Dutch Oven

Le Creuset Enameled Cast Iron Signature Round Dutch Oven, 5.5 qt

$360 $300 at Amazon View on Lecreuset.com

Enameled Dutch ovens are another fantastic option for non-toxic cookware, especially when it comes to stews, braises, chilis, and ragùs. They are usually made with steel or cast iron and coated with enamel, which protects the cast iron from rusting and makes the cooking surface somewhat nonstick. In our test of 18 enameled Dutch ovens, the Le Creuset cast iron Dutch oven came out on top. There wasn’t an excessive amount of sticking when cooking with the Le Creuset model and the longevity is proven in our own use of Le Creuset products in the test kitchen and at home.

Key Specs

• Dimensions: 10.25 by 6.25 inches
• Weight: 11 pounds, 6.4 ounces
• Capacity: 5.5 quarts
• Cooking surface: 7.8 inches
• Induction compatible: Yes
• Warranty: Lifetime
• Care instructions: Dishwasher-safe, though we recommend hand-washing

The Best Ceramic Nonstick Skillet

Caraway Nonstick Ceramic Frying Pan

$115 at Amazon

Also Great

Le Creuset Essential Non-Stick Ceramic Shallow Frying Pan

$119 at Amazon View on Williams Sonoma View on Lecreuset.com

While ceramic skillets are not *truly* nonstick (that is, they don't contain chemicals), they get pretty darn close. This pan from Caraway did best in our tests, easily releasing over-easy eggs and omelets. Its deep, rounded shape contained food well, too. We loved that the Le Creuset ceramic pan was lightweight enough to toss ingredients.

Key Specs

• Maximum oven temperature: 550℉
• Induction compatible: Yes
• Weight: 5 pounds
• Care instructions: Handwash-only

The Best Enameled Cast Iron Skillet

Le Creuset Signature Enameled Cast Iron Skillet, 10.25-Inch

$220 $168 at Amazon View on Williams Sonoma View on Lecreuset.com

Also Great

Staub 10-Inch Fry Pan

$195 at Amazon View on Williams Sonoma

From fried eggs to steaks to cornbread, the enameled Le Creuset Skillet outperformed all other enameled skillets during our tests. The Staub 10-Inch Fry Pan was close behind. Both reach soaringly high temperatures quickly and, unlike nonstick pans, they can handle really high heat. That makes them safe to throw into your pizza oven if you need to. The enameled surface is also somewhat naturally nonstick. 

Key Specs

• Weight: 4 pounds, 15 ounces
• Diameter: 10 inches
• Cooking surface diameter: 8.25 inches
• Max heat: 900°F
• Care instructions: Dishwasher-safe (though we'd recommend hand-washing to preserve its longevity).

The Best Carbon Steel Wok

Yosukata Carbon Steel Wok

$65 $60 at Amazon

We consider a dependable carbon steel wok an essential piece of cookware. We tested 11 popular models and found that the Yosukata Carbon Steel Wok Pan gets the job done reliably and easily. During our tests, fried rice and vegetables slid smoothly across the surface without sticking.

Key Specs

• Weight: 3 pounds, 8 ounces
• Lip-to-lip diameter: 13.5 inches
• Depth: 3.75 inches
• Sizes: Also available in an 11.8-inch size
• Note: The wok comes with a protective film of oil on the surface. Be sure to scrub this film off prior to seasoning or cooking.

The Best Carbon Steel Pan

Mauviel M'Steel Black Carbon Natural Nonstick Frying Pan With Iron Handle

$120 $109 at Amazon

A cousin to cast iron, carbon steel cookware is a mixture of carbon and iron. Carbon steel pans are significantly thinner, lighter, and more responsive to temperature changes. After testing 15 carbon steel pans, we identified the Mauviel M'Steel as the best. Once it was thoroughly seasoned, this pan performed well in all our tests and offered a substantial amount of surface area for cooking large batches of food. It even made and released fantastic crepes, which are notoriously difficult (and sticky!). 

Key Specs

• Weight: 3 pounds, 3 ounces
• Cooking surface diameter: 8 1/2 inches
• Care: Hand wash-only
• Induction compatible: Yes

The Best Copper Cookware Set

Williams Sonoma Thermo-Clad Copper 10-Piece Cookware Set

View on Williams Sonoma

This 10-piece set of real copper cookware has a classic profile that looks good while working hard. They had impressive heat distribution during testing (with no hot spots). Their reactivity was speedy but not uncontrollable, and the set contained just about every type of pan you'd need in the kitchen. Copper is not recommended as a cooking surface—with the exception of jam pots—but like many copper cookware sets we tested, the cooking surface of Williams Sonoma's Thermo-Clad set is stainless steel.

Key Specs

• Number of pieces: 10
• Pieces included: 10- and 12-inch skillets, 1 1/2- and 4-quart saucepans with lids, 4 1/2-quart sauté pan with lid, 8-quart stockpot with lid
• Pieces available for individual purchase: Either size skillet, 4-quart saucepan, sauté pan, stockpot
• Cookware surface: Stainless steel
• Oven-safe?: Yes, up to 450°F

The Best Braiser

Le Creuset Enameled Cast Iron Braiser

$290 at Amazon View on Williams Sonoma View on Lecreuset.com

A Great Budget Option

Crock Pot Artisan Enameled Cast Iron Braiser

$100 $56 at Amazon

Made from enameled cast iron, braisers look like a wider, squatter version of a Dutch oven. With their excellent heat retention, low sides, and lid, braisers excel at braising (of course), shallow-frying, pan-searing, roasting, and more. Our favorite braiser has wide, looped handles—helpful for transferring it into and out of the oven. If you're on a budget, you'll want to check out this one from Crock-Pot, which performed nearly as well in our tests.

Key Specs

• Weight: 12 pounds, 11.5 ounces
• Cooking surface diameter: 9.5 inches
• Induction compatible: Yes

The Best Non-Toxic Cookware Set

GreenPan Valencia Pro Ceramic Nonstick 11-Piece Cookware Set

$435 at Amazon

This reasonably priced collection of ceramic pots and pans topped our review of non-toxic cookware sets. It comes with three different-sized skillets; two saucepans; a sauté pan; a stock pot; and lids, and bested the competition in our fried egg and seared pork chop tests. Every item we tested was a top performer, meaning there are no filler items. It's a heck of a deal for such a big set of essential cookware.

Key Specs

• Materials: Ceramic
• Number of pieces: 11
• What’s included: 8-inch skillet; 9.5-inch skillet; 11-inch skillet; 1.5-quart saucepan; 3-quart saucepan; 3-quart sauté pan; 5-quart stockpot; lids; 3 pan protectors
• Care instructions: Hand-wash preferred with a non-abrasive sponge, dishwasher-safe
• Induction-compatible? Yes
• Warranty: Limited lifetime 

FAQs

What are the pros and cons of non-toxic cookware?

Non-toxic cookware doesn’t have chemicals that are found in traditional nonstick cookware, such as PFOA or PTFE, making them generally safer to use without fear of off-gassing and overall health or environmental impact. However, because non-toxic cookware—such as stainless steel, cast iron, or carbon steel—doesn’t have a nonstick coating, more care is necessary to keep them in good shape. For example, cast iron and carbon steel must go through a seasoning process before you’ll see nonstick properties with them. While some come pre-seasoned, it’s important to know how to best take care of them to keep the seasoning. See our pieces on how to season carbon steel and how to care for cast iron for more detailed guidance.

Is nonstick an example of toxic cookware?

Nonstick cookware often contains PFAS, or forever chemicals, which can be released at high temperatures. Always use nonstick pans at low temperatures, and never heat them when empty.

Are stainless steel and carbon steel cookware non-toxic? 

Yes, stainless cookware and carbon steel cookware are non-toxic since they don't have a coating. Therefore, you don’t have to worry about chemicals like PFOA or PTFE when cooking with it.

Can you cook over high heat with non-toxic cookware?

It depends on the material, but in some cases, non-toxic cookware is actually better for use over high heat. Cast iron pans can handle temperatures over 1,000˚F.

Why We're the Experts

• Serious Eats has tested dozens of pans in every category of cookware, including nonstick, copper, and cast iron.
• We regularly update and re-test winners to ensure safety and quality of our recommendations.
• An Uong is a writer for Serious Eats. She joined the team in 2024.
• An is a professional writer, covering food for a variety of national publications since 2017 and is an avid home cook.
• An's also written our reviews of citrus juicers and vegetable peelers.