The Best Nonstick Frying Pans, According to Our Test Kitchen
Every kitchen needs a nonstick pan, thanks to its versatility. Nonstick frying pans are perfect for making eggs, chicken, fish and more. And despite its name, a nonstick frying pan can also be used for sautéing, searing and more, making it an all-around workhorse pan that deserves a spot in your cabinet. To help you find the right pan for your kitchen, we've pulled together a list of the best nonstick frying pans for any job.
What to Consider When Buying a Nonstick Frying Pan
The Coating
Nonstick frying pans, also known as nonstick skillets, often get a bad reputation as being unsafe or unhealthy for you. That's because people are concerned about the chemicals associated with nonstick coating, like PFOA and PTFE (Teflon). While you're unlikely to be exposed to toxic levels of the chemicals through nonstick cookware, more research is needed on the subject.
One alternative to these pans made with these chemicals is choosing a ceramic nonstick skillet, which is not actually made primarily from ceramic. Rather, these pans are typically made from aluminum and feature a ceramic nonstick coating that is touted as being free from the chemicals associated with regular nonstick coating. However, more research needs to be done about the safety of ceramic coating, as well.
For this guide, we tested both ceramic and regular nonstick coatings, so it's up to your personal preference when you select a nonstick frying pan.
The Size
Another thing to consider when buying a nonstick skillet is the diameter. Nonstick frying pans can come in a range of sizes. For this guide, we tested 8-inch and 10-inch pans. We recommend having multiple pans of varying diameters so you always have the right size for any recipe
Related: 15 Must-Have Kitchen Tools
Best Nonstick Frying Pans
This is our list of the best nonstick skillets to make it easier for you to choose one. Each pan was tested twice: first, to make a fried egg and second, to sear a piece of salmon.
- Best Overall Nonstick Frying Pan (It's a tie!): Anolon and Le Creuset
- Best Ceramic Nonstick Frying Pan: Williams Sonoma
- Best Budget-Friendly Nonstick Frying Pan: T-fal
- Best Nonstick Frying Pan Set: Calphalon
- Best 8-Inch Nonstick Frying Pan: Abbio
- Best 10-Inch Nonstick Frying Pan: Our Place
Read on for what makes these frying pans the best, as well as the ones that deserve an honorable mention.
Best Overall Nonstick Frying Pan (Tie)
Anolon Advanced Home Frying Pan
We're big fans of Anolon's Advanced Home series (their saucepan just took a top spot in our guide for the best saucepans), and the nonstick frying pan is no different. Available in three sizes, including 8-inch, 10-inch and 12-inch, this skillet did a beautiful job of frying the egg and searing the salmon with zero stickage to the pan in either test. But our favorite part of this affordable skillet is the handle, which was the most comfortable to grip and stayed cool compared to some of its competitors. This frying pan is also easy to clean and is oven-safe up to 400℉. With all of these features, it's no question why Anolon is one of the best nonstick frying pans.
Buy it: Anolon, $30 for 8-inch pan
Le Creuset Toughened Nonstick Pro Fry Pan
The Le Creuset fry pan produced top-tier results across both tests. Thanks to the pan's ability to heat evenly and quickly, the eggs and the salmon were consistently cooked, with nice browning on the salmon (a quality that wasn't always the case with its competitors). On top of the heat conductivity, we were impressed with the pan's nonstick coating, which worked so well that not only did the proteins not stick, but neither did the oil we used to cook them in. Add the facts that this pan is oven-friendly up to 500℉, safe to use metal utensils with, can be cleaned in the dishwasher and comes in five sizes, and it's no surprise that it tied as one of the best nonstick skillets.
Buy it: Le Creuset, $80 for 8-inch pan
Best Ceramic Nonstick Frying Pan
Williams Sonoma Professional Ceramic Nonstick Plus Fry Pan, 8"
If you're looking for the best ceramic nonstick frying pan, the Williams Sonoma fry pan is the pan you've been wanting. With a ceramic coating that's free of PFOA and PTFE, this pan was slick and resulted in zero issues when it came to the proteins potentially sticking during testing. In addition to the successful ceramic nonstick coating, the handle of this pan stayed cool throughout. Plus, this nonstick skillet is oven safe up to 600℉, dishwasher-friendly and can be used with metal utensils. With all of these features, the Williams Sonoma ceramic nonstick frying pan is sure to be your go-to pan.
Buy it: Williams Sonoma, $70
Best Budget-Friendly Nonstick Frying Pan
T-fal Advanced Fry Pan
With so many helpful and unique features, the budget-friendly T-fal pan will feel like the best deal you've ever gotten. While the T-fal pan heated evenly and quickly thanks to the rings on the bottom of the pan, it was the interior of the pan that caught our attention. In the center of the pan, there is a ring, which is part of T-fal's Thermo-Spot technology. When the pan is sufficiently heated, the ring in the center will change colors, so you'll never add food to the pan before it's ready (adding food to a pan before it's heated can lead to sticking or uneven coloring). In addition to this unique feature, the T-fal pan is also dishwasher-safe, compatible with metal utensils and oven-safe up to 350℉.
Buy it: Amazon, $20 for 8-inch pan
You might also consider:
Zwilling Madura Plus, 8-Inch Nonstick Aluminum Fry Pan
Another solid option is the Zwilling fry pan, which can be used on all types of stovetops and is oven-friendly up to 300℉. This 8-inch fry pan features a PFOA-free nonstick coating that did its job well in testing as neither the egg nor the salmon stuck to the pan. The best feature of this nonstick skillet, though, is its dripless pouring rim, which makes it easy to pour something without risking an unnecessary spill. This affordable fry pan is also dishwasher-safe and can be used with metal utensils.
Buy it: Zwilling, $50
Best Nonstick Frying Pan Set
Calphalon Premier Nonstick Fry Pan, Set of 2
Featuring an 8-inch pan and a 10-inch pan, this set from Calphalon is perfect for any kitchen. The nonstick coating on the pan lives up to its name as neither test resulted in a mess in the pan. We also appreciated the pan's ability to heat quickly, all while the stainless-steel handle stayed cool and safe to touch. This duo of pans would be a great addition to your cabinets, and with their dishwasher-, metal utensil- and oven-safe (up to 450℉) features, you'll want to use these pans again and again.
Buy it: Williams Sonoma, $50
Best 8-Inch Nonstick Frying Pan
Abbio Small Nonstick Skillet
An 8-inch pan is the perfect size for searing fish, sautéing veggies and more, and we think the Abbio fry pan is one of the best for a few reasons (for our top 8-inch skillet, see above for the best overall). First, the pan conducts heat strongly and quickly, which allowed us to get a gorgeous, even sear and color on the salmon. Next, the pan's handle stays cool and is ergonomic so it's comfortable to grip and hold when you're moving around. And you can move the pan easily from the stove or oven to the table thanks to the silicone hot pad that comes with every skillet. If these features weren't enough, the pan is also dishwasher-safe for a fast cleanup. (And if you're looking for another size, learn why we love the Abbio large nonstick skillet).
Buy it: Abbio, $80
You might also consider:
Made In Nonstick Frying Pan
We're big fans of Made In (their sheet pan is featured in our guide to the best sheet pans) and the nonstick frying pan is another durable item. The nonstick coating is slick and resulted in a clean, stick-free zone after testing the egg and salmon. The pan also conducted heat well thanks to its exterior construction made from stainless steel, which is known to conduct heat quickly. With two color options for the interior nonstick coating, this 8-inch pan will get the job done.
Buy it: Made In, $89
Hestan ProBond Professional Clad Stainless-Steel Titum Nonstick Skillet
If you're looking for a high-quality pan that will last, the Hestan nonstick skillet is the perfect choice. Made with a stainless-steel exterior and a PFOA-free nonstick interior, this skillet performed nicely in terms of heat conductivity. Aside from the ergonomic handle and its oven-safe temperature up to 500℉, our favorite feature is the rivets where the handle meets the pan. Compared to other pans, the rivets in the Hestan are flush with the interior surface, which makes it easier to clean because food won't get stuck on the rivets (something that happened with multiple other pans). Oh, and this 8-inch pan is also dishwasher-safe for a fast and quick cleanup.
Buy it: Hestan Culinary, $100
Best 10-Inch Nonstick Frying Pan
Our Place Always Pan
If you're looking for an all-around pan that can fry, sauté, braise and more, the Always Pan is designed to be eight pieces of cookware in one. With its versatility and unique features including pour spouts and built-in spoon rest, this fry pan was easy to rank as the best 10-inch nonstick frying pan we tested. And speaking of the nonstick coating, it worked beautifully in both tests, so you don't have to worry about food sticking. You'll also be able to keep food from drying out thanks to the lid. These are just some of the helpful features that make this pan one of our editors' favorites. Oh, and did we mention that it comes in nine stunning colors that would work well in any kitchen?
Buy it: Our Place, $145
