The Best Nonstick Frying Pans

Food sticking to the bottom of your pan is plain old awful. Aside from having to scrub crud off the pan come cleanup time, the meal itself suffers, too. Ever had half an egg stick to the pan while the other lifts off cleanly? It's a disaster, and it can make your food's presentation look terrible. We do eat first with our eyes after all, so this isn't a good scenario. So what can you do? Simple: invest in a high-quality nonstick frying pan. That way, when you're cooking food that's prone to sticking, you won't have any of these problems. Your food will pop out neatly and look great on the plate and cleanup will be a breeze. A pan like this is definitely a great addition to any kitchen. If you're done dealing with sticking food, here are a few of the best nonstick frying pans money can buy.

OXO Good Grips Frying Pan

Use Me Here, Use Me There, You Can Use Me Anywhere

This nonstick frying pan is safe to use on the stovetop and in the oven.
Best Overall

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You’ll find yourself constantly reaching for this nonstick frying pan. It can help you make delicious meals from start to finish. Once it’s done, you can easily wash it up without leaving any residue behind. This means your food will look as great as it tastes.

The stainless steel handle stays cool to the touch, so you won’t get burned grabbing it. This handle is covered in non-slip silicone, so you can get a great grip on it while you’re stirring or flipping whatever is inside. There are a couple of different sizes available, so you might want to add them all to your kitchen. Then you’ll have all the nonstick cookware you’ll need.

Pros

  • Good heat conduction so you avoid hot pockets that burn parts of your food
  • Three layers of German-engineered coating that keep your food from sticking
  • Oven safe to 390 degrees Fahrenheit, so you can start on the stovetop and finish in the oven
  • Nice flat bottom so your eggs and other foods stay in place while they cook

Cons

  • There’s a bit of exposed metal on the handle (on the side nearest the pan). If you touch this part while the pan’s in use, it’ll hurt (you know, since metal gets hot and all)

Utopia Kitchen Nonstick Frying Pan Set

For All Your Cooking Needs

Whether you're aiming for a small meal or a feast, this nonstick frying pan set has got you covered.
Best Set

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One nonstick frying pan is rarely enough. It’s a waste of energy to cook a tiny amount of food in a large pan, but if you’re cooking for a family, you probably won’t be able to cram enough food into a pan with a smaller diameter. To help ensure you have every size you need, you should get this set. It comes with three different sizes of nonstick frying pans. You’ll get an 8-inch pan, a 9.5-inch pan, and a large 11-inch pan, so you can cook almost everything.

These pans are made from an aluminum alloy that’s durable and lightweight. You won’t feel like you’re getting an arm workout when you lift these frying pans onto the stovetop. This material also conducts heat well, so you can ensure your heat cooks evenly. These pans also feature an induction bottom, so you can use safely use them on both electric and ceramic cooktops. They’re really high-quality and offered at a low price point, so pick these up today and start cooking.

Pros

  • Set of three frying pans so you have a small, medium, and large to work with
  • Wobble-free handle that’s sturdy and strong so you won’t feel like it’s about to fall off as you’re lifting the pan
  • Great price for three pans, so the perfect way to stock your kitchen

Cons

  • These pans aren’t oven-safe, so if you’re trying to cook something that needs to finish in the oven you’ll need a different pan.

Michelangelo Stone Frying Pans Set

Pretty Pans for a Pretty Penny

You'll feel like a pro chef cooking with these amazing nonstick frying pans.
Premium Pick

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Are you ready to take your nonstick cookware up a notch in the elegance department? Go for this set of three frying pans. They’re designed to look like granite, so they’ll look beautiful in your kitchen.  The material heats quickly and maintains heat evenly for perfectly cooked food every time.

Once you’re done cooking, you’ll be able to slide the food out without any problems. The nonstick surface is made from stone, so it won’t flake off into your food or leave any funny flavors. It’s non-toxic, too, without any PTFA, PFOA, lead, or cadmium, so you won’t have to worry about chemicals leaching. It’s a healthy way to cook beautiful, scrumptious food.

Pros

  • Dishwasher-safe so cleanup really is a breeze
  • Three-piece set (8-inch, 9.5-inch, and 11-inch) for all your cooking needs
  • Can go in the oven up to 450 degrees so you can cook almost anything
  • Beautiful pan design that looks elegant and classy in your kitchen

Cons

  • Works best on low or medium heat, so if you need to cook on high you could ruin these pans.

T-fal Heatmaster Nonstick Fry Pan

An Itch You Can Scratch

This scratch-resistant nonstick frying pan will work with all your cooking utensils – even the metal ones.
Most Durable

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Most nonstick frying pans get scratched if you use metal utensils, but not this one. The finish is ultra-durable, with three strong layers infused with sapphires that can even withstand metal. This means you won’t have to buy new cooking utensils to go along with your new pan. Additionally, since it’s so strong, this pan will last you for years to come. You won’t have to replace it as often as you do traditional nonstick cookware.

But strength and durability aren’t the only great features of this nonstick frying pan. There’s a Thermo-Spot in the middle that changes when the pan is hot. That way you won’t waste any time trying to guess if it’s ready for your food to be added. The pan’s bottom is made from stainless steel that spreads the heat evenly. You won’t have to worry about your food burning in places when you cook it in this frying pan.

Pros

  • Sapphire-infused nonstick coating that is strong enough you can use metal utensils on it without scratching it
  • Oven-safe up to 500 degrees Fahrenheit, giving you versatility while cooking
  • Deep sides so your food won’t easily flop out onto the stove while you’re cooking

Cons

  • Need to season this pan before use to ensure the nonstick feature works properly (the directions that come with it are excellent, but it will take some time.)
  • Stainless steel handle isn’t coated with anything to keep it cool to the touch, so make sure you are careful when grabbing it.

Ozeri Earth Frying Pan

Chemicals Be Gone

This nonstick frying pan isn't coated with toxic chemicals that can leach into your food, but nonetheless, it'll prevent food from sticking.
Most Eco-Friendly

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If you typically avoid nonstick frying pans because you don’t want anything toxic flaking off into your food, you need this one. It’s an eco-friendly pan that uses a stone-derived coating instead of harsh chemicals. You can confidently feed your children food from this pan.

In addition, the stone coating is really easy to clean. You won’t have to deal with scraping stubborn pieces of food out of the bottom. Also, the handle is firmly attached with three rivets, so it’s not going to fall off and need to be reattached in the future. The handle is coated with silicone, a heat-resistant material that keeps you from burning your hands. With all these great features, you’ll get a lot of use out of this pan.

Pros

  • Free from APEO, GenX, PFBS, PFOS, PFOA, NMP, and NEP so you can use this pan without worrying about your safety
  • Magnetized base so you can safely use this frying pan with an induction stove
  • Nonstick coating lasts a long time and makes it a breeze to clean
  • There’s an option to purchase it with a lid if you prefer

Cons

  • Heavier than many other nonstick frying pans, so you’ll have to use a little muscle when moving it
  • You can scratch this pan if you stack other pans inside of it, unless you use felt or something to protect it

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you clean nonstick frying pans?

If you don’t clean your nonstick frying pans properly, you can mess up the coating. If this happens, your pan will no longer be nonstick, and you’ll notice that your food will begin to stick. You don’t want that, so take the time to clean them after each use. You can use a paper towel to remove any leftover food residue. Just gently wipe it down. Then, use a soft sponge with a little dishwashing soap to clean it thoroughly. You don’t want to use any steel wool or other rough materials to clean this pan. Once it’s clean, rinse it and let it dry before storing it.

Why can’t you use metal utensils in nonstick cooking pans?

Unless otherwise indicated, you don’t want to use metal spatulas or spoons in your nonstick frying pans. The metal will scrape through the nonstick coating, leaving scratches in the bottom of your pan. Eventually, the coating will wear completely off and you won’t have the benefit of a nonstick pan anymore. If your pan gets too scratched, you’ll need to replace it.

What temperature should I use for my nonstick frying pans?

Nonstick pans and high heat do not go together. You can ruin them if you turn the knob past medium. So, keep it low and cook things a little bit slower. They will turn out better in the end, and won’t stick to your pan.