Whether you’re making pancakes, seared steaks or fluffy omelettes, a frying pan that sizzles food without sticking to it is a kitchen necessity. Yet health and environmental concerns about non-stick coatings and “forever chemicals” are making it increasingly complicated to pick the perfect pan.
Manufacturers of non-stick coatings insist they’re perfectly safe, but a growing number of companies are advertising their products as PFOA- or PFOS-free, all the same. So what are these controversial chemicals, and what’s the alternative if you don’t want your food to stick?
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What are forever chemicals, or PFAS?
For the uninitiated, per- and polyfluorinated alkyl substances (PFAS) are a group of chemicals that have been added to various consumer products, including cookware, since the 1950s. There are thousands of these chemicals, and they’re extremely useful, allowing dirt, grease – and eggs – to slide off surfaces. But once thrown away, it can take hundreds or even thousands of years for PFAS to degrade, which is why they are often referred to as “forever chemicals”. They can also leach out of landfill to contaminate soil and water, and accumulate in the tissues of living things over time. That can “threaten the wellbeing of species already struggling under mounting environmental pressures,” says Hannah Evans, a project manager at the environmental charity Fidra.
A handful of PFAS that have been researched in depth have been linked to health issues such as cancer, immune system disorders and fertility problems. This EPA report is a reputable source and provides a good overview of the knowns and unknowns.
However, most of these chemicals are understudied, meaning their health and environmental impact is unknown. Some may be perfectly safe, including the PTFE- or Teflon-based coatings that are often sprayed on to pans to make them non-stick – although additional PFAS may have been used to manufacture them.
There are questions about their toxicity. For example, tetrafluoroethylene is used to make PTFE and the US National Institutes of Health lists it as “reasonably anticipated to be a human carcinogen”. GenX is another chemical used to make Teflon and other types of PTFE. The US Environment Protection Agency has concluded that it may also be carcinogenic, based on animal studies.
Because we can be exposed to PFAS in so many ways, and it is difficult to identify specific “causes and effects” for individual chemicals, many campaigners believe it is better to be safe than sorry – particularly when PFAS-free alternatives exist. Fidra and others are calling for a group-based restriction on all non-essential uses of PFAS in the UK, including frying pans. The good news is that alternative non-stick coatings are available, as are other types of frying pans that have no coatings at all, such as stainless steel or cast iron pans.
Here’s our roundup of the best PFAS-free crepe pans and all-purpose frying pans for Pancake Day and beyond.
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The best PFAS-free crepe pans
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Best carbon steel crepe pan:
De Buyer Mineral B crepe pan
£58.78 at Nisbets
£58.87 at Amazon
Crafted in France from carbon steel, which heats up quickly and conducts heat well, fans of the De Buyer Mineral B crepe pan say it helps make an authentic French-style crepe with crispy edges. Like cast iron, it can withstand high temperatures, but it’s lighter, making it easier to toss pancakes. It can also be used for cooking dosas, injera and searing vegetables. The pan is oven safe for up to 10 minutes at 200C.
Carbon steel needs regular seasoning with oil, and this pan needs to be pre-seasoned before its first use. It should be cleaned only with a damp cloth and must be thoroughly dried and oiled before storage. Follow these instructions, and you’ll be rewarded with a crepe pan that builds up a dark patina and becomes more non-stick with time. This pan comes with a two-year guarantee.
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Best non-stick crepe pan:
GreenPan Copenhagen pancake pan
£54.40 at GreenPan
£68 at John Lewis
This specialist crepe pan is light and shallow and helps create delightfully flippable pancakes that slide off the surface with ease. It features GreenPan’s Thermolon non-stick coating, and it is suitable for all hob types.
GreenPan is verified PFAS-free by Fidra, and the key material in its non-stick cookware is silicon dioxide – which is also found in natural sand. The brand claims its non-stick coating is heat-resistant up to 450C (850F), oven-safe up to 220C (425F) and dishwasher-safe. Even so, it recommends using its pan on a low to medium heat, using a small amount of oil – but not olive oil – or butter rather than cooking sprays, hand-washing with a soft cloth, and avoiding metal utensils to help preserve the coating.
If you’re after a low-maintenance crepe pan, GreenPan’s is a great alternative to a carbon steel one.
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Best cast-iron crepe pan:
Le Creuset small cast iron crepe pan
£139 at Le Creuset
£139 at Amazon
While owners of conventional cast iron pans may be wary of cooking pancakes in them, this classic-looking Le Creuset pan has a PFAS-free enamel coating, which users describe as a gamechanger – provided it is heated up slowly and a smear of oil or butter added before the batter. The pan is a little heavy for tossing but pancakes can be easily flipped using the wooden spatula provided. It can also be used for frying french toast, chapatis, naan bread, or grilling meat and vegetables (the pan is grill- and oven-safe).
Provided the pan is used in normal, domestic conditions and the care and use instructions are followed, Le Creuset offers a lifetime guarantee covering faulty workmanship and materials.
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The best all-purpose PFAS-free frying pans
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Best non-stick frying pan:
GreenPan Barcelona Pro
£76 at GreenPan
£76 at Harts of Stur
With its deep, sloped sides, and elegant styling, this frying pan is perfect for cooking eggs, fish and vegetables with minimal oil, or simmering sauces such as bolognese, although it is a little too deep for pancakes. It features the same non-stick coating as GreenPan’s Copenhagen pancake pan and if used following the instructions, is covered by a two-year warranty for manufacturing and material defects.
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Best small non-stick frying pan:
Earth Pan ceramic non-stick frying pan
The Earth Pan range is made without PFAS and uses a lead- and cadmium-free non-stick coating. Its handle – made from recycled plastics – is designed to stay cool to the touch throughout cooking. It also comes with a five-year guarantee, provided it’s used following the manufacturer’s instructions.
This 20cm frying pan has gently sloping sides, making it ideal for cooking omelettes and other small to medium-sized meals. However, it’s not oven-safe, so it’s not as versatile as some other non-stick pans.
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Most versatile non-stick pan:
Our Place Always Pan 2.0
From £100 at Our Place
From £100 at Amazon
If you have limited kitchen space and need a non-stick frying pan with multiple functions, Our Place’s Always Pan is worthy of consideration. Supporting up to 10 cooking methods – including roasting and steaming – one of the few things this pan is poorly equipped to handle is pancakes, due to its deep sides.
Our Place claims its pan’s ceramic coating is heat- and oven-resistant up to 230C (446F), which should make it fine for low to medium heats. Some users have complained that the coating can become less slippery with time, though, so it’s worth paying close attention to the manufacturer’s instructions.
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Best budget non-stick pan:
MasterClass ceramic coated frying pan
£19.96 at Harts of Stur
£21.99 at Amazon
For chefs who prefer a light and shallow non-stick pan, the MasterClass ceramic induction-ready pan is a good choice, although some caution that the coating gradually becomes less non-stick if used on high heat settings. So, as with other PFAS-free non-stick pans, it’s worth reading the manufacturer’s instructions and accepting that this pan may need replacing after a few years – although it is guaranteed for 15 years.
This frying pan weighs 750g, is equipped with a ceramic handle to avoid it getting hot, and has gently sloping sides, making it good for pancake tossing.
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Best stainless-steel frying pan:
ProCook Elite tri-ply frying pan
Professional chefs often opt for stainless-steel cookware, due to its durability, resistance to scratches and corrosion, good heat conductivity, and ability to handle high temperatures. These pans are excellent for most cooking, from searing meat to frying. There’s no non-stick coating to wear off, so such pans should have a long lifespan – ProCook’s Elite tri-ply pan comes with a 25-year guarantee. Its construction comprises a stainless-steel exterior, aluminium core and stainless-steel interior, which ensures even cooking without hotspots. It’s also oven-safe to 260C and dishwasher-safe, although cleaning is best done in hot soapy water with a non-wire scouring pad.
The lack of non-stick coating means chefs should add a glug of oil or smear of butter to the pan before cooking to prevent food from sticking. To cook pancakes in a stainless-steel pan, ProCook’s food expert Steven Carter-Bailey recommends preheating it over low to medium heat and testing if it’s ready by sprinkling a few drops of water on to the surface: “If they dance and sizzle, you’re good to go.” You should then add a thin layer of oil, butter or ghee before pouring in the batter. Between batches, lightly reapply oil and adjust the heat, if necessary, to prevent burning.
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Best cast iron frying pan:
Solidteknics iron skillet
Cast iron pans are renowned for their durability, excellent heat retention and ability to withstand high temperatures, which means you can use them to sear steaks, cook or fry things slowly, create oven-baked dishes, or even cook over an open fire. However, they’re heavy and require regular seasoning to prevent rust.
Wrought from a single sheet of iron, Solidteknics’ pan is half the weight of a conventional cast iron pan and comes pre-seasoned with rice bran oil, although it might be worth doing an additional season yourself to improve the pan’s non-stick qualities.
The secret to preventing sticking in an iron pan is to preheat it for several minutes on a low to medium heat (if the pan gets too hot, this can also cause food to stick to its surface and burn) and add oil or butter before any food.
With no coatings or joins to wear out or fail, this pan comes with a “multi-century warranty” for all defects related to materials or manufacturing that occur during normal cooking. The company suggests cleaning it only with hot water and a soft sponge, never placing it in a dishwasher, thoroughly drying it before storage, and regularly seasoning it with a thin layer of cooking oil.
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What you need to know
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How do you identify a PFAS-free pan?
For now, it is up to consumers to decide whether to buy a conventional non-stick pan or a PFAS-free alternative. However, choosing the latter isn’t as straightforward as it may seem. Many pans are labelled “PFOA-free” or “PFOS-free”, referencing two PFAS with proven health concerns, but these chemicals are already banned under a global treaty called the Stockholm Convention. “Neither do these labels necessarily mean the pan is free from all PFAS, only those specific named PFAS,” says Eleanor Hawke, a campaigner for the environmental charity Chem Trust.
Many highly rated non-stick pans that made it on to our longlist were rejected after closer inspection revealed that they contained PTFE or Teflon. This was also true of some “ceramic” coated pans, which also contained PTFE. Teflon and other types of PTFE are considered inert below about 260C, but there are concerns that they may release harmful chemicals when heated to high temperatures. And as mentioned above, the PFAS chemicals used to manufacture these substances can get into rivers and drinking water, accumulating in the plants and animals we eat, and so on. There are also worries about what happens to PTFE when it is thrown away and begins to degrade over the coming centuries. For these reasons, I have avoided reviewing pans coated with PTFE or Teflon.
“To know whether the pan is PFAS-free, we would recommend consumers ask the retailer,” Hawke says. However, because manufacturers are not required to disclose if PFAS is contained in their products, retailers may not know. Evans of Fidra recommends checking product labels for mention of PFAS, as well as PFOA or PFOS, but a PFOA/PFOS label is largely meaningless: a PFAS-free label is more helpful as this covers PTFE.
What are the alternatives?
A growing number of companies are applying PFAS-free non-stick coatings to their cookware. Fidra lists some of these on its website, including some non-UK-based companies, but this is “by no means an exhaustive list”, Evans says.
An alternative is to avoid non-stick coatings altogether, especially as these will eventually wear off, and opt for a stainless steel, iron or carbon steel pan instead. The latter two require a little more upkeep, including regular “seasoning”, which involves rubbing a small amount of cooking oil into their surface. And these pans require more oil or butter to be added before cooking to prevent food from sticking. But if they’re well cared for, they can last a lifetime.
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Linda Geddes is a former Guardian science correspondent
