by When your favorite frying pan with non-stick coating starts to lose its anti-bin coating or you have hit your best soup pot around a few too often, it is probably time to let your old cookware go. “It is important to replace cooking utensils when signing deterioration starts to show,” says Li Li, associate professor of public health at the University of Nevada, Reno, and an expert in exposure and health sciences. Although he admits that there is no specific guideline for how often pots or pans should be replaced, “is a good rule of thumb such as deep scratches, dents and pits can be found on cooking slices, or if the coating peels or flakes, it is time to buy something new.”
If you have been put on the market for a new set, it is important to be conscientious about the pots and pans that you select to ensure that you add non-toxic cookware to your kitchen. Although new, high -quality cooking utensils that are sold in large retailers is largely considered safe, it is important to be aware of some potential risks, so that you can make the best decision for yourself and your family.
For example, although perfluorectaneous acid (PFOA) that was once used in Teflon-coated anti-stick cooking utensils was reduced because of the links to health problems, there are other chemicals in the same family (per and polyfluoralkyl substances or PFAs) that are still used. “We do not yet know whether these other chemicals will be just as harmful in the long term as PFOA. This is something that researchers, including people like me, are still working to find out,” he says.
Krystal Pollitt, university teacher Epidemiology and environmental health at the Yale School of Public Health, doubles the importance of selecting cooking utensils that these other PFAS chemicals do not contain. “PFAs are known as ‘Forever Chemicals’. [They] are very difficult to break down and are linked to chronic diseases. Switching to alternatives eliminates exposure to the forever chemicals in the anti-pick-up coatings and [their] associated risk, “she explains.
Your best gamble while shopping is to search for cookware that says “pfoa-free” or “pfas-free”. Non-Stick Cookware also often uses a polytetrafluorethylene (PTFE) coating that is known to be a source of microplastic exposure when the anti-stick surface is scratched or broken. If you try to cut down plastics to reduce your overall intake, it can opt for “ptfe-free” cookware or products that do not use this type of anti-bin coating help to reduce your risk. Stainless steel, cast iron and cooking utensils with ceramics are often considered the best non-toxic cookware options, because these products do not use coatings that contain PFAS or PTFEs. “I eliminated all anti-stick coated cooking utensils and use stainless steel, carbon steel and cast iron products,” says Pollitt.
However, it is still important to note that not all metal -based cooking utensil products are the same. “If you use metal -based cooking utensils, such as stainless steel, aluminum or cast iron, some products of lower quality can contain trace -in -handed metals that can lend in food during cooking. It is best to invest in high -quality products,” says Li. He proposes to search for brands marked as approved by the FDA.
To help you find the best non-toxic cookware on the market, we have investigated high-quality options and nine cookware sets and a few extra stand-alone pans (made from different materials) to find the best. This is what we have discovered.
Table of contents
UPDATE, 25 September 2025: We have confirmed the current prices and availability for all products. Our number 1 pick remains unchanged.
The best non-toxic cookware set
(Back to top)
Other non-toxic cooking utensils that we love
(Back to top)
Best non-toxic skillets
If you don’t have to replace your entire cooking utensils, but you have a few or two who have seen better days, you can choose to buy a single frying pan. Here are a few of our favorite options.
(Back to top)
Non-toxic bakingware, cooking tools and accessories
Although we have not personally tested the following cooking tools and accessories, the selection of non-toxic cooking utensils goes beyond your basic jars and pans. If you choose to change some of your other kitchen tools, use the same materials guidelines to make your selections.
How we chose the best non-toxic cooking utensils
Before we select products to test for this piece, we read the current research and literature on non-toxic cooking utensils and possibly harmful chemicals that are sometimes included in cooking utensil products. We then consulted two professors of public health with expertise in the field of environmental health and exposure sciences to get their view of safe cooking utensils and how you can select safer pots and pans. Finally, we have investigated a wide range of popular cooking utensils and products, chosen to test nine cooking sets and some extra individual cooking utenses items personally.
We considered product style, weight, versatility, cooking and cleaning, any special functions and claims or certifications with regard to the safety of the product. We have given products special attention to products with third -party certifications or tests that indicated that the product was free from PFOA, PFAS, PTFE or heavy metals.
(Back to top)
Other cookware sets that we have tested
-
Hestan Thomas Keller Insignia Commercially Dressed Stainless Steel 7-piece Cooking Gear Set: These cooking utensils have a lot for it. We love the high-quality craftsmanship, the universal ventilated lid that can be moved between pots and pans and the fact that the oven is safe to 600 ° F. In fact, this would be one of our top choices as a “expansion” until we have noticed a small detail: the anti-sink pan that is not in the set is pfoa-free. Does this mean that it is not safe? No, but we choose to be careful. If you are looking for a high-end option, you can always put the non-stick pan aside or buy individual pots or pans (we really love the universal lid).
-
Course cookie nit-lick display: We have set our car shops for more than a year and assumed that it would make our top choices, but the Greenpan Valencia Pro set is simply better around. Although the caraway set is beautiful and functional and all has the same non-toxic benefits as the Greenpan set, the residence base of the Greenpan offers a better balance on the stove, the cooking barrels are safe to 600 ° F (versus caraway’s 550 ° F) and they are metal utensilion-safe’s not). The caraway cookie utensils is also heavier and a bit more cumbersome to move.
-
Great Jones Precious Metals Set: Just like the Caraway set, this amazing Jones -Kookrei is beautiful. We thought it would have a chance on our top position for stainless steel cooking utensils, but the Tramontina set had more for it. The NSF certification of Tramontina for safety and sustainability was a large sales argument. Moreover, the Tramontina set has more cooking ships, is more affordable and supported by a lifetime guarantee. That said, we loved the functionality of some of the individual pieces, such as the saucy, which includes etched measurements on the interior and a cast rash. We have also shown the deep cut above as one of our favorite skillets, thanks to the high walls and the lid, which strengthens its versatility.
-
Cuisinart 12-part cookware set Multiclad Pro: There is really not much negative to say about this set of Cuisinart. It even won the best overall cooking utensils. It is affordable, durable and of high quality, and given that the stainless steel is, you can feel good about the non-toxic status. However, I could not find information about the dedication of the brand for safety, which led to the Greenpan and Tramontina sets for the best overall and best stainless steel categories respectively.
-
Merten & Storck 10 “frying pan with carbon steel: This is a high -quality frying pan with carbon steel that performs well, especially when cooking with high heating. It is also slightly lighter than the other carbon steel frying pans that I have tested, giving it a greater maneuverability. That said, the evidence is (so to speak), and I notice that I travel more often to the OXO version, thanks to the silicone sleeve that makes its use a little more comfortable.
-
Greenpan x Bobby Flay 10 “Carbon steel frying pan: Although I love my Bobby Flay cast iron frying pans and they often use them, I just didn’t notice that I used these carbon steel frying pan when I gave the choice between it and the other carbon steel pans that I have tested.
(Back to top)
Meet our experts
-
Li Li, Association Lecturer Public Health at the University of Nevada, Reno and expert in exposure and health sciences
-
Krystal Pollitt, university teacher Epidemiology and Environmental Health at the Yale School of Public Health
(Back to top)
Our health content is only for informative purposes and is not intended as professional medical advice. Consult a medical professional about questions about your health.
