Tramontina Primaware 18 Piece Non-stick Cookware Set, Red
As a safe alternative, stainless steel, ceramic, glass, and cast-iron pots and pans are the go-to materials to avoid risky ingredients seeping into your food. If you’re looking for predominantly nonstick cookware, make sure to read the labels — nonstick ceramic is a fantastic option for toxin-free cookware that is slick enough to cook even the stickiest foods. The safest options shouldn’t contain any PFAs and should be PFOA-free. The innovative Our Place pan provides the convenience of a multifunctional pan without using any harmful chemicals like PFAs, lead, cadmium, toxic metals, and nanoparticles.
If you’re not looking for an entire cookware set, these PTFE, PFOA, and PFA-free pieces can all be shopped separately, too. No, carbon steel is not technically non-stick (as in, like a Teflon nonstick skillet). However, it will become more slick and virtually non-stick the more you use it/as seasoning’s built up. All the reviews on this page concentrate on Tramontina cookware sets. For a smaller Tramontina tri-ply clad set, there are also 8 and 10-piece sets available for your frying and boiling needs. The pan’s handle is comfortable to hold, with a removable silicone grip to protect your hands.
The nonstick coating will lose its slickness over time—that’s unavoidable. You’ll know it’s time to replace your nonstick pan when delicate foods, such as eggs and fish fillets, stick to the surface. But before you throw your pan in the trash, check your local recycling program to see whether it accepts cookware. We think the best alternative to nonstick pans is a well-seasoned cast-iron or carbon-steel pan.
But while this was a flaw for some pans in crepe testing, we don’t think it’s a dealbreaker overall. A lightweight pan is also the secret of the bit of culinary magic, where one uses a flick of the wrist to send vegetables careening up the edge of the pan and back onto themselves. If the pan is too heavy, it becomes impossible to sauté with one hand.
A large set offers variety in sizes and styles, but if you rarely cook for a crowd, you may not need a larger-capacity saute pan or stockpot that might come in a bigger set. Also consider the accessories included with a set, which are included in a set’s piece count, and decide if they are the material and type that you need. Pay attention to the material and sizes of the included lids—bear in mind that glass lids are usually less heat-proof than metal (particularly in the oven), but do allow you to visually monitor your cooking.
A number of new cookware startups offer nonstick skillets, but most are pricey and have persistent stock issues. Material Kitchen’s 10.5-inch pan is currently $115, which is tramontina pans more than we think you should pay for a piece of cookware with such a limited lifespan. The OXO Good Grips Pro nonstick anodized aluminum skillet feels solid and well made.
A carbon steel skillet can be used for everything from sautéed vegetables to seared meat to baked items like cornbread or fruit crumble. They can shallow-fry, cook fish, and roast a whole chicken, too. The only thing you shouldn’t cook in one is long-simmered, acidic sauces, which can eat away at the seasoning (just like cast iron). Even after completely seasoning each of the unseasoned pans, none of them were able to cook over-easy eggs without sticking. This isn’t exactly unexpected, and seasoning will continue to build up over time.
We couldn’t make an even layer of eggs before folding, and that resulted in a lumpy omelet. Our former runner-up pick, the Cuisinart Contour Hard Anodized nonstick pan, is still a good choice. But its price is too steep to justify, given this pan’s incompatibility with induction cooktops.