Why Cheap Nonstick Skillets Are Best

I'm the last person to advise buying cheap stuff just for the sake of cheapness. I've invested in some fairly pricey kitchen equipment over the years, from high-quality enameled cast iron to top-notch Japanese knives; in almost every case, I've concluded that, while the initial purchase stings a bit, you usually make up for it when you're buying tools that can last a lifetime. Spread out over years of use, an item's high up-front cost can start to seem downright economical.

But not in the case of nonstick cookware. No, when it comes to nonstick, I say go cheap or go home.

When Should You Use a Nonstick Pan?

First, a note about why and when you'd want to use nonstick in the first place. It's the slipperiest genre of cookware we have, and it's particularly helpful for dishes that are prone to sticking (like eggs). Truthfully, you don't ever have to use nonstick—you can rely solely on cast iron and carbon steel, both of which will develop a fairly decent nonstick surface given proper seasoning and care. But, no matter how well you maintain those old-school pans, they won't deliver the same degree of cling avoidance as a modern nonstick surface. (There's a reason why we compare slick politicians to Teflon and not cast iron.) There's also the option of non-toxic ceramic nonstick pans (you can read our full review of them here), but they tend to be pricier than—and just as scratchable as—traditional nonstick.

In my own home, I keep just a couple of nonstick pans, which I use almost exclusively for cooking egg dishes like omelets and scrambled eggs, though they're helpful for making thin pancakes like crepes as well.

Why You Should Use Cheap Nonstick Pans

Unfortunately, neither ceramic nor Teflon-based nonstick coatings is durable enough to last several years, let alone a lifetime. They're generally considered safe to use as long as they're undamaged, but if you're determined to pay top dollar for nonstick, that leaves you with two equally unappealing options: Spend a lot on replacing worn-out pans every few years, or continue to cook on potentially harmful, degraded nonstick surfaces well beyond their useful lifespans. Not really much of a choice.

The third option—buying it cheap—is therefore the best. In most cases, that means restaurant-grade aluminum pans, which are affordable. At home, I use an eight-inch nonstick pan, which is the perfect size for a classic three-egg omelette. For most other tasks, like making frittatas and scrambling a bigger batch of eggs, a 10-inch skillet can serve you well.

What's the Best Material for Nonstick Pans?

Nonstick pans are made from aluminum and coated with a PTFE (polytetrafluoroethylene) nonstick topping. Just keep a few things in mind as you shop:

• Aluminum-core pans won't work on induction ranges, so if you have an induction stovetop, you may need to cough up more money for a skillet that's clad in stainless steel. (That, or rely exclusively on cast iron and/or carbon steel for all your nonstick cooking needs.)
• Avoid any pans that are made from a very thin gauge of aluminum, since they can be prone to warping. A lot of pans don't advertise their gauge, so if you're buying in person, you may just have to judge thickness by eye.
• Many pans come with the handle riveted onto the pan body. There's nothing wrong with that, but do note that those rivets can make cleaning a little less easy. They aren't a deal-breaker for me, but if you find a rivet-free nonstick pan, it'll be slightly less of a pain to wipe clean.

One final note: I know that I'm advocating a kind of pro-disposable mentality regarding nonstick cookware, which is not great for our landfills and the environment. Unfortunately, for nonstick, I don't really see an alternative. The coating will eventually fail, at which point replacement is the only course of action.

If that reality just isn't an acceptable one, which it understandably may not be, then cast iron and carbon steel really are your only nonstick options (you could also check out Hexclad, though they cost a pretty penny, and we're not positive their coating won't wear off eventually). They won't provide a perfect nonstick surface like the modern ones many of us rely on for our egg cookery (and, hopefully, not much else), but with proper care, they can come close. And they last more than one lifetime.

FAQs

Should you buy a nonstick cast iron skillet?

No, we don't recommend buying a nonstick cast iron skillet. For the types of high-heat (read: searing) applications cast iron is often used for, nonstick just isn't suitable. In fact, we don't think nonstick is appropriate for most cooking tasks. Instead, we recommend just buying a cast iron skillet and a nonstick pan.

Are ceramic nonstick skillets worth buying?

A ceramic nonstick skillet is made with layers of silica (which comes from sand), and it doesn't contain per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (aka PFAS), the family of chemical compounds that PTFE (aka Teflon) belongs to. Ceramic nonstick skillets are often more expensive, too, but if you're concerned about forever chemicals like the ones mentioned, they may provide peace of mind. After testing a dozen ceramic skillets, our favorite is from Caraway, and we like this budget-friendly option from Kyocera. You can read our ceramic skillets review here.

Can you clean a nonstick skillet in the dishwasher?

While most nonstick skillets are marketed as being dishwasher-safe, we wouldn't recommend it because the high heat can damage the nonstick coating. Sure, nonstick skillets aren't built to last, but it's nice to have them last as long as you can, and hand-washing them is one way to preserve the finish.

Why We're the Experts

• Daniel Gritzer is the editorial director of Serious Eats and has worked for the site since 2014.
• He has worked in numerous restaurants and organic farms and has developed countless recipes for Serious Eats.
• We've tested hundreds of pans, including nonstick skillets and ceramic pans across various price points, and have added a few of our cheap nonstick recommendations here.