How we test nonstick cookware

In the Good Housekeeping Institute Kitchen Appliances and Technology Lab, we fried 165 eggs, seared 50 steaks and more to rate more than 35 new cookware lines. We tested how evenly skillets distributed heat on gas and electric ranges, how well they browned meat and how well saucepans maintained a steady simmer and resisted scorching sauce. We evaluated how well nonstick surfaces released eggs and pancakes and after, how easy they were to clean. Finally, we checked how easy all cookware items were to use, including whether handles became hot to the touch and whether each piece was oven- and/or dishwasher-safe.

Our favorite nonstick pans were the ones that could do it all, from cooking an egg with no oil to searing a steak and being easy to clean after. Below are our favorite nonstick pans, including top-tested picks, editor favorites and new releases with innovative features that make cooking easy. Here are our picks for the best nonstick pans of 2021:

• Best Overall Nonstick Cookware: Calphalon 10-Piece Nonstick Cookware Set
• Best Value Nonstick Cookware: T-fal Signature Nonstick Cookware Set
• Most Durable Nonstick Cookware: Ninja Foodi NeverStick Premium Hard-Anodized Cookware Set
• Best Nonstick Cookware for Even Heating: Anolon Advanced Hard-Anodized Non-Stick Cookware Set
• Most Versatile Nonstick Cookware: All Clad Essentials Nonstick Cookware Set
• Best Ceramic Nonstick Cookware: GreenPan Revolution Ceramic Nonstick 10-Piece Cookware Set
• Best Lightweight Nonstick Cookware: Scanpan Classic 14-Piece Cookware Set
• Best Aluminum Nonstick Cookware: Zwilling Forté Nonstick Cookware Set
• Best Metal-Utensil Safe Nonstick Cookware: HexClad Hybrid Nonstick Cookware Set
• Best Nonstick Cookware for Beginners: Rachael Ray Hard Anodized Nonstick Cookware Set

Is nonstick cookware safe?

Traditional nonstick pans have gotten a bad rap because many are made with Teflon (also known as PTFE) which, at high temperatures releases compounds into the air that are linked to some cancers. Today, many nonstick pans are made without PTFE, but, either way, nonstick cookware is safe, according to Robert L. Wolke, Ph.D., a professor emeritus of chemistry at the University of Pittsburgh and the author of What Einstein Told His Cook: Kitchen Science Explained, as long as you use them properly and don't overheat them. How hot is too hot? PTFE starts to decompose at 500ºF and more significantly at 660ºF, so use your nonstick pans over a medium or low flame.

Tips for using nonstick cookware

• Never heat an empty pan, which will get hotter much faster and approach the 500ºF mark quicker.
• Use medium or low heat to cook with nonstick, but fefer to the manufacturer's instructions for what temperature is best.
• Use less oil than you would in a stainless steel pan: you won't need it to coat the pan.
• Avoid using metal utensils that can scratch the nonstick coating unless your instruction manual explicitly says you can,
• Avoid putting nonstick cookware in the dishwasher; the coating will wear faster.