People who strive for a greener lifestyle are increasingly using glass food containers, metal drinking straws, and silicone storage bags. Nevertheless, if you have been using the same pans for years, your cookware might be next on your list.
Eco-friendly is a very broad term, but here we’re thinking about quality pieces made from durable materials that will last for a long time, keeping them out of landfills. Moreover, the cookware below offers non-PTFE/PFOA alternatives to traditional nonstick options (such as ceramic coating), upcycled materials, and pieces that allow for less energy consumption, all excellent eco-friendly features.
You don’t have to throw away your old cookware anymore. We’ve compiled a list of the best eco-friendly cookware brands for you to take note of.
Best Overall: T-fal Initiatives Aluminum/Ceramic Nonstick Cookware
If you need a new cookware set but want to keep costs low, try T-Fal’s Initiatives line of cookware. The 14 pieces in this set are constructed from heavy-gauge aluminum with PTFE, PFOA, and cadmium-free ceramic coatings that can withstand high temperatures and distribute heat quickly and uniformly. You can see your food as it cooks through the glass lids that are included, and the handles are heat-resistant. As our tester noted, these pans are fairly light, which makes them ideal for people who don’t want to move heavy cookware around.
Three sizes of fry pans are included (8.5-inch, 10.5-inch, and 11-inch), two saucepans, and a 5-quart Dutch oven, as well as four nylon cooking utensils. They are also oven-safe up to 350 degrees and can be used on most cooktops, except induction.
Best Ceramic: Caraway Cookware Set
There are plenty of ceramic cookware options available, but none are as attractive as this set from the newly-launched Caraway Home. The trendy color palette and clean lines are perfect for a modern minimalist kitchen. The company offers a complete cookware set constructed of ceramic-coated aluminum with stainless steel handles. All cooktops (including induction) are compatible with the pans, so you don’t need to worry about them melting in the oven. After cooking, you can either place the pans in the dishwasher or wash them by hand (recommended).
The only thing our tester noticed was that the handles tend to become hot when used on the stove for a long period of time. When you need to move your pans, have a thick dishtowel or potholder on hand.
A great deal, considering how many pieces are included: a 10.5-inch frying pan, a 3-quart saucepan, a 4.5-quart saucepan, and a 6.5-quart Dutch oven, plus a handy lid storage organizer. But if you only need certain pieces, Caraway recently started offering their cookware a la carte – perfect for trying out a few pans before purchasing the entire set.
This ceramic cookware set from newly launched Caraway Home is attractive despite the abundance of options out there. The trendy color palette and clean lines are perfect for a modern minimalist kitchen. Ceramic-coated aluminum cookware with stainless steel handles are available from the brand. These pans are oven-safe up to 550 degrees and work on any cooktop (including induction). After cooking, you can either place the pans in the dishwasher or wash them by hand (recommended).
The only thing our tester noticed was that the handles tend to become hot when used on the stove for a long period of time. When you need to move your pans, have a thick dishtowel or potholder on hand.
There are many pieces in the set, including a 10.5-inch frying pan, a 3-quart saucepan, a 4.5-quart saucepan, and a 6.5-quart Dutch oven, plus a handy lid storage organizer. Caraway recently started selling select pieces a la carte—perfect for experimenting with a pan or two before committing to a larger set.
Best for Beginners: Ozeri 10-Inch Green Earth Frying Pan
They are coated with German-made Greblon ceramic, which is free of PTFE and PFOA. This scratch-resistant surface is textured and designed to withstand high temperatures.
Reviewers noted that these pans are best used at low or medium heat to preserve the nonstick layers. Other steps are necessary to maintain the pan, such as seasoning the surface and watching out for mineral buildup if your water is hard.
They are die-cast aluminum pans with a magnetized bottom that allows heat to transfer quickly on induction stoves. Ozeri’s Green Earth collection includes a 12-inch wok and three sizes of frying pans – 8-inch, 10-inch, and 12-inch – with corresponding lids.
Best Stainless: All-Clad D3 Stainless 10-Piece Cookware Set
This classic triple-ply set by All-Clad features a stainless steel exterior and an aluminum core for a professional cookware collection. It uses less energy than other types of cookware due to its excellent heat conductivity along the bottom and sidewalls. It is safe to use in the dishwasher, and it can be put in the oven to 600°F (without lids).
This set includes a 2-quart saucepan with lid, a 3-quart soup pot with lid, a 3-quart saute pan with lid, an 8-quart stockpot with lid, and two skillets (8-inch and 10-inch). A limited lifetime warranty is offered on this collection by All-Clad since these are meant to last, aligned with the idea of “buying less, but buying better quality” that supports eco-friendly shopping.
Best Professional: Scanpan Classic 2-Piece Fry Pan Set
Cookware from Scanpan features PFOA-free GreenTek non-stick surfaces and ceramic-titanium coatings. It’s Professional line consists of dutch ovens, fry pans, saucepans, sauté pans, grill pans, sauce pots, woks, and steel lids.
Cooking with this cookware should not be done at extremely high temperatures. These pans can be used on electric, gas, induction, and halogen stoves and are oven-proof and dishwasher-safe. Scanpan offers two other cookware lines with the Green Tek coating in addition to its professional line.
We also have compiled a guide that will help you choose pots and pans for gas stove, if your are looking for the best one.
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