A good non-stick pan makes cooking feel effortless - whether it’s preparing the perfect pancake, fried fish fillet, or bean burger, your cooking can either be helped or hindered by your arsenal of pans. The best non-stick pan set is a home cook’s best friend; they make it easy to sizzle sticky batters to perfection, crisp beef mince, and flip fluffy omelettes. They’re also a dream when handling thick sauces, porridges and risottos, all of which tend to weld themselves to standard pan surfaces.
And it’s not just the cooking that’s easier, non-stick cookware is quick to clean, saving you time and effort. No more endless scrubbing hunched over the sink. If you follow the manufacturer’s care instructions, non-stick pans are typically very durable, so you can expect them to last for many years. These pans can even help you cut down on oil or butter when cooking, making for healthier meals.
That sounds great, but there’s a lot of jargon about these pans. There’s a wide range of materials to choose from, including traditional cast iron and stainless steel options, as well as Teflon and ceramic.
Cast iron and stainless steel pans can take very high temperatures, but often require more skill and patience to make them non-stick. In contrast, Teflon and other similar synthetic non-stick polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) materials are extremely easy to use and clean. Unfortunately, though largely safe, some of these pans have been linked with so-called forever chemicals, which could be carcinogenic. Ceramic non-stick pans have become popular as a nontoxic alternative to these synthetic per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). However, these pans can be very expensive.
It’s a lot to weigh up, and that’s before you even know how these pans perform. That’s why I decided to put some of the best to the test.
How I tested
Each of the non-stick pan sets featured here was tested on the same induction stove and employed in preparing a huge variety of dishes – from omelettes and pancakes to grilled mince balls and flaky lemon sole to egg-fried rice and porridge.
I rated each set on numerous factors:
Why you can trust IndyBest reviews
Alicia Miller is an award-winning travel and food writer who has tested everything from the best skillets to the best rice cookers for IndyBest. Her kitchen product knowledge is second to none, so you can trust that in her reviews, Alicia will always share her honest opinions and will only recommend products she believes are worth your money.
The best non-stick pan sets for 2025 are:
GreenPan Barcelona pro fry pan set
Best: Non-stick pan overall
Non-stick coating: Ceramic
Contents: 24cm frying pan, 28cm frying pan
Why we love it
- Eco-friendly ceramic coating is made from PFA-free sand
- Scratch-resistant and oven-safe
- Solid, dent-resistant and built to last
- The ceramic coating has a five-year warrantee
Non-stick and built to last, this pan set from GreenPan pipped many other excellent options to the post. The Thermolon ceramic non-stick coating is PFA-free, so there’s no “forever chemicals”, and I was seriously impressed with its performance. Pancakes, omelettes, chicken breast and stir-fries all slid off the gleaming surface like a dream, even when cooked at low heat and with minimal oil.
This set comes from the Barcelona range. The brand says these hard-anodised aluminium pans are twice as strong as stainless steel. This gives the set a solid but lightweight feel that is meant to be resistant to bumps and nicks, as well as helping food to cook evenly. The pans can be placed in the oven up to 220C. Unlike many non-stick sets, it’s safe to use these pans with metal cooking utensils, which is ideal if you’re whisking flour into melted butter for a béchamel.
The Barcelona pans were a dream to clean, too. Cooking residue was removed with a few seconds of light scrubbing under warm water. Unlike other pans we tried, they seemed just as non-stick a week into use as they were on day one. The only drawback is that you only get two frying pans, not a saucepan.
Buy now £150.00, Greenpan.co.uk
George Home black marble effect soft grip set of seven pans
Best: Budget non-stick pan
Non-stick coating: PFTE
Contents: 16cm saucepan with lid, 18cm saucepan with lid, 20cm saucepan with lid, 24cm stock pot with lid, 20cm frying pan, 24cm frying pan, 28cm frying pan
Why we love it
- Works out at less than £10 per pan
- Eye-catching
- 15-year guarrantee
Take note
- Not PFA-free
Made from forged aluminium and finished with a hexagon-imprinted cooking surface, these George Home cooking pots turned heads in our kitchen – visiting guests thought they were much more expensive than they actually are. The coordinating seven-piece saucepan and frying pan set, which also includes four see-through lids, comes in at less than £70. That’s great value considering that the set comes with a 15-year guarantee.
The soft-grip handles were a nice addition, but they also mean you can’t use these pans in the oven. The pans are suitable for all other heating methods, including induction, and they’re lightweight, thanks to their forged aluminium core. I found that they required a bit more elbow grease than some others to maintain the non-stick surface, but given they’re also dishwasher-safe, that’s far from a deal-breaker. Just bear in mind that the coating isn't listed as PFA-free.
Buy now £65.00, Direct.asda.com
Swan stealth five-piece cookware set
Best: Budget ceramic non-stick pan
Non-stick coating: Ceramic
Contents: 18cm saucepan with lid, 20cm saucepan with lid, 22cm saucepan with lid, 20cm frying pan, 24cm frying pan
Why we love it
- Sleek all-black finish
- Soft, ergonomic handles
- Bonded steel base allows for even heat distribution
Take note
- Only oven save to 170C for 40 minutes
This five-piece cookware set from Swan does it all, and does it affordably. Ceramic non-stick coatings are often more expensive than polytetrafluoroethylene, but Swan provides you with three lidded ceramic saucepans and two frying pans for just shy of £100, roughly £20 per pan.
I needed very little oil while cooking with this non-stick set. The pans heated up quickly thanks to their aluminium core, which also makes them light to hold.
Instead of traditional metal handles, Swan has opted for soft-touch, rubber grips. I found it incredibly handy when carrying pasta water to the sink to drain or a frying pan to the table to spoon out egg-fried rice. However, that means that the pans can only be used in the oven up to temperatures of 170C for 40 minutes, which is significantly lower than some of the other pan sets we tested.
Buy now £99.99, Amazon.co.uk
Tower smart start ultra-foraged five-piece cookware set
Best: Non-stick pan for beginners
Non-stick coating: Aeroglide Ultra
Contents: 18cm milk pan, 20cm saucepan with lid, 22cm saucepan with lid, 20cm frying pan, 24cm frying pan
Why we love it
- Frying pans boast temperature sensor that tells you the optimum time to cook
- Five-piece set covers all cooking bases, with three saucepans and two frying pans
- Pans are recyclable at the end of their lives
This versatile set from long-established kitchen brand Tower delivers serious value without compromising performance. What’s different about this range is that the frying pans come with heat indicators. A circle in the centre of each pan’s cooking surface turns from bright red to dark when the pan hits the optimal searing temperature of 200C. It’s an ideal feature for a novice cook looking to boost their kitchen confidence.
The brand claims that the non-stick PTFE surface is PFOA-free and metal-utensil-friendly. My tests found it very effective, with sauces and veg sliding straight from the cooking surface to a plate. The pan bases are made from forged aluminium, so they are lightweight yet tough. They can be used in the oven up to 220C, too.
The accompanying glass lids let you keep an eye on what’s happening inside as you cook, and the set is recyclable at the end of its life. It’s impressive stuff for the price,.
Buy now £119.99, Amazon.co.uk
HexClad seven-piece hybrid cookware set
Best: Non-stick pan for a long-term investment
Non-stick coating: HexClad TerraBond ceramic
Contents: 30cm frying pan with lid, 25cm frying pan with lid, 20cm frying pan with lid, 30cm wok
Why we love it
- Hybrid coating offers durability, even cooking and non-stick properties
- Covers majority of non-stick cooking needs
- Lifetime warrantee
Take note
- Expensive
- Tricky to store
HexClad has plenty of celebrity endorsements, including from Gordon Ramsay, but I was pleased to find that it lives up to the hype. HexClad offers a best-of-all-worlds pan design, blending the quick and even heating of stainless steel and the durability of cast iron with a non-stick surface.
I seriously enjoyed using this set. Cool, comfortable handles made moving pans around a joy. The wok is a brilliant addition, too – it’s a versatile kitchen workhorse I found myself reaching for again and again.
The idea is that the signature steel hexagon-marked surface distributes heat for even searing and sauteing, with tough non-stick PFA-free ceramic ‘valleys’ in between to prevent food from sticking. The pans come at a premium price point, but they also come with a lifetime warranty.
The upmarket look meant I was happy to have them on show in our kitchen. The pans are incredibly stylish and professional and come with a range of clear and durable lids. I even served dishes straight from the pan to guests.
The only downside, aside from the hefty price tag? You’ll need a decent amount of storage space to house the large pans and the various lids. It’s a good thing that they’re stylish, because they don’t stack as neatly as they could.
Buy now £439.00, Hexclad.co.uk
Our Place cookware duo
Best: Stylish non-stick pan
Non-stick coating: Thermakind ceramic
Contents: Always pan 2.0 with lid, steamer and spatula; perfect pot with lid and spoon
Why we love it
- Available in fun colourways
- Clever designs mean two pans take care of a host of needs
- Lightweight
The cult ‘always pan’ by Our Place was everywhere a few years ago, and its popularity shows no signs of stopping.
This cookware duo set pairs the original viral pan with its pot-shaped cousin, both of which come in a range of colours. It’s not just about style, though – the designs are clever, too, with both the pan and pot able to fulfil a range of kitchen functions.
The pan and pot come with beechwood spatulas and spoons, which nestle perfectly on handles during storage and cooking. The pan also comes with a steamer basket for vegetables or dumplings, while the pot’s lid has a built-in strainer for draining pasta.
These pans all felt incredibly light, even when the pan or pot was full to the brim. I found the PFA-free ceramic coating to be effective and, thanks to the aluminium body, the cookware was quick to heat up.
Buy now £200.00, Fromourplace.co.uk
Stellar hard anodised five-piece set
Best: Non-stick saucepans
Non-stick coating: Teflon
Contents: 14cm milk pan, 16cm saucepan with lid, 18cm saucepan with lid, 20cm saucepan with lid, 26cm frying pan
Why we love it
- Super hard-wearing and impressively non-stick
- Great-looking, timeless design
This non-stick set from Stellar offered the best saucepans I tested. They excelled at a huge variety of dishes, easily handling porridge, risottos and braised meat dishes as well as simpler fare like mashed potatoes or just warming through some baked beans. All these potentially sticky situations were breezy when I used this set from Stellar.
The set is also great for searing - the set also includes a 26cm frying pan. Stellar claims that the hard anodised edition is its most durable, so you can expect it to take the occasional knock. The pans held up well in the oven – they withstood temperatures up to 240C – and could handle hard scrubbing in the sink. That said, it’s a fairly pricey set, and it also uses PTFE.
Buy now £322.00, Stellar.co.uk
Le Creuset toughened non-stick three-piece essential frying pans set
Best: Non-stick pans for serious cooks
Non-stick coating: Polytetrafluoroethylene
Contents: 20cm frying pan, 24cm frying pan, 26cm frying pan
Why we love it
- Timeless look
- Built to last, with a hard anodised core
Take note
- Expensive
Le Creuset cookware is never cheap, but you get what you pay for. I think this pricey but effective trio of frying pans is a solid choice.
The frying pans feature Le Creuset’s “best ever” non-stick coating, and I found everything I cooked easily slid off the pan, whether I was making sautéed green beans, cornmeal socca pancakes or delicate sea bass. However, this surface is PTFE.
The set includes three pans of slightly different sizes (16cm, 24cm and 26cm), and each works well across everything we tested, whether you’re cooking something complex or a simple supper of steak, pan-fried veg and an accompanying sauce.
Buy now £389.00, Lecreuset.co.uk
Funky pro cookware tri-ply frying pans, set of three
Best: Hybrid surface non-stick pan
Non-stick coating: Mixed tri-ply pro-etched and ceramic
Contents: 20cm ceramic frying pan with lid, 26cm frying pan, 28cm frying pan
Why we love it
- Oven-safe up to 260C
A producer of kettles, toasters and air fryers, Funky has recently entered the non-stick cookware game. With eye-catching shiny steel exteriors and the option to build a mix-and-match bundle of cookware, the brand’s offering differs from the others in this guide.
This set pairs different non-stick cooking surfaces with one 20cm ceramic pan and two “tri-ply” pans made from aluminium and steel, coated with PTFE. These pans produce slightly different results. My tests found that ceramic is best for super-sticky, quick-cooking foods (such as eggs), while the tri-ply pans suit slower sears and provide more even heat (ideal when cooking a steak, for example).
During testing, the Funky pans felt good quality for the price, particularly given that the “tri-ply” pans are oven-safe up to 260C, much higher than most sets out there. The easy-grip handle on the largest frying pan is handy when you’re cooking for a crowd, too.
Our only issue is that we could have done without the ‘Funky’ branding emblazoned across all the pan handles.
Buy now £129.95, Amazon.co.uk
Staub cast iron three-piece stackable pot set
Best: Space-saving non-stick pan
Non-stick coating: Cast iron
Contents: 24cm cocotte, 24cm saute pan, 24cm frying pan, lid
Why we love it
- Ultra-clever stacking design
- Beautiful enamelled exterior
- Chemical-free
Used in kitchens for centuries, cast iron is the original non-stick cookware. It takes a little effort - making a non-stick cast iron pan requires careful seasoning with heat and oil, diligent hand-washing and immediate drying. It can take longer to cook food than with modern types of non-stick options, as heavy bases are slow to heat up. Inexperienced cooks may find that food still sticks if they add it to the pan too soon. However, if you’re unhurried and experienced in the kitchen, cast iron delivers superb performance and lifelong durability.
This clever Staub set takes cast iron non-stick cookery into the modern era. The three pans in the set – a cocotte, a saute pan and a frying pan – stack together in one neat pile in your cupboard or on the hob, and are crowned with a single lid that handily fits all three. All the pans have a 24cm width but vary in depth (from 4.5cm to 11.5cm), so they can tackle everything from stews to fried eggs to oven-baked cornbread.
Buy now £299.98, Costco.co.uk
Your questions on non-stick pans answered
What is the best non-stick pan set?
There’s stiff competition when it comes to the best non-stick pan sets. All the pans featured here performed well during testing. Whether you should choose one set over another largely comes down to your own cookery preferences, your budget, and how long you need the pans to last.
While we can’t fault the quality of high-end sets such as those from HexClad, the clever stylings of Our Place or the value of Tower, when it comes to the ideal intersection of performance and price, GreenPan’s Barcelona pro fry pan set just won out. Even when the official testing period was done, I found myself reaching for this duo of pans time and again for quick, easy cooking, and fuss-free clean up.
Are non-stick pans safe?
Non-stick pans are generally safe to use when used properly. Those with non-stick coatings, like PTFE, are designed to be safe at normal cooking temperatures. However, if overheated, the coating can break down and release harmful fumes. To stay safe, avoid cooking on very high heat and never preheat an empty non-stick pan.
For very high-heat cooking, cast iron and stainless steel pans are better choices because they can withstand much higher temperatures without damage.
How to clean a non-stick pan
To clean a non-stick pan, first allow it to cool completely. Then, wash it gently using warm, soapy water and a soft sponge or cloth. Avoid abrasive scrubbers or steel wool that can damage the coating. If there is stuck-on food, soak the pan in warm soapy water for a while before gently scrubbing.
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