I tried GreenPan's new saucepan set which features a ceramic non-stick layer– here's how it faired in my busy family kitchen

We're on a quest to test all of the best saucepan sets for your kitchen so that you can cook with peace of mind.

Let me introduce you to the GreenPan Premiere saucepan set – a three-piece number complete with lids which is truly non-stick. These pans boast a seriously tough coating (which is PFAS-free) and made by GreenPan in-house, so they know exactly what is and isn't in it. This stick even makes these stainless steel pans safe to use with metal utensils which is a total game changer.

I used this set for boiling, cooking and reheating foods for my family of three, for two weeks. I was impressed with the cooking ability of all three pans as they heat fast and cook foods in good time. They're seriously easy to clean by hand and also dishwasher safe. Essentially, they're convenient in more ways than one, but there is one thing that brings them down: they're not the most convenient to store.

Here's how I got on, using these pans to scramble eggs, boil potatoes, heat baked beans and cook rice to perfection.

In a nutshell

The Green Pan Premiere set is the perfect saucepan set if you're looking to invest in something high-quality and good for your health. The entire set boasts a PFAS-free coating so that your food never sticks and the pans are easy to clean, plus they are dishwasher-safe and suitable for use in the oven — even with the lids on.

While they did arrive in an excessive amount of packaging, if you can look past that I can reassure you that this high-quality set will last for years of use.

All pans are perfectly weighted without being too heavy, their handles are comfortable and they only get a little hot, close to the base. The lids do not have any vents — something to bear in mind if you often use your saucepans with the lids on. I find that I rarely do, except for when pre-heating and boiling certain foods such as rice and potatoes.

All in all, for £295 this set is great value for money if you want to invest in something that will last. The pans boast a high-quality design and feel while being more than convenient to use as they're oven-safe up to 220°C.

That being said, do be mindful of the storage space required in a drawer or cupboard as it doesn't have any space-savvy design features such as stackable designs (like the Tefal Ingenio set I recently tried) or foldable handles. And you can't actually stack these pans due to their shape as they'll get stuck together.

It's safe to say that I loved the convenience of both cooking with these pans and cleaning them afterwards.

Product specs

• Materials: Stainless steel and aluminium
• Metal utensil safe? Yes
• Dishwasher safe? Yes
• Oven safe? Up to 220°C
• Pan diameters: 16cm, 18cm, 20cm
• Warranty: Limited lifetime warranty
• RRP: £265

Who tested these pans?

Annie Collyer

Annie tested this GreenPan set for Ideal Home and used it for cooking for her family for two weeks.

She used the three different-size saucepans to cook everything from broccoli to boiled eggs, pasta, rice, potatoes for mash and even to warm through baked beans and black beans. She tested the non-stick coating with her husband's famous scrambled eggs recipe.

Annie washed these by hand and in her dishwasher for testing purposes. She plans on gifting this set to her sister after testing, as she's often making eco-conscious purchases and is in the market right now for new cookware which is non-toxic.

Unboxing the GreenPan Premiere Stainless Steel Ceramic Non-Stick Saucepan & Lid Set

I'll be totally honest: I was truly disappointed with the packaging of this GreenPan set. This being my first impression of a non-toxic pan set, I did expect the packing to be eco-friendly — it was indeed the complete opposite. It arrived inside a large box, and filling the gaps between this box and the box with the pans inside was way too much bubble wrap.

Onto the actual pan box — inside, each pan lid was wrapped in a plastic bag, and each pan was separated with an excessive amount of cardboard. The waste was a lot, and very unexpected.

There was one more thing that bothered me: the instruction manual. All of the other pan sets I've tested have arrived with a booklet of instructions that includes how to clean, tips and even things you don't want to do with your pans. This set had a tiny leaflet stuck on the bottom of the largest pan. This had very basic information inside and most of it applied to fry pans, not saucepans, anyway.

Now onto the positives: immediately, I noticed that this pan set had a high-quality feel. The handles are comfortable, they're just the perfect weight, not too light nor too heavy to make them tip when on the hob and empty.

The pans are stainless steel, but inside they have a layer of non-stick. This non-stick is the same PFAS-free coating all GreenPan cookware is coated with. As you'd expect, this makes them non-stick and easy to clean. This coating is made in-house so that GreenPan can guarantee zero harmful chemicals in the non-stick.

Design-wise, I immediately noticed that these three pans don't feature measurement markings on the inside. For me, this isn't a game-changer but for some people, it might be. I also noticed that the lids don't have any air vents.

This saucepan set is part of a new collection with GreenPan — the Premiere Collection. These pans differ from other GreenPan cookware pieces as they feature, according to the brand:

A premium ProTec Rim — to protect them against bumps and chips, and for drip-free pouring

Silhouette Rivets — snag-free interior and sturdy handles

EverShine Tri-Ply — each pan is specially coated to keep it looking new and fresh

Infinity Professional — their non-coating is tough and metal utensil-safe

Also in the GreenPan Premiere range, you'll find fry pans of all sizes from 20cm to 30cm.

Using the saucepans

I used these saucepans over a two week period, to cook, boil and reheat several different foods.

Just an FYI: the lid handles did get hot while in use at high temperatures. The saucepan handles didn't get hot, even while cooking at high temperatures, but they did feel warm on the part of the handle that's closest to the pan.

Boiling foods

My first test had to be with broccoli, as it's the number one veg I can guarantee my toddler will eat. The water boiled fast with the lid on, and never spilled over despite the lack of air holes or vents in the lids. And the broccoli cooked in good time.

I boiled my eggs on several occasions using these pans. Again, I loved how fast the water boiled and my eggs cooked in their usual time.

I also cooked pasta and rice in these saucepans. I used the medium-sized pan to cook pasta, which was perfectly cooked at around 11 minutes (the packet said 10-12 minute cooking time). For the rice, I used the matching size lid and noticed that even when cooking on medium to low heat, the lid began to rattle due to a lack of ventilation. The rice cooked in perfect time, however, and I'd use these pans to cook rice again as there were zero signs of the rice sticking to the pan.

Next up I used the largest of the saucepans to boil potatoes for mash. Again, the water boiled quickly but I did use the matching lid and found that the pot bubbled over a couple of times. Otherwise, when it came to draining the potatoes and mashing, I was pleased that I could do this in the pan as my masher is metal.

Cooking scrambled eggs

My husband's scrambled eggs recipe is almost unmatched. He cooks it almost every weekend. The only issue? You need a good non-stick pan or it takes days of soaking said pan, to get it clean.

This makes it a very good thing to test: because only the best saucepans do an easy job of cooking it. We used the smallest pan to cook scrambled eggs for two adults and noticed that the eggs never stuck to the sides or bottom, they cooked evenly and even better: the pan was so easy to clean afterwards, with no soaking required!

Heating foods

I also used these pans to test how well they reheat foods, and whether they prevent wet foods from sticking. I used both baked beans and black beans to test this.

The baked beans didn't stick to the pan at all, and I cooked them on low with the lid on. The same goes for the black beans which I cooked on low for around 10 minutes, and they didn't stick to the pan. While cooking both, I didn't notice that the lid rattled but the handle of the lids did get warm.

Cleaning the saucepans

These pans were so easy to clean, which is mostly thanks to their non-stick coating. You can hand wash them by hand or put them in your dishwasher. If you do wash them yourself, I'd suggest drying them by hand to prevent watermarks.

When put through the dishwasher, these pans came out sparkling clean. I was seriously impressed and I didn't even spot any watermarks.

Storing the saucepans

These pans are as hard to store as you'd expect them to be. In fact, they lose points in the storage department as they don't stack — I tried to nest them together and almost got the small pan stuck inside the medium pan.

They don't come with pan protectors, either. So, the only way to do it is to place the matching lids on top of each pan and store them side by side in a cupboard or drawer. You could invest in some sort of saucepan lid holder like this one from Amazon (for £14.16), if you wanted.

How does it compare to similar models and its predecessors?

This GreenPan set comes in at £265, while our best-rated saucepan set ever, the Stellar Eclipse, has an RRP of £215. Both comprise the same different-size saucepans, all complete with lids. Made from entirely stainless steel, this set doesn't have a coating which also makes it PFAS-free. Both pan sets are dishwasher-safe, while the Stellar set is oven-safe up to 240°C and this GreenPan set can only be used in temperatures reaching 220°C.

When in comparison with other GreenPan saucepan sets, the Premiere set comes in at the most expensive. All sets feature the same PFAS-free coating and come with matching lids. At the least expensive is the Cambridge infinity 3-Piece Set at £125 (£75 when on sale). This set is made from aluminium instead of stainless steel and they're dishwasher safe and oven safe.

Next up is the GreenPan Memphis Set, which includes three different-sized pans plus matching lids for £120. Oven and dishwasher-safe, they're also made from aluminium with Phenolic handles. This set isn't suitable for induction hobs.

Last but definitely not least, at £125 is the GreenPan Mayflower Set which gets top points for style thanks to its wooden handles and blue exterior. Though stylish, the wooden handles do mean they're not suitable for dishwasher or oven use.

Should you buy the GreenPan Premiere Saucepan Set?

If you're in the market for a saucepan set that's complete with lids but you want to avoid anything with forever chemicals (also known as PFAS) then this set is a great option. It's ideal for family cooking as the pans are great sizes, plus they are so easy to clean thanks to their tough non-stick coating, and they clean in the dishwasher well. You can also use them with metal utensils which is a total game-changer.

I'd probably avoid this pan set if you're tight for kitchen storage space as it's admittedly not the most convenient to store away. If you do need something for small kitchens, then check out my review of this Joseph Joseph set which has foldable handles.

For some people on a budget, the £265 might be off-putting but rest assured you are investing in a high-quality set that should last for years to come. Plus, the set comes with a limited lifetime warranty and for manufacturing and material defects, it's covered for 24 months.