The very best non-stick frying pans can last a lifetime. While early non-stick was full of nasties and could easily be scratched when washing up, it's now more durable and often made without PFOAs.
If you're using your non-stick pan every day, you'll want to make sure it looks good and feels lovely to use. If you're flipping pancakes, you will want a lightweight pan that's got brilliant non-stick which will work with minimal oil, but for those who plan on cooking steak or making an omelette, a heavier pan that fills well balanced on the hob will be more of a priority.
Luckily, our experts have tested a variety of pans for this guide, in all kinds of sizes, to make sure that you're covered. Our reviewers include our Kitchen Appliances Editor and our freelance reviewer and home economist.
All in all, our top pick is the Our Place Titanium Always Pan Pro (£170 from Our Place). We also really enjoyed the Le Creuset Toughened Non-Stick for a more premium buy, and were wowed by the quality of Ninja's non-stick pan range too. If you want to upgrade your whole cookware game, our guide to the best saucepan sets might be a good place to head to next.
The best non-stick frying pan – The quick list
Short on time? This quick list is an overview of our choice of the best non-stick frying pans around.
Best overall
This pan has everything has great about the original Always Pan with added non-stick power. One upping the stainless steel pans we've used, the titanium material really can handle anything you throw at it and come out the other side unscathed – trust me, we've really put it through its paces. There's no coating at all on this pan either, so no need to fret about toxicity at all and it comes out of the dishwasher gleaming every time. We're yet to find a single thing that sticks to this surface.
Best for induction
Every single food that our tester Helen McCue tried out with these pans on her induction hob was cooked to perfection, with no hint of sticking or difficulty. That includes everything from a fried egg to a pecan caramel sauce. Steak and a butterflied chicken breast proved to be a hit in this pan too, with even browning occurring every time. As well as stellar cooking ability, Helen found the handles stayed cool to the touch during cooking too.
Best non-stick casserole
Our reviewer Annie felt so strongly about this pan that she ditched some of the others in her collection to make space for it. The casserole shape makes it so versatile for family meals (Annie especially loved it for making chill con carne) and the non-stick is truly fabulous. If it's a versatile non-stick number you need, this one comes highly recommended by us and reviewers on John Lewis and Amazon (with almost perfect scores there).
Best non-stick Ninja
Ninja has done it again with this durable pan that's oven-safe up to 260 degrees. It can also go in the dishwasher, and for an entirely aluminium design, it’s not too heavy. Not only did it perform excellently in our tests, but it's also a favourite of many Ideal Home team members day to day.
Best for toughened finish
It's made of textured toughened non-stick that can be used with metal utensils, plus it can go in the oven due to the plastic-free finish.
Best quality
With hand-crafted stainless steel construction this non-stick is particularly impressive, and has a professional feeling ergonomic handle.
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Multi-functional
This isn't a conventional frying pan as it’s designed to replace a sauté pan, steamer, skillet, saucier, and saucepan. Plus it comes in a gorgeous range of colours.
Best for searing
This pan heats very evenly, and once heated, it will sear your steaks or char your vegetables like cast iron thanks to its textured non-stick coating.
Best non-stick frying pan overall
We were sold on stainless steel as the best choice for a non-stick pan until we tried this, which is the Always Pan in Titanium. The reason for material is all down to powering up the non-stick ability of this pan, as well as eliminating the need for a non-stick coating which can cause worries about toxicity.
Instead, this pan is forged with a high-shine stainless steel exterior, an aluminium core and what the brand calls a 'virtually indestructible' titanium exterior. We were skeptical about these claims initally but after throwing the kitchen sink at it in testing, we have to admit that it holds up. Nothing we tried got lodged in the pan and even when we thought we'd taken it too far and would end up with immovable residue in the pan, it came straight off in the dishwasher.
Foods we've tried thus far include delicate fish, sticky chicken, eggs (scrambled, omelettes) and even a caramel sauce. No signs of sticking arose at any point. Plus, the ability to use metal utensils is life-changing.
Another reason to love this pan is the extremely versatile shape. This is a pricey pick with an RRP of £170, but the shape and the 1.5 inch depth means you can use it to fry, poach and stew in if you needed to. There's no other pan we'd recommend as wholeheartedly.
Best non-stick frying pan an induction hob
The hype around HexClad pans, which are recognisable thanks to the hexagonal ridged design across the surface, is real. Despite being endorsed by Gordon Ramsay and influencers the world over, we were ready to be skeptical about these pans. But after our expert home economist Helen McCue put this non-stick pan to the test, she was left with nothing bad to say, apart from wishing that they were cheaper so that everyone could invest in one.
The list of foods that Helen tested in this pan is long, encompassing halloumi, a pecan caramel sauce, fried eggs, scrambled eggs, omelettes, steak, a butterflied chicken breast, a fillet of seabass and broccoli. Her feedback was that the cooking across all of them in this pan was even, efficient and easy to flip and move around without a hitch, proving those claims about non-stick-ness really are true.
HexClad sell the Hybrid Non Stick Pan in three different sizes, along with separate lids, with prices starting from £129. It's a hefty price to pay for a pan, but every test we've thrown at this brand so far hasn't yet proved a challenge. Outdoor cooking fans will be impressed by the performance we found in our HexClad BBQ Pan review too.
Our HexClad 7-Piece Hybrid Cookware set review has the full details.
Best non-stick casserole shape
I know what you're thinking – this is a guide for frying pans, isn't it? Yes, but if you need a frying pan that can double up for baking, stewing and all other everyday meals you're going to need a more versatile shape and design.
That's where this Jamie Oliver collaboration with Tefal really shines. Our reviewer Annie (after using it to feed her young family) thinks its good enough to get rid of some of your old pans for, which is high praise indeed. She used it to fry eggs, halloumi, batch cook chilli con carne and cook bacon and black pudding to perfection.
The non-stick surface on this pan is fantastic and never dulled even after Annie put this pan through the dishwasher with every use.
We're not the only ones who love this pan either – the reason we wanted to try it in the first place was thanks to the stellar all-five-star reviews on John Lewis and Amazon.
Read our Jamie Oliver Tefal Casserole Pan review for more details.
Best non-stick Ninja pan
Ninja has done it again: the brand behind some of the best air fryers and best blenders turned its hand to cookware not too long ago, and this debut wowed us. For a start, the non-stick is very durable, so much so that you can use metal utensils in the pan. It’s also oven-safe up to 260 degrees. We can’t remember the last time we ramped the oven up that high, but it’s nice to know you can!
The non-stick is quite unique, and in the months we put this one to the test it’s not had so much as a scratch of damage. The non-stick texture feels more like a skillet, but your stir-fries or steaks will lift away with no sticking. It can also go in the dishwasher, and for an entirely aluminium design, it’s not too heavy.
Best for toughened finish
You can dial down the amount of oil you use with this non-stick pan from Le Creuset. Made of textured toughened non-stick that can be used with metal utensils, it's perfect for flipping burgers. The design is pretty hefty, so it's not best for flipping pancakes, but we do enjoy the durability and the accompanying lifetime guarantee.
The handle was a little flat for our liking, and we preferred more of an arch when comparing the best non-stick pans. However, the riveted design will mean that the handle never comes loose, and it can also go in the oven due to the plastic-free finish.
Best quality
This Samuel Groves Tri-Ply Stainless Steel Non-Stick Frying Pan screams quality, thanks to its hand-crafted stainless steel construction right here in the UK. The non-stick is particularly impressive, so it’s no wonder that the brand recommends you don’t put it in the dishwasher, where you could limit its lifespan.
We enjoyed the handle, which is very ergonomic, and reminiscent of something straight out of a professional kitchen. You can put the pan in the oven up to 200 degrees, which is a big win for foodies who want to sear their salmon and finish it in the oven.
Of course, the price will be a barrier for some barriers, but if there’s one frying pan we’d recommend splurging on, this is it.
Best multi-functional
If you’ve not seen the Always Pan online you’re part of a very select group. It’s been an Instagram and influencer favourite for years, and it recently launched in the UK. As cookware lovers, we were excited.
First and foremost, the non-stick is top-tier. Fried eggs slide around the pan, and it even makes a mean scramble, which is a tough task for many frying pans. The large capacity is great for cooking for the whole family, and thanks to the removable steamer we were able to cook noodles or steam broccoli and easily lift it out from the water once cooked.
It’s not a conventional frying pan as it’s designed to replace a saute pan, steamer, skillet, saucier, and saucepan too. It also has a built-in groove to rest your spatula on, and the beechwood spatula is included in your purchase.
The range of colours is another big win, and we’re quite keen on the Sage. If you want to buy a frying pan as a gift, or simply to treat yourself, you’ll never want to take this one from the pride of place on the stove.
Best for searing
The Zwilling Forte Duraslide comes in four sizes, and we enjoyed that the entirety of the pan felt like it was coated in the ultra-durable Ti-X (extreme titanium) non-stick. This pan heats very evenly, and once heated, it will sear your steaks or char your vegetables like cast iron. That’s thanks to the textured non-stick, which coats a forged aluminium core.
If you love washing your frying pan in the dishwasher but aren’t keen on cheaper non-stick, which can sometimes feel like it’s not built to last, this is a brilliant solution.
How we test non-stick frying pans
The best frying pans in this guide were tested by Ideal Home's Kitchen Appliances Editor Molly at Future's test facility. She cooked fried eggs to test the non-stick credentials, along with pancakes, and sauce-based dishes. She also considered how easy these pans were to clean and how easy they were to store and stack.
The best non-stick frying pan should hold up for years and years, which is why Molly spent months preparing for this comprehensive frying pan roundup. She also took into account the design of the pans, considering the weight and handle shape when using them.
FAQs
What type of non stick pan is best?
The right type of non-stick pan for you ultimately depends on what you're most likely to use it for. If you want to flip pancakes, a lighter, shallower pan will be most suitable, while those looking to fry foods will need a higher edge to keep from oil spills.
Meat eaters may want a pan that's more durable and distributes heat more evenly, for steak for example, which might mean paying a little more for the privilege.
Why do you need a non-stick pan?
If you're wondering why you should splash out on a brand new pan, let us tell you that the benefits with your cooking will be clear to see if you do decide to invest.
Dominique Woolf, chef, author and founder of Woolf's Kitchen, an award-winning range of hot sauces, oil and chili pastes agrees that a non-stick pan is an essential in your cooking arsenal.
'Investing in a good quality saucepan set is one of the best decisions you can make in the kitchen.' says Dominique. 'Quality pans offer better heat distribution, which ensures your food cooks more evenly. A poor pan, on the other hand, will often heat too quickly and have a tendency to burn things - I speak from experience!'
In terms of which material you should choose, Dominique adds 'A good set will last you for years, resisting warping or scratching, which can happen with cheaper alternatives. Stainless steel with a copper or aluminium core is particularly efficient for heat control.'
Especially when buying non-stick pans, Dominique advises avoiding 'cheaper pans that can lose their coating quickly or may contain harmful chemicals. A good quality pan should work well on induction hobs if needed.'
