Nonstick skilletSave
Nonstick skillet: why we say save
Tramontina's aluminum pan against All-Clad's tri-ply nonstick. The coatings wear alike; only the bodies differ.
Aisle
Pan & Heat
Cookware splits cleanly into two groups. Coated pans wear out on a schedule however much you paid. Enameled and clad pieces can outlive their owners. The useful question is never which pan is best. It is which group the pan belongs to, because that decides whether the step up is an investment or just a faster way to spend.
Step-Ups in this aisle
Dutch ovenIt depends
Dutch oven: Lodge or Le Creuset?
Two enameled cast iron pots. The cooking is close; the handles, interior and weight are not.
Every pick in Pan & Heat
Tramontina Professional 10-inch Nonstick Fry Pan
Restaurant-style aluminum with a coating that will wear out on schedule, like all of them.
- Body
- Heavy-gauge aluminum
- Coating
- Reinforced nonstick
- Oven-safe
- 400°F (listed)
- Induction
- No
- Certification
- NSF (listed)
- Warranty
- Lifetime (listed)
All-Clad D3 Stainless Nonstick 10-inch Fry Pan
A tri-ply steel body that works on induction. The coating inside wears like any other.
- Body
- Tri-ply bonded: stainless with aluminum core
- Coating
- PTFE nonstick
- Oven-safe
- 500°F (listed)
- Induction
- Yes
- Handle
- Riveted stainless steel
- Care
- Hand wash only
Lodge Essential Enamel Dutch Oven, 6 Quart
Enameled cast iron that does nearly everything the famous names do, and weighs more.
- Material
- Enameled cast iron
- Capacity
- 6 qt
- Oven-safe
- 500°F (listed)
- Weight
- 13.5 lb (listed)
- Warranty
- Limited lifetime (listed)
Le Creuset Signature Round Dutch Oven, 5.5 Quart
The reference enameled pot: lighter for its size, bigger handles, pale interior.
- Material
- Enameled cast iron
- Capacity
- 5.5 qt
- Oven-safe
- 500°F (listed)
- Cooktops
- All (listed)
- Weight
- 5.1 kg (listed)
- Warranty
- Limited lifetime (listed)