A Culinary School Grad Shares Her Favorite Insta-Worthy Ceramic Pans

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There are tons of different types of nonstick cookware to choose from, but we love ceramic pans. Why, you ask? Their nonstick properties, durability, and often eco-friendly composition mean they get two thumbs up from amateur home cooks and pro chefs alike. Featuring a smooth surface that’s lovely to sauté or stir upon, ceramic pans also boast a nonstick coating that is free of dangerous-for-your-health substances such as PTFE and Teflon (or PFOA).

Another perk of cooking on ceramic skillets and pans is that they often have an aluminum base, which means they distribute heat wonderfully and save you from unevenly cooked food. (Ceramic cookware is technically constructed of metal and then coated with a nontoxic, nonstick ceramic layer.)

We also like that ceramic pans are a fairly low-maintenance cookware to take care of since their nonstick coating keeps food from sticking, so you can swiftly wipe muck off with a sponge. (When cooking, a bit of oil should be enough to get going and enhance the nonstick properties.) They’re typically dishwasher-safe, too. Last but not least, they tend to be lighter in weight and a much more affordable alternative to stainless steel cookware.

Ready to make the switch? Keep reading for our favorite ceramic pans from budget finds to cheffy splurges and get to more important questions, like what you’re cooking for dinner.

The Best Ceramic Pans

• Best Overall: Caraway Ceramic Cookware Set

• Best Budget: Bialetti 10-Piece Ceramic Pro Cookware Set

• Best for Small Kitchens: Neoflam Midas 9-Piece Cookware Set

• Best Large Frying Pan: Great Jones Large Ceramic Fry Pan

• Best Small Frying Pan: GreenPan Chatham Ceramic Fry Pan

• Best Sauté Pan: Farberware Glide Ceramic Nonstick Sauté Pan

• Best Everyday Pan: From Our Place Always Pan 2.0

• Best Temperature Technology: Ballarini Parma Plus 2-Piece Pan Set

• Best Mini Pan: GreenPan Mini Healthy Ceramic Non-Stick Round Egg Pan

What to Consider

Once you cook on ceramic, you’ll be glad you made the switch. But before buying a ceramic pan — or entire set of them — there are a few things to keep in mind. Set your budget. Ceramic pans typically run from $20 to $200. After that, you’re going to want to look for high-quality nonstick performance. If you see in the reviews that food releases from the pan easily and it’s not a nightmare to clean up, then that’s a good sign you’re purchasing a great nonstick pan.

It’s also important that the ceramic coating itself is long-lasting (look for customer reviews that note the nonstick surface as such or mention that it’s durable) and is free of toxic substances like PFOA and PTFE, lead, and cadmium.

Don’t overlook the handle. Look for a ceramic pan that has a handle with an ergonomic design, a comfy grip, and a grip that is heat-resistant, too. Then, the size of the pan is an important factor when shopping for ceramic cookware. Are you regularly cooking for one or two, or do you need a pan with a larger surface area for entertaining or cooking for a household with several members on a nightly basis?

It’s worth noting that while a lightweight pan may be easier to maneuver around the kitchen, bigger pans may retain heat in a superior manner. And on the cleaning front, while the bulk of ceramic pans are dishwasher-safe, some aren’t so always scan a product description and see if you can pop a pan in the dishwasher if that is a deciding factor for you.

How We Selected

As a culinary school grad and product reviewer, Perri has tested dozens of ceramic pans over the years. She loves Our Place’s The Always Pan for how sleek it looks (when entertaining, put it on a trivet for serving directly from the table), but from Great Jones to GreenPan, there’s a slew of other brands that create high-quality ceramic pans with nonstick coating that lasts for a long time.

In addition to hands-on testing of Our Place and Great Jones cookware, we also pored over dozens of product reviews to see what real customers had to say about the nonstick properties of the pans, their handles, their heat distribution, and more.

Additionally, we liaised with PR pros to learn about the latest and greatest product releases in the ceramic cookware realms and consulted trusted sources like Food & Wine and Good Housekeeping to cross-check our picks.

Ceramic Cookware Set

One of our new favorite cookware brands here at Best Products, Caraway seamlessly blends style and function into their ceramic cookware.

This ceramic-coated nonstick cookware set includes a 10.5-inch fry pan, a 3-quart sauce pan, a 4.5-quart sauté pan, and a 6.5-quart Dutch oven, plus the included pot and lid organizers.

This ceramic cookware set is oven-safe up to 500 degrees Fahrenheit, can be used on induction, gas, or electric stoves, and features a nontoxic coating that is free of PTFEs.

More: Read Our Full Review of Caraway Cookware Here

10-Piece Ceramic Pro Cookware Set

Also a top choice for both Saveur and The Spruce Eats, this 10-piece ceramic cookware set from Bialetti gets our vote for the best budget cookware set. Hard anodized aluminum enables superior heat distribution, while a nontoxic ceramic finish provides a nonstick, smooth cooking surface that won't trap food particles.

Included in this set are an 8- and 10-inch sauté pan, a 1.5- and 3-quart sauce pan with lid, a 3-quart sauce pan with lid, a 3-quart deep sauté pan with lid, and a 6-quart Dutch oven with lid. This cookware is safe for both gas and glass stovetops, but it does require hand-washing.

Midas 9-Piece Cookware Set

If you're strapped for cabinet storage space or working in a smaller-scale kitchen, this nine-piece Midas cookware set from Neoflam is a great choice. The smart detachable handle fits each of the included pans in the set, and the entire set can be stacked neatly into virtually any cabinet for seamless storage when not in use.

Included in this ceramic cookware set are a 1.6-quart stock pot, a 2.8-quart stock pot, 8-inch fry pan, 10-inch fry pan, a detachable handle, a pan protector, a silicone glass stock pot lid, and a stock pot plastic lid. Reviewers especially love how easily these pans can be nested when in storage and also swear by the Ecolon nonstick ceramic coating.

Large Ceramic Fry Pan

Another direct-to-consumer cookware brand we absolutely love (read our full review of the Dutch oven right here), the Great Jones Large Fry Pan gets our seal of approval for both form and function.

This 10.25-inch skillet is made with a safe, nontoxic German ceramic coating for a scratch-resistant, nonstick cooking surface that reviewers rave about.

This pan also features an ergonomic, easy-to-grip handle, a rivetless interior for easy food release, and it's oven-safe up to 500 degrees Fahrenheit.

Chatham Ceramic Fry Pan

If you're cooking for one or looking for a single, smaller fry pan to make omelets, grilled cheese sandwiches, or simple stir-fry dishes, then we recommend this 8-inch ceramic fry pan from GreenPan.

Reviewers love the scratch-resistant, nonstick ceramic interior for easy cleanup, as well as the fact that this pan is both oven- and broiler-safe up to an impressive 600 degrees Fahrenheit.

Glide Ceramic Nonstick Sauté Pan

Farberware's Glide cookware series gets rave reviews across the board, but we especially love this versatile, nonstick, 4-quart sauté pan for everyday cooking.

Constructed with an aluminum core and nontoxic ceramic finish, this pan provides superior heat retention and distribution. It's also conveniently dishwasher-safe, which saves serious time when it comes to post-meal cleanup.

This pan is oven-safe up to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and comes with a shatter-resistant glass lid that locks in heat and moisture.

Always Pan 2.0

The fan-favorite Always Pan recently launched its latest iteration and we’re swooning. In addition to being aesthetically pleasing, available in a range of core colors and limited edition hues, we love that this “10-in-1” cookware essential braises, steams (a steamer basket is included), fries, boils, bakes (it’s oven-safe up to 450 degrees Fahrenheit), and more.

Our Place’s Always Pan 2.0 is coated with Thermakind, which is said to last 50% longer than ceramic nonstick coating, and it’s also crafted without PTFEs, PFOAs, other PFAS, and other potentially toxic materials. Plus, the aluminum body heats up fast and evenly, a win for whatever you’re cooking.

Did we mention it’s made with 100% post-consumer recycled aluminum, too? Oh, and it comes with a beechwood spatula that nests in the handle and a lid to round out the mix. Yeah, it’s no wonder this high-quality pan has taken the Internet by storm.

Parma Plus 2-Piece Pan Set

This budget-friendly set consisting of a 10-inch fry pan and 12-inch skillet features three layers of durable Granitium nonstick coating with speckling, and you’ll love that they’re scratch-resistant and allow for quick food release. The real standout here is the patented Thermopoint technology, which signals when the pan is hot or cool, letting the user know when it's time to cook or clean via a light sensor.

Use the 10-inch fry pan for sautéing veggies, cooking eggs and searing proteins. The 12-inch pan is ideal for when you’re batch cooking to meal prep for the week ahead or feeding a hungry group a tasty pasta dish or whipping up fixings for Taco Tuesday.

Mini Healthy Ceramic Non-Stick Round Egg Pan

Cook a lot of eggs in your household? GreenPan’s round or square 5-inch egg pan is for you. Thanks to its small size, you can clean it quickly and it is free of toxic additives such as PFAS, PFOA, lead, and cadmium.

Another nice spec is the silicone-wrapped handle that makes sliding your eggs onto a plate a breeze (and you won’t burn your hand on the handle, either) and a slew of colors from which to choose. In addition to eggs, use it to make a pancake, cook a burger patty, or flip a grilled cheese, and more.

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