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Top 10 Healthiest Cookware On The Market in 2023

In this article, we examine science backed healthy cookware materials to use, and those to avoid. It's time to get off the grid and start cooking your own fresh meals. Shall we?

Written by Nate Lau| Last updated March 7, 2023
cartoon woman flipping healthy food in frying pan

The Healthiest Cookware At a Glance:


Healthiest and Safest Cookware Options (Backed By Science Research)

safe cookware

What is the healthiest cookware and why do people crave these sets so much? With the cookware market saturated with new gimmicky cookware, healthy cookware takes a back seat.

To make things worse, manufacturers and distributors are not even honest about labeling their cookware as toxic.

Thankfully there is a lot of information that is available on healthy cooking online. We have compiled the healthiest cookware listed in order of preference based on our research.

Hopefully this list will help serve you well when you purchase your healthy pots and pans.

What Cookware Materials To Avoid?

Before we list our top 10 healthiest cookware, we wanted you to know the main problems with traditional cookware such as traditional Teflon coated non-stick pots and pans, pure aluminum cookware and copper cookware.

All of the above mentioned have harmful chemicals that release hormone altering chemicals into your food. We stress the need for using the safest cookware. 

Here's a quick list of what to avoid backed by science:

A lot of the cookware from the previous generations contain one of the above materials and are harmful to cook with. Luckily, some of the newest healthy cookware on the market are tremendously improved and create healthy alternatives.

What Are Safe Cookware Materials?

The new age kitchen ware available on the market right now has been improved drastically and healthy cookware is now a norm. There are so many cookware materials available on the market currently. 

Here's a list of the safest cookware materials:

  • Safe Stainless Steel - Stainless steel is a very common type of cookware. However, there are different grades and composition of stainless steel according to the Finish Insitute of Occupational Health. For example, some stainless steel cookware contain nickel and chromium that can leach into the food particularly when cooking acidig foods. Stainless steel made with 18/8 or 18/10 stamped on the bottom are least likely to leach into food. We review the best ones here.
  • Safe Ceramic - A safer alternative to chemical heavy nonstick pans. However, there are some ceramic pans that contain harmful chemicals. That's why we stated "safe" ceramic is healthy. If you're unsure of whether a chemical is healthy or not, check out the FDA's import alert list as well as Proposition 65 which requires a list of checmicals known to cause people harm. We take a in depth look at the best ceramic cookware here.
  • Cast Iron - Generally safe and one of the most heaviest types of cookware. Numerous studies have pointed that iron cookware combats anemia. In addition, research has pointed out that cast iron cookware can increase the iron content in foods such as eggs and applesauce, but not hamburger patties. Take a look at our in depth review here.
  • Stoneware - Mostly used in baking, stoneware can last a considerable amount of time. Since most stoneware, is composed of differently, it's best to check the FDA's import alert list as well as Proposition 65 for list of checicals known to harm people. We have not come across any unsafe checmicals used in Stoneware. We review the best stone frying pans here.
  • Glass - Carries the same risks of ceramic cookware but is generally more expensive. If new, it's quite safe and both Canada and USA have strict production standards to avoid the use of lead and cadmium in the cookware. 
  • Titanium - One of the safer nonstick surfaces available according to the book Toxic Home / Conscious Home. In this book, he has researched titanium as being a cookware material that helps you live healthier lives. Level up your cooking with the best titanium cookware.

Without a doubt, new cookware materials have advantages and disadvantages and so it’s up to the consumer to distinguish between the toxic and healthy pots and pans to purchase.

However, the new non stick cookware coatings offer more benefits than the prior generation non safe traditional cookware. We summarized a list of pros and cons of cookware materials here.

Not only have the new kitchen ware been safe guarded against toxic coatings such as Teflon, but they also provide new ergonomics that will make your healthy cooking even more enjoyable. Along with these improvements, stackable cookware is also available with some brands.

Such improvements are in the heat resistant handles, heat conduction through induction surfaces, and sturdier material construction to prevent vibrations and increased durability.

Without further ado, here are the top 10 healthiest cookware options in order of preference:


Our Healthy Cookware Picks


Name

Benefits

Price

BEST OVERALL FRY PAN

Ozeri Stone Earth Pans

Ozeri Stone Earth Frying Pans

  • 100% PFOA free (no Teflon coating)
  • Allows you to use no oil at all for your cooking
  • Great for pan sticky foods like eggs and fish

BEST INDUCTION CERAMIC COOKWARE SET

GreenPan Healthiest Cookware Stone Frying Pans

GreenPan Valencia Pro 11-piece Cookware Set

  • Can resist high temperatures up to 500 degrees Celsius
  • Made with premium materials that are PFOA free
  • Leaves a very small carbon footprint

BEST SOFT GRIPS

Healthiest Cookware - Greenlife Cookware

GreenLife 14-Piece Non-stick Cookware Set

  • Thermolon non-stick coating that won’t distort the taste of food
  • Cadmium, lead and 100% PFOA free
  • Oven safe and made with stainless steel

BEST STAINLESS STEEL COOKWARE SET

made in kitchen sink

Made In Cookware

  • The ultimate in fat-free healthy cooking
  • Comes with beautifully designed lids so that the nutrients and moisture can not escape
  • Lifetime warranty

LONGEST LASTING COOKWARE SET

Healthiest Cookware - Calphalon Commercial Hard Anodized Set

Calphalon Commercial Hard-Anodized 13-pc. Cookware Set

  • Anodized aluminum that protects from toxic health risks
  • Handles will never get hot when cooking
  • Lifetime warranty

BEST OVERALL COOKWARE SET

WearEver-Pure-Living-Cookware-Set-1024x699

WearEver Pure Living Cookware Set

  • PFOA, PTFE and cadmium free
  • Non-stick ceramic coating promotes healthy cooking by using less oil
  • Easy to clean and scratch resistant

BEST ON A BUDGET

Rachel Ray

Rachael Ray Hard Anodized II 10-Piece Cookware Set

  • Durable and heats up quickly to cook your nutritious food
  • Hard anodized aluminum that protects from toxic health risks
  • Ergonomic design

BEST NONSTICK

Anolon Cookware Set

Anolon Advanced Bronze Hard Anodized Nonstick Cookware Set

  • Cook with minimal oil and butter for a healthier lifestyle
  • East to clean
  • Extra durable

BEST FOR HOME COOKS

Traumontina

Tramontina 15-Piece Hard Anodized Cookware Set

  • Will not leach into your precious food and distort the taste and color
  • Long lasting
  • Easy to use

BEST QUALITY

Le Creuset Cookware Set

Le Creuset Signature 5-Piece Cast Iron Cookware Set

  • Porcelain enamel that makes cleanup a breeze
  • Great for searing and glazing
  • Built to withstand heat up to 500 degrees

Best Overall Fry Pan - Ozeri Stone Frying Pan 10 Inch

Material: Stoneware | Available Sizes: 8, 10 and 12 inch | Weight: 2.4lbs for 10 inch | Pre-seasoned: No | Lid included: No | Add-on Options: None | Colors: Anthracite Gray, Coconut Brown, Granite Gray, Lava Black, Obsidian Gold, Red Clay, Warm Albaster

Ozeri Stone Earth Pans

What We Like

  • 100% PFOA free
  • Sold construction 3 rivit handle
  • Scratch Resistant
  • Easy Clean

What We Don't Like

  • Sold out majority of times

Check out this healthy and cool frying pan! It’s one of our favorites here because it’s one of the best healthiest cookware around. The stone pan is 100% PFOA free (no Teflon coating) so no harmful chemicals enter your food and ultimately into your body.

Better yet, the super non-stick Stonehendge coating allows you to use no oil at all for your cooking. Great for pan sticky foods like eggs and fish.

I’ve been covering Ozeri stone frying pans for months and have never seen a pan this wonderful overall.


Best Induction Cookware Set - GreenPan Valencia Pro 11-Piece Set

Available Sizes: 4, 11 and 16 pieces | Weight: 10.65 lbs for 11-piece set | Pre-seasoned: No | Lids included: Yes | Add-on Options: None | Set Pieces: 8'', 9. 5'', 11'' frypans; 2QT and 3QT saucepans with lids; 3QT skillet with lid; 5QT casserole with lid

GreenPan Healthiest Cookware Stone Frying Pans

What We Like

  • Thermolon PFOA free coating
  • Conveient for every day use
  • Comes with pads for safe storage

What We Don't Like

  • Could include a 7" skillet for eggs

The original GreenPan  cookware carries a nonstick coating that is coated with their famous Thermolon which can resist high temperatures up to 500 degrees Celsius. This healthy cookware has a high-end nonstick coating and is made with premium materials that are PFOA free.

In addition, GreenPans leave a very small carbon footprint when they are produced so you will be saving the environment.

Included in this set are a 8, 9.5 & 11-inch frying pan, 2 & 3-quart covered saucepan, 3-quart covered skillet, and a 5-quart covered casserole. Also included are four beautiful glass lids.  This cookware set is your ultimate cooking partner and assistant in the kitchen! Create the perfect dish that you have been craving. 


Best Soft Grips - GreenLife 14-Piece Non-stick Cookware Set

Available Sizes: 14 pieces | Weight: 12.19 lbs for 14-piece set | Pre-seasoned: No | Lids included: Yes | Add-on Options: None | Set Pieces: Pans : (1) L 9.5" H 2.5" (2) L 9.75" H 1.75" (3) L 7.5" H 1.75" Pots: (1) L 9" H 5" (2) L 7.5" H 3.5" (3) L 6.5" H 3"; Available Colors: Black and Burgundy

Healthiest Cookware - Greenlife Cookware

What We Like

  • Great for cooking eggs
  • Easy on the wrist handles
  • Durablility
  • Nice colors

What We Don't Like

  • Use on medium heat as opposed to medium high heat max for other cookware sets

This piece of kitchen cookware brings out the chef in you. It’s design is for healthy cooking starting with the premium materials to the Thermolon non-stick coating that won’t distort the taste of food nor the look after cooking. This coating is cadmium, lead and 100% PFOA free which rates highly on our list of healthiest cookware.

Oven safe and made with stainless steel, the handles are ergonomic and insulate the heat to keep your hand from burning on the handle.


Healthy Cookware Brand #4: 
Made In Cookware

BEST STAINLESS STEEL COOKWARE

This one-of-a-kind kitchen ware is made in the USA  and is the ultimate in fat-free healthy cooking. The surface of the cookware stainless steel and made in the best factories in the world right in the USA. Like cooking on stone and best for steaks and other meats!

The cookware comes with beautifully designed lids so that the nutrients and moisture can not escape. Great for vegetables to lock in flavor and maintain the vital nutrients.

made in kitchen sink

Made In Cookware is 100% 5-ply American stainless steel. In fact, you can even use metal utensils on the cookware without damaging it. Better yet, it comes with a lifetime warranty for headache-less cooking!

>> Get the Made In Kitchen Sous Chef Right Here <<


WORTHY MENTIONS

Research has shown that when acidic foods are in contact with aluminum, there are potential toxic risks such as leaching of salts into cooked food. With anodized aluminum, these healthy pots and pans protect from such toxic health risks and further unwanted non stick chemical byproducts. The searing and deglazing on these pans are amazing and the handles will never get hot when you’re cooking.

The healthy cookware set comes with a 3 quart saucepan, cooking pots, stock pot and non stick frying pans and comes with a lifetime warranty. Furthermore, they are fabulous looking kitchen ware that looks great on any shelf or frying pan rack. Your guests will definitely notice this high end cookware set!

Calphalon Contemporary Hard-Anodized Aluminum Nonstick Cookware, Set, 11-Piece, Black

Healthiest Cookware - Calphalon Commercial Hard Anodized Set

Healthy Cookware Brand #6: 
WearEver Pure Living Cookware Set

Want the best of healthy cookware and environmentally friendly? Meet the WearEver Ceramic Kitchen Cookware set that is PFOA free, and PTFE free and cadmium free. Best of all, the nonstick ceramic coating promotes healthy cooking by using less oil.

Another benefit to using this healthy cookware is the heat distribution of the pans. Since the heat distribution is so awesome, you do not need to cook  on high heat, just medium will do. Furthermore, the clean-up is real easy as the pans are sturdy and the ceramic coating is very scratch resistant.

WearEver-Pure-Living-Cookware-Set-1024x699

As one of the healthiest cookware sets around, we highly recommended for people who have allergies and sensitivities. Our hypo allergic kitchen ware testers have given us the two thumbs up.

WearEver 15 Piece Ceramic PTFE PFOA & Cadmium Free Nonstick Cookware Set, Red
WearEver C943SF Pure Living Nonstick Ceramic Coating PTFE / PFOA Free Dishwasher Safe Cookware set, 15-Piece, Red

These pans don’t need to be promoted by Food Network television personality Rachael Ray to make it to this healthiest cookware list. This set combines healthy pots and pans that’s perfect for everyone in your family.

Made with hard anodized aluminum, the healthy pots and pans are especially durable and heat up quickly to cook your nutritious food. Normal traditional pots and pans have “hot spots” that can typically burn food and melt away the precious vitamins that the food offers.

Rachel Ray

The ergonomic design makes this healthy cookware set stand out in your kitchen to remind you that healthy cooking starts with the healthiest cookware.

Rachael Ray Hard Anodized II Nonstick Dishwasher Safe 10-Piece Cookware Set, Orange 

This dishwasher safe cookware is designed to be cooked with minimal oil and butter for a healthier lifestyle. This theme is embedded across all the healthy pots and pans and provides for easy cleanup. As a result, this has one of the best cookware sets reviews on the market.

Included in this set is a 3 quart saucepan, stock pot, French skillets, grill pan, and saute. These pans are extra durable and and are twice as tough as stainless steel. Created for even the most reckless chefs around!

Anolon Advanced Bronze Hard Anodized Nonstick 11-Piece Cookware Set

Anolon Cookware Set

Tramontina cookware is made with hard anodized aluminum vessels which will not allow your non stick frying pan to leach into your precious food and distort the taste and color. This healthy cookware set is one of the best non-stick PFOA free cookware sets out there that is long lasting and designed for ease of use.

The style of this cookware is professional to give you the healthiest cookware at your fingertips!

Tramontina 15-Piece Hard Anodized – Nonstick Cookware Set

Traumontina

The coating on this PFOA free cookware set is what makes this one of the healthiest cookware around. Not your standard cast iron pots and pans, this healthy cookware set boasts a porcelain enamel that makes cleanup a breeze. The longer you use these pots and pans the more likely they will create a “natural patina” which will help with searing and glazing.

Le Creuset Cookware Set

This set is the combination of the most commonly used kitchen ware and includes a 3 quart saucepan, cooking pot, stock pot, steamer pot and skillet. Best of all, the Le Creuset skillet doesn’t require any seasoning.

Built to withstand heat up to 500 degrees, you’ll be able to cook almost almost any type of gamy meats such as lamb. We recommend that you buy a handle mitt so that your hands don’t burn. Comes in a punchy red color which will stand out to your guests!

Le Creuset Signature 5-Piece Cast Iron Cookware Set, Flame


Frequently Asked Questions

How Safe Is Granite Cookware and Granite Pans?

Granite cookware is a material used in frying pans. Today granite cookware and granite pans are made with a stainless steel core and topped with a glass coating. Most granite cookware has a porcelain enamel fused at 2,000 F. This creates a non-stick glass surface that’s non-porous and inert. Granite these days are much lighter than previous generations of granite because of technological advancements.

It’s considered safe unless there are PFOA and PTFE on the pans. These are the same chemicals used in Teflon. In addition, the granite cookware looks the same as regular non-stick cookware.

If you have a granite pan, make sure you take these precautions to be safe:

  • Always heat the pan to a maximum of medium-high heat. High heat will ruin the non-stick coating. The maximum heat of medium-high will preserve the non-stick coating.
  • When on medium high heat, make sure you use some oil. Don’t heat an empty pan to avoid food sticking to an old non-stick pan.
  • Use wooden spatulas instead of metal spatulas to preserve the non-stick coating.

Some granite cookware has a porcelain coating. To protect this coating, make sure you use wooden utensils on there instead of metal.

If you have damaged porcelain coating on your cookware, make sure you dispose of it immediately. You can tell the coating is damaged by frying an egg. If the egg sticks to the bottom of the pan, it’s damaged. The pan will no longer be safe for use.

Instead of granite coated pans, take a look at the below healthy pans:

About the author 

Nate Lau

Nate is an aspiring chef, and father of two. He is always on the lookout to try new healthy recipes and kitchen gadgets. He has a passion for cooking delicious miso black cod and enjoys a nice sip of pinot on occasion.

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