Fry pans may conjure up images of seared steak and fritters drenched in oil, but they have a place in the healthy cook's kitchen too.

Setting the stage for inspired dinners like Cajun salmon with zucchini pasta and gut-healing cheese quesadillas, fry pans come in handy whenever you're looking to give your dish a deep, crispy finish.

The secret to a healthy char? Start with an oil that can be exposed to high heat without burning (a general rule of thumb is that oils with more saturated and monounsaturated fats—such as avocado oil, olive oil, and unrefined coconut oil—tend to be better for cooking than ones like canola or grapeseed oil), and make sure your fry pan can withstand higher temps.

Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) is a chemical compound found in a lot of nonstick cookware. It keeps food from sticking to pans and makes them easier to clean. But at temperatures above 570°F, the tippy top of a stovetop burner's range, PTFE has been shown to emit smoke that can spur flu-like symptoms1.

Old fry pans that were made before 2013 could also contain PFOA, another nonstick chemical that has been banned from cookware due to potential health risks. (The American Cancer Society lists it as a potential carcinogen.)

There's some controversy about how damaging PTFE and PFOA compounds actually are to our health, and more research needs to be done on their impact. However, we do know that these oil- and water-based chemicals are really persistent in our environment and could damage ecosystems over time2.

Luckily these days it's easy to find pans designed to reach high temperatures without emitting potentially dangerous chemicals. Here are a few stainless steel, cast-iron, and nonstick options that can stand the heat:

While both of these options are the cream of the non-stick crop, they do still emit PTFE at high temperatures, so err on the side of caution and don't use them for your really high-temp cooking.

You'll also want to avoid heating up non-stick pans when they're empty. Lastly, be sure to be gentle with them to avoid chipping.

Psst...if you're looking for some more budget-friendly pots and pans for everyday use, we've got some ideas!