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Found: The 5 Best Fry Pans For Safe High-Heat Cookin'

Emma Loewe
Author:
March 29, 2021
Emma Loewe
mbg Sustainability + Health Director
By Emma Loewe
mbg Sustainability + Health Director
Emma Loewe is the Senior Sustainability Editor at mindbodygreen and the author of "Return to Nature: The New Science of How Natural Landscapes Restore Us."
March 29, 2021
We carefully vet all products and services featured on mindbodygreen using our commerce guidelines. Our selections are never influenced by the commissions earned from our links.

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.

What to look for in a pan to make sure it's safe to use at high heat:

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:

Best stainless steel & cast iron pans:

1. Sardel 10" Skillet

Though they can take some elbow grease to clean, stainless-steel pans are safe to use at high temperatures. This one from Sardel, a new kitchenware collection made in Italy, has handles that stay cool, making it a breeze to use.


Sardel 10" Skillet ($75)

Sardel

2. Calphalon Stainless-Steel Fry Pan

Calphalon's stainless-steel fry pan is affordable, lightweight, and dishwasher safe. P.S.: The brand's space-saving collection of pans stack on top of each other for easier storage.


Calphalon Premier Space-Saving Stainless-Steel 10" Fry Pan ($49.99)

Calphalon Stainless-Steel Fry Pan on peach background
Calphalon

3. Le Creuset Cast-Iron Skillet

When you're dealing with high-heat cooking, cast iron is another popular pan option. Like stainless steel, cast-iron pans require a little bit more maintenance and need to be hand-washed and seasoned with oil from time to time. Le Creuset is known for its quality cast iron, and its signature skillet is hard to beat.


Le Creuset Enameled Cast Iron 11.75" Skillet ($204.99)

Le Creuset

Best non-stick pans:

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.

4. Scanpan Pro IQ 10.25" Fry Pan

Danish company Scanpan is known for its nonstick ceramic surface that's great at evenly distributing heat. Bonus: This fry pan's aluminum base and handle are made entirely from recycled material.


Scanpan Pro IQ 10.25" Fry Pan ($139.95)

Scanpan

5. HexClad 10" Pan

HexClad's grooved design, a mix of stainless steel and aluminum, makes it resistant to scratches that could potentially leech chemicals into food. We appreciate the brand's transparency about how their products are made and the fact that it offers a lifetime warranty.


10" HexClad Pan ($109.99)

HexClad

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

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