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I Tried The Misen Carbon Nonstick Pan & It's My New Go-to Cookware
Cooking is a big part of my everyday life, so the pans and cooking utensils I use matter. Non-stick pans have a reputation problem when it comes to health, and it's for a good reason.
Many of the common cooking pans and utensils we use can contain a host of not-so-great chemicals such as PFAs 1and microplastics2. Everyday exposure can affect our health (especially reproductive health and hormone signaling3).
That's why I wanted to test the Misen Carbon Nonstick Square Griddle ($139), cookware built from nitrided carbon steel with an aluminum core and no PTFE, PFOA, or added PFAS. Here's what stood out, what didn't, and whether it's worth the investment.
What's great about the Misen Carbon Nonstick Pan
The materials
The griddle has a 3-ply build: carbon steel on the outside with an aluminum core sandwiched in the middle. According to Misen's product page, the carbon steel goes through a nitriding process, which hardens the surface and helps it resist rust and corrosion without needing a synthetic nonstick coating.
This matters for anyone trying to cut down on PFAS exposure in the kitchen. Misen's pan also comes ready to use out of the box, with no seasoning required before your first cook.
The design
When I first opened the box to my 11" square griddle pan, the first thing I noticed was how much room you get compared to a standard round frying pan. The 11" square shape is perfect for breakfast: think perfectly fried eggs (you can fit several on the generous 11" surface area), bacon, or those protein pancakes you've been trying to perfect (that's me!). The griddle shape also works well for grilling veggies or sandwiches.
Heat performance
The Misen pan's aluminum core is designed to help the pan heat up quickly and distribute that heat evenly across the cooking surface, since aluminum conducts heat well. The griddle is induction-compatible and oven-safe up to 1,100°F, according to Misen, which gives it range for stovetop-to-oven cooking.
I noticed that the pan pre-heated quickly (a must for frying a good egg or for those pancakes I mentioned). Aside from the middle of the pan being the hottest (natrually, since it's on the center of the burner) the rest of the pan distributed the heat evenly.
Everyday usability
As I mentioned above, the 11-inch pan gives you more flat cooking surface than a standard round pan, which makes it great for foods that benefit from a wide, even surface think: pancakes, grilled cheese, bacon, or a full breakfast spread cooked at once. The low walls are designed to make it easy to slide a spatula underneath food and to let steam escape rather than get trapped, which can help with browning.
For my first time using the pan, I put it to the ultimate test: pancakes (gluten-free protein oat pancakes, to be exact!). I loved how many pancakes I could fit on the pan compared to my usual round pan.
After preheating and greasing the pan with oil, I dropped my pancake batter onto the hot surface. The pancakes cooked perfectly, and I was able to easily flip them without sticking (success!). My second try was a frozen veggie sauté for dinner, and I found the pan just as useful for that as the pancakes (although a round pan with higher edges may work slightly better for a veggie sauté with sauce).
Care and durability
Once I was done cooking, the pan was easy to wash. Minimal residue stuck to the pan, which lifted off quickly and washed away with standard dish soap.
FYI: Misen recommends hand-washing the griddle rather than running it through the dishwasher. Over time and with regular use, carbon steel cookware like this is designed to build up its own natural nonstick seasoning, so performance can actually improve the more you cook with it.
A few quick caveats
The pan is overall pretty low maintenance, but here are a few things to keep in mind:
- It's not dishwasher safe! If you're used to throwing pans in the dishwasher, this one is not recommended for that. You'll need to handwash it for best results, according to the brand.
- You'll want to condition your pan: Your hair is not the only thing that needs conditioning. Misen recommends conditioning your pan by applying a few drops of high-smoke point oil to a hot pan for the best experience and help it stay optimally non-stick.
The takeaway
If you're looking to cut down on PFAS in your kitchen and trade out your old cookware without sacrificing performance, the Misen Carbon Nonstick Square Griddle is built with that goal in mind: no weird coating, a construction designed for even heat, and it's rust-resistant and easy to care for. Those features—plus the fact that it's nontoxic—make it a win in my book. It's getting a well-deserved spot in my daily cooking rotation.