6 Best Ceramic Cookware Sets, According to Food Network Kitchen
Ceramic nonstick cookware keeps foods from sticking and cleanup to a minimum but doesn’t have the chemicals found in traditional nonstick pots and pans. Plus, it can be safely used over high heat.
Our Top Ceramic Cookware Picks
- Best Overall: GreenPan Valencia Pro Ceramic Nonstick 11-Piece Cookware Set
- Best Value : Blue Diamond Pan Cookware Set, 14 Piece
- Best Splurge: GreenPan Reserve Ceramic Nonstick 10-Piece Cookware Set
- Best Basic Set: Caraway Cookware Set
- Best Starter Set: Select by Calphalon Oil-Infused Ceramic 8- Piece Cookware Set
- Best Stainless Steel Set: Zwilling Clad CFX 10-Piece Stainless Steel Ceramic Cookware Set
By Sharon Franke for Food Network Kitchen
Most households require at least some nonstick cookware for basic weeknight dinner and home cooking needs. If you’re worried about the chemicals in traditional nonstick finishes, opt for cookware with a ceramic finish, which can be used at higher temperatures without releasing harmful particles into the air. Here’s everything you need to know about ceramic nonstick cookware and how to choose the best set for your kitchen.
What Is Ceramic Cookware?
Ceramic nonstick cookware is not actually ceramic. The pans are made of metal and have a thin coating containing silica, a mineral founds in the Earth’s crust, that gives it a slick, glossy surface that resembles ceramicware. The finish isn’t manufactured with PFOA, the chemical associated with health risks that was used to produce traditional nonstick coatings. Nor does it contain PTFE, which releases fumes that may cause flu-like symptoms when nonstick finishes are overheated.
It's worth noting that ceramic nonstick coatings are less slippery than PTFE-based finishes and will lose their nonstick properties more quickly.
How We Picked
To select our best ceramic nonstick cookware sets, we relied on our writer’s history of testing cookware and our test kitchen staff’s years of developing recipes as well as feeding feed their families everything from eggs for breakfast to fancy crepes for dessert. We double checked to see what professional reviewers recommend and what home cooks report about their experiences.
In addition to considering how well pots and pans released food as well as how evenly they cooked, we considered if they were easy to use and keep clean. Another important factor was the usefulness of the assortment of pieces included in each set. Our selections include everything from a starter set for someone with a first kitchen to large sets for cooks who regularly feed a crowd.
- Heats evenly
- Great nonstick release
- Can be used over high heat and under broiler
- Large stockpot not included
Included: 8-, 10.5- and 11-inch fry pans, 2- and 3-quart saucepans with lids, 3-quart sauté pan with lid, and 5-quart Dutch oven with lid
The finish on these pots and pans is among the best at both releasing foods and staying nonstick for a long time. Constructed of hard anodized aluminum, these pieces brown evenly and are resistant to dents and dings. Without the lids, the pans are safe for use in the oven up to 600°F and with the lids to 425°F. The stainless-steel handles stay cool during stovetop cooking. Thanks to a magnetic base, this collection works on an induction cooktop.
The set include three different size skillets with sloped sides and a straight sided sauté pan; that gives you a frypan for every purpose from a single sunny side-up egg to a large Dutch baby pancake. In addition to two saucepans, you get a 5-quart Dutch oven for soups and stews. While GreenPan says this cookware is dishwasher safe, like us, it recommends hand washing. The rivets are nonstick coated so you won’t have to scrub around them.
- Number of Pieces 12
- What's Included 8", 9,5” and 11” fry pans, 2- and 3-quart saucepans with lids, 3-quart sauté pan with lid, 5-quart stockpot with lid, set of 3 pan protectors
- Material Hard anodized aluminum
- Finish Type Ceramic nonstick interior, matte enamel exterior
- Dishwasher Safe No
- Induction Compatible Yes
- Heats evenly
- Can be used over high heat and under broiler
- Rivets are nonstick-coated
- Large skillet and stockpot not included
Blue Diamond is made of aluminum that’s coated inside with a ceramic finish, rather than a traditional one made of PTFE. While you many not find it as stickproof, you will get the benefit of easy cleanup. Unlike other nonstick pans, these can withstand temps up to 850 degrees F on the stovetop or in the oven, so you can go ahead and fearlessly sear a sirloin in a frypan or glaze pork chops under the broiler. Testing has revealed that Blue Diamond heats evenly, so if you’re slinging pancakes you don’t have to keep moving them around in the pan to get them all done at the same time.
In spite of its low cost, these pieces are quite handsome with a dark blue exterior enamel surface and brushed stainless steel handles. Although the handles are attached with rivets for durability, they’re coated with the nonstick finish so don’t require any extra work to keep clean. The lids are glass to let you check if your soup is simmering gently or boiling ferociously and then adjust the heat accordingly. One thing to note is that the pieces in this set are not exceptionally large. The Dutch oven is 5 quarts and the deep straight-sided sauté pan is only 2.5 quarts.
- Number of Pieces 14
- What's Included 7" and 9.5" frypans, 2- and 3-quart saucepans with lids, 5-quart stockpot with lid, 2.5-quart sauté pan with lid, stainless steel steamer insert, 3 nylon cooking tools
- Material Aluminum
- Finish Type Ceramic nonstick interior, enamel exterior
- Dishwasher Safe Yes
- Induction Compatible No
- Heats evenly
- Can be used over high heat and under broiler
- Rivets are nonstick-coated
- Large stockpot not included
For top notch cooking and nonstick performance combined with a distinctive look, we think it’s worth splurging a bit on GreenPan Reserve. This hard anodized cookware heats evenly so you won’t have to rearrange pancakes or constantly stir vegetable soup. However, while much hard anodized is charcoal gray, this cookware comes in an assortment of beautiful colors on the outside and has a white nonstick finish inside. The handles are gold toned. If you’re looking for cookware to keep on display in your kitchen, this just might be it.
Reserve is oven safe up to 600°F. While it’s dishwasher safe, GreenPan recommends hand washing. The rivets are coated with the nonstick finish so cleaning them doesn’t require any extra effort.
- Number of Pieces 10
- What's Included 8" and 11" frypans, 2- and 3-quart saucepans with lids, 3.25-quart sauté pan with lid, 5-quart stockpot with lid
- Material Hard anodized aluminum
- Finish Type Ceramic nonstick interior, enamel exterior
- Dishwasher Safe Yes, but handwashing is recommended
- Induction Compatible No
- Heats evenly
- Can be used over high heat and under broiler
- Rivets are nonstick-coated
- Smaller pots and pans not included
Caraway pots and pans are both beautiful and practical. They’re sleekly designed and have an exterior matte enamel finish that’s available in 13 trendy colors including several shades of pink; most of the choices have gleaming stainless steel handles but four come with gold-toned handles for an extra luxe touch. When we cooked pancakes, steaks, and marinara sauce we found it conducts heats exceptionally evenly for beautiful searing and steady simmering. Eggs slide right off the surface. For finishing off a frittata or a piece of salmon, you can place a skillet in the oven to 450°F.
While Caraway cookware is induction safe, the bottoms aren’t absolutely flat so it won’t give perfect results. According to Caraway, this cookware is not dishwasher safe. Although the finish makes cleaning the interiors easy, you may have to scrub a bit to get rid of gunk around the rivets and spatters on the exterior. The set includes an assortment of useful pieces but only one skillet and one saucepan. Caraway offers some smaller pieces but doesn’t sell any other large pots and pans so you won’t be able to add significantly to your collection.
Caraway includes racks to hold the pieces neatly in a cabinet but they require more space than stacked pots and pans. Also included is a canvas lid storage holder that resembles an over-the-door shoe bag. While it’s a great organizational too, you need a long door to hang it on.
- Number of Pieces 9
- What's Included 10.5" fry pan, 3-quart saucepan with lid, 4.5-quart sauté pan with lid, 6.5-quart Dutch oven with lid, magnetic pan rack, canvas lid holder
- Material Aluminum with stainless steel base
- Finish Type Ceramic nonstick interior, matte enamel exterior
- Dishwasher Safe No
- Induction Compatible Yes
- Reasonably priced
- Includes basic pieces
- Not dishwasher safe
This set contains all the pieces we recommend if you’re equipping your first kitchen, downsizing to all but the essentials, or cook for only one or two. It includes skillets and saucepans sized for just single or double servings and a Dutch oven for making batches of chili, Sunday gravy, or chicken soup.
While this set is small and perfect for beginner or occasional cooks, it’s composed of solid pieces that give good cooking performance. The pots and pans are constructed of aluminum and have a black enamel exterior finish and riveted silicone handles. To melt cheese on a pasta casserole or crisp up stovetop stuffing, you can pop a skillet in the oven up to 400°F. Calphalon recommends hand washing.
- Number of Pieces 12
- What's Included 8" and 10" fry pans, 1.5- and 2.5- quart saucepans with lids, 5-quart Dutch oven with lid
- Material Aluminum
- Finish Type Ceramic nonstick interior, enamel exterior
- Dishwasher Safe No
- Induction Compatible No
- Heats evenly
- Saucepans have straining lids
- Expensive
- Stainless steel can be hard to hand wash
If you love the look of stainless steel and are willing to put a little work into keeping it spotless, this collection is our top pick. It has a core of aluminum for even heat distribution and a solid base covered in stainless that makes it an excellent choice for cooking on an induction cooktop. You can use it in the oven to 400°F. Each of the saucepans has a straining lid which is super useful for vegetables or small batches of noodles. Like all stainless, Zwlling can be cleaned in the dishwasher but to preserve the nonstick finish, we suggest you stick to hand washing.
- Number of Pieces 10
- What's Included 8" and 10" fry pans, 1- and 2-quart saucepans with lids, 3-quart sauté pan with lid, 6-quart Dutch oven with lid
- Material Stainless steel with aluminum core
- Finish Type Ceramic nonstick interior
- Dishwasher Safe Yes
- Induction Compatible Yes
What to Consider Before Buying Ceramic Cookware
Brand
Stick to a reputable brand. Ceramic nonstick finishes aren’t regulated. Your best bet is to buy a set from a well-known company, not one you’ve never heard of that’s sold by an unverified retailer.
Material
The majority of ceramic nonstick cookware is made of aluminum which heats evenly. However, because aluminum leaches into food, tinting it gray, most ceramic nonstick cookware has an enamel finish on the outside. This gives it a pretty, but not professional, look and the enamel can develop cooked-on stains that you’ll have to scrub to remove.
Some aluminum pans are hard-anodized, meaning they’ve undergone an electrochemical process to strengthen the metal so they’re less likely to dent if banged or dropped. Hard anodized cookware has a dark gray exterior finish that’s resistant to stains.
For a pro look, nothing beats stainless steel. However, keeping it shiny can be challenging. One of the reasons you’re buying ceramic nonstick cookware is that it’s a cinch to clean, so think twice about cookware with a stainless-steel exterior that requires more serious upkeep.
You’ll see copper ceramic nonstick pans on the market. They’re coated with a copper-colored finish but aren’t made of copper metal. If you like the orange color, it might be the right choice for you but don’t be fooled into thinking that you’re getting the benefits of cooking in copper cookware.
Compatibility
If you have an induction cooktop, check that in addition to being induction safe, any pans that you’re thinking of buying have a perfectly flat bottoms that will make good contact with an induction burner.
What Pieces Should Be Included In a Ceramic Cookware Set?
Be aware that some of the items are lids and that a few plastic or wood utensils may be included in the piece count. Nonstick finishes are particularly useful in skillets so look for a set with at least two skillets, preferably in large sizes. You get great value when a covered 12-inch skillet or straight-sided sauté pan is in the mix. After all, if you need to add a small omelet pan, it won’t set you back much but supplementing your set with a large pan can be a big expense.
How Much Should You Spend on a Ceramic Cookware Set?
Stick to a mid-range price point. Pricier cookware has more layers of ceramic nonstick, which give it better nonstick properties and increase its longevity. However, eventually, depending on how often you use it, the coating will lose its nonstick properties. That’s why we don’t recommend buying the cheapest set you can find but also don’t advise opting for the most expensive; regardless of how much you pay, your ceramic nonstick cookware won’t last a lifetime.
How to Use and Care for Nonstick Ceramic Cookware
- Avoid nonstick cooking spray which “cooks” into the finish, making it tacky to the touch and interfering with its ability to release food. And it’s hard to get rid of the gunk; even if you succeed in removing it, you’ll find your pan’s lost some of its nonstick properties.
- Use a low to medium heat setting. While ceramic nonstick can be heated to a high temperature without releasing fumes, high heat reduces the nonstick properties of the finish.
- Avoid metal utensils. You don’t want to create little grooves in the surface that will negatively affect its release properties.
- Regardless of whether or not your cookware is dishwasher-safe, hand wash it. The harsh abrasives in dishwasher detergent can decrease the longevity of the finish. Be sure to use a nonabrasive scrubbing pad to clean your cookware.
Sharon Franke has been testing and writing about kitchen equipment for over 30 years. Before becoming a cooking tools expert, she spent seven years working as a professional chef in New York City restaurants. In her free time, she's busy baking sourdough bread and rustling pots and pans on her own stove.
Related Content:
