Our In-Depth GreenPan Review, Backed by Rigorous Testing

GreenPan cookware was introduced to the U.S. market in 2007 by two childhood friends, Jan Helskens and Wim De Veirman, as an alternative to traditional nonstick cookware made with PTFE. Since its inception, this ceramic nonstick cookware company has developed many lines of pots and pans.

In the Good Housekeeping Institute Kitchen Appliances and Innovation Lab, we test all kinds of cookware. In the last decade alone, we've tested well over 200 pieces of cookware (both in sets and as single pieces), including over 10 cookware sets from GreenPan. And as a reviews analyst for the last three and a half years, I've personally tested numerous pots and pans, including many from GreenPan. Over the past year, since I first wrote this story, we’ve tested four more GreenPan cookware sets. Keep reading to discover how GreenPan's top-tested pots and pans performed.

GreenPan has been selling ceramic nonstick cookware for longer than other brands and holds over 150 patents for new technologies. The company currently has over a dozen different cookware lines within its portfolio. In fact, this is the most variety in ceramic nonstick pots and pans that we've seen from one brand.

This means there are options in construction, price point and aesthetics, but it can be confusing to determine which line is right for you. For this guide, I've narrowed the field down to GreenPan's top six lines of cookware. We've rigorously tested each. Keep reading to see how they compare.

GreenPan currently produces cookware with one of three proprietary nonstick ceramic coatings: Infinite8 Ceramic Nonstick, Thermolon Advanced or Thermolon. The Infinite8 Ceramic Nonstick coating is found solely on the GP5 collection and, according to the brand, is its most advanced ceramic coating; it's metal-utensil-safe and designed to last longer than their other coatings. Thermolon Advanced coating, according to the brand, is also safe for metal utensils, but the Thermolon coating is not.

The majority of GreenPan's cookware uses Thermolon coating. According to the manufacturer, Thermolon coating is derived from sand and is manufactured without PFAS (PFAS refers to a group of per- and polyfluoroalkyl artificial chemicals widely used in various industries for their resistance to heat, grease and water), lead or cadmium. While research is still underway on nonstick coatings, the lack of PFAS — also known as "forever chemicals" due to their long lifespan — in nonstick cookware is a selling point for some consumers. According to the EPA, "scientific studies have shown that exposure to some PFAS in the environment may be linked to harmful health effects in humans and animals."

The company shares that Thermolon is third-party tested and is "certified safe according to the USA Food & Drug Administration, German LFGB, the Swiss government and KTR standards."

In short, GreenPan cookware is currently thought to be safe. As with all nonstick cookware, we recommend using it as intended, usually over medium heat or lower, and recycling your GreenPan cookware when it’s scratched, starts to chip or is no longer nonstick.

In the Good Housekeeping Institute Kitchen Appliances and Innovation Lab, we've been testing nonstick cookware (both ceramic and traditional nonstick) for years. When testing any nonstick cookware, including GreenPan, we assess how evenly the piece heats and how well it can cook eggs, sear a steak, simmer tomato sauce, boil water and so much more.

We also note how easy it is to clean. After testing in the Lab, we take the cookware home and put it to use in our own kitchens. We also review valuable cookware feedback from our extensive database of GH+ product testers. More than 60 people have filled out surveys about GreenPan cookware for our insight database.

Many pieces of GreenPan cookware in our Lab

Here's how six of GreenPan's top-tested cookware lines performed in our Labs and in consumer testers' homes:

Valencia Pro

GreenPan Valencia Pro 11-Piece Cookware Set

$600 at Amazon

$450 at GreenPan

The Valencia Pro line is our best overall ceramic cookware set because it's lightweight but sturdy with a nice variety of pots and pans for frequent everyday use. In our Lab tests, fried eggs were released easily with the help of a spatula and almost all of the scrambled eggs were removed from the pan without any oil added. The sauce we simmered barely stuck to the bottom in our scorch test, and the pot cleaned right up. One long-term tester attested to the cookware's longevity: "I'm an avid home chef and have used the cookware heavily over the past two to three years on a daily basis, and it is still in great condition, even with often having to put it in the dishwasher."

Reserve

GreenPan Reserve 10-Piece Cookware Set

Now 21% Off

$400 $316 at Amazon

$400 at Lowe's$580 $400 at greenpan.us

The GreenPan Reserve line comes in multiple colorways to match your kitchen's aesthetic. I have been using this cookware in my home kitchen for the last couple of months and have used it to make many frittatas, but you do need a nice layer of oil on your pan, or food won't release as easily. Our consumer testers like them as well. "I love cooking grilled cheese sandwiches [in it]," said one tester, who noted that the cookware was "very durable and nonstick" after using it daily for over a year. Another tester said the Reserve 10-inch fry pan is the one they use "to cook anything and everything. It is my favorite pan and is the one I reach for most often. It is the right size, and I especially like the depth of the pan."

GP5

GreenPan GP5 14-Piece Cookware Set

Now 10% Off

$600 $539 at Amazon

GreenPan's GP5 line of cookware received a Kitchen Gear Award for its stylish and functional design. We like the light but sturdy construction and the look of these pots and pans. The skillet heated evenly in our Lab tests and produced a nicely browned steak. One product tester said, "It is much sturdier than all of the other nonstick pans I have used. The coating has not chipped or discolored." Another tester reported, "I am absolutely in love with this cookware! It is well made, cooks extremely well, is easy to use and I will continue to use it and recommend it to friends and family."

Padova

GreenPan Padova 10 Piece Cookware Set

Now 28% Off

$300 $217 at Amazon

$350 at Greenpan$184 at Wayfair

The GreenPan Padova cookware set performed well in our tomato sauce and stockpot tests but didn't perform as well at cooking fried and scrambled eggs. We appreciated the skillet's larger, open surface area and found the cookware pieces lightweight and easy to maneuver in the kitchen. This cookware set is also affordable for its quality and comes in a larger set size with 17 pieces. One consumer tester stated, "I love how it looks, and the value for the money is outstanding."

GreenPan x Stanley Tucci

GreenPan x Stanley Tucci Stainless-Steel 11-Piece Cookware Set

$1,000 at GreenPan

$1,670 at Williams Sonoma

The GreenPan x Stanley Tucci line was designed in partnership with actor Stanley Tucci. We've tested this set in our Lab and are pleased with the results so far. It performed well when searing a steak, and eggs were easy to flip with a spatula without using any oil. When I brought it home, I could easily brown king trumpet mushrooms, and flipping blueberry pancakes was a breeze. One caveat: Another tester noted that after using this cookware a couple of times daily, the nonstick coating was no longer as nonstick as it was initially, and the cookware had scratched around the rim.

King trumpet mushrooms seared at home in a GreenPan x Stanley Tucci 10-inch skillet.

GreenPan x Bobby Flay

GreenPan x Bobby Flay 13 Piece Professional Ceramic Nonstick Set

$250 at Amazon

$230 at GreenPan$230 at Macy's

The GreenPan x Bobby Flay line is one of GreenPan's newest cookware lines, designed in partnership with celebrity chef Bobby Flay. Two sets are available: a professional ceramic nonstick cookware set and a professional stainless steel set and we recently tested both. We found the ceramic nonstick set performs slightly better than the stainless steel set. Both sets have squatter stockpots with large bottom surface areas which we saw in testing accelerated boil times. The cookware from both sets is also lightweight and has rubber-covered handles that keep handles cool to the touch and provide a comfortable grip.

Steak cooked in the GreenPan x Bobby Flay 13-Piece Professional Ceramic Nonstick Set.

The GreenPan Spectra 10-Piece Set will retail for $599.99 at Williams Sonoma.

We tested a not-yet-launched product line called GreenPan Spectra, which impressed our Lab. If you're looking for a product that offers great heat distribution and you're not in a hurry, we think it's worth the wait until mid-May when the product will be available at Williams Sonoma. It features a new design we've never seen from GreenPan, and we found that eggs cooked better on this piece of cookware than any of the other GreenPan cookware we've tested. If you can't wait until the Spectra launches, we recommend the Valencia Pro line.

Steak after it was cooked in the GreenPan Spectra cookware.

Food can stick to any piece of ceramic nonstick cookware if the cookware is not used, cared for or cleaned correctly. Here are some factors to consider to ensure optimal results from your GreenPan cookware.

✔️ Check your cooking temperature: Ceramic cookware tends to get hotter than traditional nonstick cookware and often more quickly. It should be used at a lower heat — we suggest low to medium — for best results. If you do overheat your pot or pan, it can impact the longevity of your cookware. High heat can damage the ceramic coating, causing it to lose its nonstick properties faster than intended.
✔️ Check your cooking utensils: Use silicone or wooden cooking utensils when cooking with your ceramic cookware to prevent scratching the nonstick coating. While some GreenPan coatings state they are safe for metal utensils, we still recommend sticking to these softer tools. Any scratching can reduce your cookware's longevity and increase your pan's sticking power. Food can get stuck in the scratches, furthering the wear and tear, and the materials in your cookware's coating may even leach into your food.
✔️ Cook with fat: Always add cooking oil or butter when using your cookware. Make sure the cookware is coated with the fat and that the fat has warmed up before adding your ingredients. Avoid cooking sprays, which can damage your pan's coating by burning too quickly and slowly building up on your pan's coating, reducing its nonstick power.
✔️ Wash by hand: While many brands will say that it's OK to put your nonstick cookware in the dishwasher, we recommend hand washing your nonstick pieces, especially your ceramic pieces, to extend the longevity of the nonstick coating.
✔️ Replace when needed: Keep in mind that your GreenPan cookware will not last forever; foods will start to stick more over time. If your cookware is no longer performing how you would like it to, you can choose to recycle it and purchase a new piece of GreenPan cookware to replace it.

Pros

• Different price points for every budget
• Most lines offer the ability to purchase single pieces or sets
• Almost all of our consumer testers (over 50 different testers) said that the cookware was "very nonstick upon first use"
• Heats evenly and can gently cook eggs and nicely brown steak
• Manufactured without PFAS, according to the brand
• Stylish pieces in different colorways and designs
• Many lightweight options that testers said felt nice in their hands

Cons

• Ceramic nonstick coating needs extra care because it can chip, nick or scratch
• Coating doesn't last as long as a traditional nonstick coating
• Exterior of pans can stain over time
• Some pieces are heavier than others

After our consumer and Lab testing, we feel comfortable saying, yes, GreenPan is a good brand for pots and pans. The Valencia Pro line is our best overall ceramic cookware set, but they also have a new innovative cookware line that we're excited about and several other lines within the GreenPan portfolio have performed well in our Lab testing over the years. The brand has also won a Good Housekeeping Sustainable Innovation Award for its use of certified recycled aluminum.

Many long-term users of the cookware have attested to the quality of the brand's pots and pans. As with any nonstick cookware, you must properly use and maintain it for the best performance.

Eva Bleyer has professionally tested all kinds of kitchen equipment, from oven ranges and juicers to kitchen scales and blenders. As the Good Housekeeping Institute Kitchen Appliances and Innovation Lab Reviews Analyst for the last three and a half years, she has tested dozens of different cookware pieces, including many from GreenPan. She graduated from NYU with a bachelor of science in food studies, nutrition and public health and is a trained cook through the Natural Gourmet Institute.

Eva Bleyer

Kitchen Appliances Lab Reviews Analyst

Eva (she/her) is a reviews analyst in the Kitchen Appliances and Innovation Lab, where she tests kitchen gear, home appliances and culinary innovations. She graduated from NYU with a bachelor of science in food studies, nutrition and public health and is a trained chef through the Natural Gourmet Institute. Eva has more than 10 years of experience in the food industry, working as a food stylist, personal chef and marketing manager.