You’ve finally had it. You have scraped stuck on food from your frying pan for the last time and you’re ready to make a change. You know life must be better on the other side.
If this sounds like you, a ceramic nonstick frying pan may be just the thing you need to make your nonstick dreams a reality. Below are our top 5 Ceramic Frying Pans of 2020. If you want to learn more about ceramic cookware and how to pick the best ceramic frying pan for you, continue reading!
Best Ceramic Frying Pans of 2020
- GreenLife Soft Grip 12” Ceramic Non-Stick Open Fry Pan – Best for Cooking Eggs
- GreenPan Lima Ceramic Non-Stick Open Frypan – Best Overall pick
- GreenPan Prime Midnight Healthy Ceramic Nonstick, Frying Pan Set – Most Versatile Pick
- Ozeri Professional Series Earth Ceramic Fry Pan – Pro’s Pick
- Farberware 17500 Ceramic Nonstick Frying Pan / Skillet – Best Budget Pick
What is Ceramic Cookware?
You may be thinking were about to go through a pottery lesson, but those aren’t the kind of ceramics we will be talking about today. In fact, ceramic frying pans only have ceramic material on the surface that comes into contact with your food. The rest of the pan is typically made from metal to give you a rock-solid construction that conducts heat well.
The ceramic name comes from the type of coating applied to the cookware which is made from sand. The result is a nonstick pan with a glossy finish, traditional metal base, and a name that makes you think the whole pan is made from clay.
What are the Benefits of Ceramic Cookware?
If you like the idea of nonstick pans but don’t want to have to worry about the chemicals that go into the nonstick coating, ceramic may be a great choice for you. As the coating is made primarily from sand, there is nothing in the nonstick coating that will react with your food.
Even with the nonstick coating, it is still best to use some oil or butter when cooking with a ceramic frying pan. However, the amount you will need is much less than alternatives like stainless steel and cast iron. This low oil or butter requirement will help you keep your dishes healthy if that is what you are going for.
Tired of having to work with heavy cookware in the kitchen? Most ceramic frying pans have an aluminum base under their ceramic coating. This makes them lighter than many alternatives and helping them conduct heat evenly.
Compared to many other nonstick options on the market, ceramic frying pans tend to be on the lower end price wise. You certainly get what you pay for and you may want to stick to more well-known brands, but don’t worry about spending big bucks on this type of cookware.
What are the Drawbacks of Ceramic Cookware?
The main drawback of ceramic cookware is coating tends to be fragile, so these pans need to be handled with care.
Practically speaking, that means it’s best to wash this type of cookware with soap and water and avoid using metal utensils. Even though some ceramic pans are dishwasher safe and can be used with metal utensils, it will be tougher on them than the alternatives. By taking good care of the nonstick coating, you will be able to extend the life of the pan and keep the nonstick properties intact.
How Should You Cook with Nonstick Ceramic Frying Pans?
While these pans have nonstick in their titles, they are not as nonstick as some other nonstick pans on the market. Achieving nonstick cooking with these pans may require some effort on your part. But the lack of chemicals in these pans compared to alternatives makes it worth it
Aside from taking care of the pans after cooking with them, the best thing you can do to make these pans truly nonstick is cooking with a little bit of fat. Many new users of ceramic cookware tend to overdo it with the fat, but you only need a bit of oil or butter to make it work.
How To Pick the Best Ceramic Frying Pan for You
When it comes to figuring out just which pan to pick, a lot of it will come down to personal preference.
Size will certainly be an important factor and the most common are 8-inch, 10 inch, and 12 inch. If you typically cook for one, 8 or 10 inches should do the trick. If you are cooking for 2 or more, 12 inch will give you the space you need.
The next things to consider will be the type of stove top you have and whether you like to use your pans in the oven. Many of the pans below are not induction compatible. If you have an induction stove top you will need to pay close attention to which options will work with your stove top.
Like to pop your dish in the oven before serving? Take a close look at the oven safety rating of the pans below. The most common ratings are 350- and 500-degrees Fahrenheit. If you want to put your ceramic frying pans into the oven, a rating of 500 or above would be a better pick for you.
2020’s Best Ceramic Frying Pan – Our Reviews
GreenLife Soft Grip 12” Ceramic Non-Stick Open Fry Pan – Best for Cooking Eggs
If you are looking for an everyday ceramic frying pan that won’t break the bank, this pan from GreenLife will do the trick. It has 8 inch and 12-inch size options and comes in a variety of colors to add some life to your kitchen. Even though the price point is low, the non-stick seems to perform well over time if you take care of the surface. The soft grip keeps the handle from getting hot while cooking at medium to high temperatures, so no need to keep the hot pads ready while you’re cooking. A big differentiator here between other items in our top picks is this pan does not have rivets on the inside of the pan. This makes the whole interior of the pan smooth and ideal for cooking eggs or omelets. Without rivets on the inside, you won’t have to worry about some of your omelet being left behind.
What we liked:
- Great entry level price point
- Different color options
- No rivets inside the pan, great for eggs!
- A soft grip handle keeps the handle comfortable and prevents it from getting hot
What we didn’t like:
- Not induction stove compatible
- Oven safe only up to 350 degrees
- Nonstick may wear off over time
GreenPan Lima Ceramic Non-Stick Open Frypan – Best Overall pick
Greenpan is one of the most well-known brands in the ceramic cookware space. This GreenPan ceramic frying pan comes in 3 size options: 8 inch, 10 inch, and 12 inch. If you are cooking for 1 or 2, the 10 inch is a good middle of the road option. Free of harmful chemicals, GreenPan is a great choice if you are concerned about the chemicals used in the manufacturing of your cookware. Looking for a ceramic frying pan than can also be used in the oven? The GreenPan Lima is oven safe up to 600 degrees, so no problems there. We did a more in depth review of this pan here.
What we liked:
- Great value from a well-known brand in the Ceramic Cookware space
- Oven safe up to 600 degrees
- Free of PFAS, PFOA, Lead, and Cadmium
What we didn’t like:
- Not induction stove compatible
GreenPan Prime Midnight Healthy Ceramic Nonstick, Frying Pan Set – Most Versatile Pick
Like the GreenPan above but not sure which size to choose? Turns out we have the solution here – have both! This combo set of 8 inch and 10 inch pans combines 2 of the most useful sizes with the same technology that has made GreenPan a top ceramic cookware brand. This Prime Midnight set is an Amazon exclusive and comes in a captivating color scheme with a rich black body and solid silver steel handle.
What we liked:
- 2 pans included
- Oven safe up to 600 degrees
- Induction stove compatible
- Safe for use with metal utensils
What we didn’t like:
- Lids not included
- Rivets on the inside can be tough to clean around
Ozeri Professional Series Earth Ceramic Fry Pan – Pro’s Pick
Want to cook like the pros? This ceramic fry pan from Ozeri is the pick for you. This pan comes in 3 size options: 8 inch, 10 inch, and 11 inch. You can also choose between a fixed handle or a removable handle. By choosing the removable handle, you could have this pan double as a serving dish for things like dips that may be prepared in the pan. Oven safe up to 500 degrees with quadruple sealing, this frying pan will be right at home in your kitchen.
What we liked:
- Extremely high quality
- Free from harmful chemicals
- Over safe up to 500 degrees
- Induction stove compatible
What we didn’t like:
- On the more expensive side
Farberware 17500 Ceramic Nonstick Frying Pan / Skillet – Best Budget Pick
Looking to get a great ceramic option into your kitchen at an affordable cost? This ceramic nonstick frying pan from Farberware will be a great fit. With a well-known brand behind this pick, Farberware has made several sizes and color options available. We recommend sticking with the 10 inch unless you routinely cook for several people. The 10 inch is the best size option to have some capacity without having your food spread out too much while cooking.
What we liked:
- Great mix of quality and affordability from a well-known brand
- Several different color and size options
What we didn’t like:
- Only oven safe up to 350 degrees
- Not induction stove top compatible
Wrapping Up
This is just a glimpse into what is available on the market of ceramic cookware. Ceramic frying pans are quickly gaining popularity. This is all thanks to their lack of chemicals and great nonstick ability. They may require some extra care when cooking and during the clean up process, not having to worry about the safety of ceramic cookware is well worth it.
