Classic 10-Piece Stainless Steel Cookware Set vs Stainless Clad Fry Pan: which is safer?
Made In Stainless Clad Fry Pan is our pick: better on PFAS and on the overall hazard picture.
Calphalon
Classic 10-Piece Stainless Steel Cookware Set
PFAS grade
Excellent 75/100
Overall grade
Good 67/100
Verdict
Buy
Hazard flags
⚑ 2
Material
stainless steel, bare cookware
Confidence
82%
PossibleNickel and chromium leaching
PossibleHandle or lid materials hazard
Our pick
Made In
Stainless Clad Fry Pan
PFAS grade
Excellent 100/100
Overall grade
Excellent 96/100
Verdict
Buy
Hazard flags
⚑ 1
Material
Stainless steel clad construction, no nonstick coating
Confidence
90%
PossibleClad separation or delamination over time
Where these two actually differ
- We flag Nickel and chromium leaching and Handle or lid materials hazard on the Calphalon and not on the Made In.
- We flag Clad separation or delamination over time on the Made In and not on the Calphalon.
- The Calphalon is stainless steel, bare cookware where the Made In is Stainless steel clad construction, no nonstick coating, which is most of the difference in these two grades.
- The gap is 25 points, wide enough that this is not a close call, and the Made In is the one to buy.
Both products run through the same public rubric: materials, coatings, brand disclosure, lab findings, and recalls, plus a beyond-PFAS hazard analysis. Grades are model-based estimates, not lab tests. How grades work →
More cookware: see the full ranking