Contemporary Stainless Steel Round Grill Pan vs Chef's Classic Nonstick Hard Anodized Round Grill Pan: which is safer?

Calphalon Contemporary Stainless Steel Round Grill Pan is the clear pick. Cuisinart Chef's Classic Nonstick Hard Anodized Round Grill Pan carries a failing PFAS grade, and we never recommend buying a failing product.

Our pick

Calphalon Contemporary Stainless Steel Round Grill Pan

Calphalon

Contemporary Stainless Steel Round Grill Pan

PFAS grade

Excellent 75/100

Overall grade

Good 59/100

Verdict

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Hazard flags

⚑ 1

Material

stainless steel, non-nonstick

Confidence

82%

PossibleStainless steel nickel or chromium leaching under acidic conditions

Cuisinart Chef's Classic Nonstick Hard Anodized Round Grill Pan

Cuisinart

Chef's Classic Nonstick Hard Anodized Round Grill Pan

PFAS grade

Bad 15/100

Overall grade

Bad 0/100

Verdict

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Hazard flags

⚑ 3

Material

Hard anodized aluminum with nonstick coating (type unspecified)

Confidence

35%

PossibleNonstick coating degradation and fume risk

ReportedTeflon-type coating or other Teflon-family coating fume emission at high heat

LikelyCoating adhesion loss and spalling over multi-year use

Where these two actually differ

  • We flag Stainless steel nickel or chromium leaching under acidic conditions on the Calphalon and not on the Cuisinart.
  • We flag Nonstick coating degradation and fume risk, PTFE or other fluoropolymer fume emission at high heat and Coating adhesion loss and spalling over multi-year use on the Cuisinart and not on the Calphalon.
  • The Calphalon is stainless steel, non-nonstick where the Cuisinart is Hard anodized aluminum with nonstick coating (type unspecified), which is most of the difference in these two grades.
  • The gap is 60 points, wide enough that this is not a close call, and the Calphalon is the one to buy.
  • We are less certain about the Cuisinart grade, at 35% confidence against 82%, because it discloses less.

Both products run through the same public rubric, which covers 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 →

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