Gourmet Hard-Anodized Nonstick 9-Inch Round Cake Pan vs Anniversary Pastry Set: which is safer?

Le Creuset Anniversary Pastry Set is the clear pick. Calphalon Gourmet Hard-Anodized Nonstick 9-Inch Round Cake Pan carries a failing PFAS grade, and we never recommend buying a failing product.

Calphalon Gourmet Hard-Anodized Nonstick 9-Inch Round Cake Pan

Calphalon

Gourmet Hard-Anodized Nonstick 9-Inch Round Cake Pan

PFAS grade

Bad 15/100

Overall grade

Bad 3/100

Verdict

Skip

Hazard flags

⚑ 3

Material

Hard-anodized aluminum with proprietary nonstick coating (unspecified)

Confidence

35%

PossibleNonstick coating degradation and fume potential

PossibleCoating adhesion and flaking into food

PossibleThermal decomposition of unspecified nonstick polymer

Our pick

Le Creuset Anniversary Pastry Set

Le Creuset

Anniversary Pastry Set

PFAS grade

Excellent 90/100

Overall grade

Excellent 78/100

Verdict

Buy

Hazard flags

⚑ 3

Material

Enameled cast iron

Confidence

82%

PossibleEnamel coating degradation and iron exposure

PossibleThermal stress and cracking from high or uneven heat

PossibleBacterial retention if enamel is compromised

Where these two actually differ

  • We flag Nonstick coating degradation and fume potential, Coating adhesion and flaking into food and Thermal decomposition of unspecified nonstick polymer on the Calphalon and not on the Le Creuset.
  • We flag Enamel coating degradation and iron exposure, Thermal stress and cracking from high or uneven heat and Bacterial retention if enamel is compromised on the Le Creuset and not on the Calphalon.
  • The Calphalon is Hard-anodized aluminum with proprietary nonstick coating (unspecified) where the Le Creuset is Enameled cast iron, which is most of the difference in these two grades.
  • The gap is 75 points, wide enough that this is not a close call, and the Le Creuset is the one to buy.
  • We are less certain about the Calphalon grade, at 35% confidence against 82%, because it discloses less.

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 bundt pans: see the full ranking