Symmetry Hard-Anodized Frying Pan Set vs Stainless Clad Fry Pan: which is safer?
Made In Stainless Clad Fry Pan is the clear pick. Circulon Symmetry Hard-Anodized Frying Pan Set carries a failing PFAS grade, and we never recommend buying a failing product.
Circulon
Symmetry Hard-Anodized Frying Pan Set
PFAS grade
Bad 15/100
Overall grade
Bad 1/100
Verdict
Skip
Hazard flags
⚑ 2
Material
Hard-anodized aluminum with nonstick coating (unspecified chemistry)
Confidence
42%
PossibleTeflon-type coating thermal degradation and fume inhalation
ReportedCoating degradation and microflake ingestion
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 PTFE thermal degradation and fume inhalation and Coating degradation and microflake ingestion on the Circulon and not on the Made In.
- We flag Clad separation or delamination over time on the Made In and not on the Circulon.
- The Circulon is Hard-anodized aluminum with nonstick coating (unspecified chemistry) 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 85 points, wide enough that this is not a close call, and the Made In is the one to buy.
- We are less certain about the Circulon grade, at 42% confidence against 90%, 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 cookware: see the full ranking