Chef's Classic Stainless Steel Nonstick Skillet Set of 2 vs Rio Ceramic Nonstick Frypan: which is safer?

GreenPan Rio Ceramic Nonstick Frypan is the clear pick. Cuisinart Chef's Classic Stainless Steel Nonstick Skillet Set of 2 carries a failing PFAS grade, and we never recommend buying a failing product.

Cuisinart Chef's Classic Stainless Steel Nonstick Skillet Set of 2

Cuisinart

Chef's Classic Stainless Steel Nonstick Skillet Set of 2

PFAS grade

Bad 15/100

Overall grade

Bad 0/100

Verdict

Skip

Hazard flags

⚑ 3

Material

Stainless steel base with proprietary nonstick coating (unspecified)

Confidence

35%

PossibleTeflon-type coating fume inhalation risk (thermal decomposition)

ReportedCoating degradation and microparticle shedding

PossiblePFAS contamination from nonstick chemistry

Our pick

GreenPan Rio Ceramic Nonstick Frypan

GreenPan

Rio Ceramic Nonstick Frypan

PFAS grade

Good 70/100

Overall grade

Good 58/100

Verdict

Buy

Hazard flags

⚑ 3

Material

ceramic nonstick coating

Confidence

82%

PossibleCoating degradation and particulate release

PossibleAluminum leaching from base metal

PossibleThermal polymer decomposition fumes

Where these two actually differ

  • We flag PTFE fume inhalation risk (thermal decomposition), Coating degradation and microparticle shedding and PFAS contamination from nonstick chemistry on the Cuisinart and not on the GreenPan.
  • We flag Coating degradation and particulate release, Aluminum leaching from base metal and Thermal polymer decomposition fumes on the GreenPan and not on the Cuisinart.
  • The Cuisinart is Stainless steel base with proprietary nonstick coating (unspecified) where the GreenPan is ceramic nonstick coating, which is most of the difference in these two grades.
  • The gap is 55 points, wide enough that this is not a close call, and the GreenPan 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 →

More nonstick skillets, see the full ranking