Hybrid Pan 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.

HexClad

Hybrid Pan

PFAS grade

Good 70/100

Overall grade

Good 62/100

Verdict

Buy with care

Hazard flags

⚑ 2

Material

Stainless steel and HexClad TerraBond ceramic non-stick coating

Confidence

100%

PossibleCeramic coating degradation over time

PossibleCoating adhesion and food contact if coating fails

Our pick

Made In Stainless Clad Fry Pan

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 Ceramic coating degradation over time and Coating adhesion and food contact if coating fails on the HexClad and not on the Made In.
  • We flag Clad separation or delamination over time on the Made In and not on the HexClad.
  • The HexClad is Stainless steel and HexClad TerraBond ceramic non-stick coating 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 30 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, 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 cookware, see the full ranking