8" nonstick skillet saute pan vs Stainless Clad Fry Pan: which is safer?

Made In Stainless Clad Fry Pan is the clear pick. imusa 8" nonstick skillet saute pan carries a failing PFAS grade, and we never recommend buying a failing product.

imusa 8" nonstick skillet saute pan

Imusa

8" nonstick skillet saute pan

PFAS grade

Bad 15/100

Overall grade

Bad 0/100

Verdict

Skip

Hazard flags

⚑ 4

Material

Nonstick coating, type unspecified

Confidence

35%

PossibleTeflon-type coating fume emissions (thermal decomposition)

PossibleCoating degradation and substrate leaching

PossibleCoating flaking and microparticle ingestion

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 PTFE fume emissions (thermal decomposition), Coating degradation and substrate leaching, Coating flaking and microparticle ingestion and Unlabeled coating additives on the Imusa and not on the Made In.
  • We flag Clad separation or delamination over time on the Made In and not on the Imusa.
  • The Imusa is Nonstick coating, type unspecified 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 Imusa grade, at 35% confidence against 90%, 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 cookware, see the full ranking