10' Stainless Clad Frying Pan vs Fry Pan 8.5": which is safer?

Heritage Steel Fry Pan 8.5" is our pick: better on PFAS and on the overall hazard picture.

MADE IN 10' Stainless Clad Frying Pan

Made In

10' Stainless Clad Frying Pan

PFAS grade

Excellent 100/100

Overall grade

Excellent 88/100

Verdict

Buy

Hazard flags

⚑ 3

Material

stainless steel clad construction, no nonstick coating

Confidence

88%

PossibleNickel leaching from stainless steel

PossibleHandle integrity and attachment failure

PossibleCoating delamination (clad separation)

Our pick

Heritage Steel Fry Pan 8.5"

Heritage Steel

Fry Pan 8.5"

PFAS grade

Excellent 100/100

Overall grade

Excellent 96/100

Verdict

Buy

Hazard flags

⚑ 1

Material

Clad stainless steel, no coating

Confidence

35%

PossibleMetal ion release (nickel, chromium) from stainless steel

Where these two actually differ

  • We flag Nickel leaching from stainless steel, Handle integrity and attachment failure and Coating delamination (clad separation) on the Made In and not on the Heritage Steel.
  • We flag Metal ion release (nickel, chromium) from stainless steel on the Heritage Steel and not on the Made In.
  • The Made In is stainless steel clad construction, no nonstick coating where the Heritage Steel is Clad stainless steel, no coating, which is most of the difference in these two grades.
  • These two are level, close enough that price and fit should decide it rather than our grade.
  • We are less certain about the Heritage Steel grade, at 35% confidence against 88%, 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