PFAS in Grill Pans, Where Ceramic on the Label Is Not Enough

We graded 15 stovetop grill pans. Seven grade 15 out of 100, each with a non-stick coating whose type is not stated, including two Cuisinart pans sold as ceramic. Four more, from All-Clad and T-fal, grade 5, because those brands say their non-stick contains PTFE. Three GreenPan pans grade 70, and a plain stainless steel Calphalon pan grades 55.

The lesson is the one this site keeps finding in cookware. The word ceramic tells you very little. What moves a grade is whether the maker names the coating and makes a PFAS statement about it.

Summary comparison table

Product	PFAS grade	Surface as recorded
GreenPan Valencia Pro Ceramic Nonstick 11" Round Grill Pan	Good, 70/100	Ceramic non-stick, brand PFAS-free claim
GreenPan Chatham Ceramic Nonstick Grill Pan	Good, 70/100	Ceramic non-stick, brand PFAS-free claim
GreenPan Bobby Flay 11" Cast Iron Square Grill Pan	Good, 70/100	Cast iron with Thermolon coating, brand PFAS-free claim
Calphalon Contemporary Stainless Steel Round Grill Pan	Excellent, 75/100	Stainless steel, no non-stick coating
Cuisinart Ceramica XT Nonstick 11-Inch Grill Pan	Bad, 15/100	Ceramic XT non-stick, proprietary and unspecified
Cuisinart Ceramic Nonstick Grill Pan and Griddle Set	Bad, 15/100	Ceramic non-stick, formulation unspecified
Calphalon Signature Nonstick 12-in. Round Grill Pan	Bad, 15/100	Non-stick coating, type unspecified
Calphalon Select Nonstick 12-Inch Round Grill Pan	Bad, 15/100	Non-stick coating, type unspecified
Cuisinart GreenGourmet Hard Anodized Grill Pan 11"	Bad, 15/100	Hard anodized aluminum with unspecified non-stick
All-Clad HA1 Expert Nonstick 11" Square Grill Pan	Bad, 5/100	PTFE non-stick, disclosed by All-Clad
T-Fal Simply Cook Nonstick Square Grill Pan	Bad, 5/100	PTFE non-stick, disclosed by T-fal

How we graded these

Every grade here is a model-based estimate built from publicly available product information and manufacturer disclosures, not a lab test performed by our team. A high score means lower concern based on reviewed sources, never PFAS-free and never safe. Across the 15 pans the spread is one at 75, three at 70, seven at 15 and four at 5. Four All-Clad and T-fal grill pans moved from 15 to 5 on 17 September 2026, when we applied the PTFE disclosures those brands publish for their non-stick lines. Look up any pan in our PFAS product finder.

Two ceramic pans, 55 points apart

The GreenPan Valencia Pro and the Cuisinart Ceramica XT are both sold as ceramic non-stick grill pans. The GreenPan grades 70 and the Cuisinart 15.

The difference is not in the word ceramic. GreenPan names its coating, Thermolon, and says its Thermolon coated food contact surface is free of PFAS, including PTFE and PFOA. We have not verified that, and we found no third-party certification for GreenPan's pans. The 70 is the cookware baseline of 30, plus 10 for the named coating, minus 10 for GreenPan's statement. An earlier version of this guide said this pan had third-party PFAS-free verification and graded it 100. That was wrong, and we corrected it on 17 September 2026. The Cuisinart record describes a proprietary ceramic coating with no stated composition and no PFAS statement, which our model treats the same as any other unnamed non-stick coating. Cuisinart's GreenGourmet pan, whose name also suggests a greener product, grades 15 for the same reason.

Stainless steel, and why it stops at 55

The Calphalon Contemporary Stainless Steel Round Grill Pan has no non-stick coating, so it carries none of the coating penalties the pans at 75 do. It stops at 55 because Calphalon says nothing about PFAS and its record does not carry a material credit. A bare stainless pan is a sound choice if you want no coating at all, and it will need oil and some patience to keep food from sticking.

What to avoid

• Grill pans sold as ceramic without a PFAS statement from the maker. Two Cuisinart ceramic pans grade 15.
• Non-stick grill pans whose coating type is not stated, from Calphalon and Cuisinart.
• Grill pans from lines the maker discloses as PTFE, if avoiding fluoropolymers is your aim. Four here are from All-Clad and T-fal.
• Preheating an empty non-stick grill pan on high. A grill pan is often heated well before food goes on.
• Reading green or eco language in a product name as a PFAS statement.

For related cookware, see our griddle pans guide, the cast iron skillets guide and the ceramic cookware guide, which covers ceramic sets.

Our pick

Based on available materials and data, we would choose the GreenPan Valencia Pro Ceramic Nonstick 11" Round Grill Pan at 70 out of 100, tied with GreenPan's Chatham and Bobby Flay grill pans, on GreenPan's own statement about its ceramic coating, which we have not verified. If you would rather have no coating at all, the Calphalon Contemporary Stainless Steel Round Grill Pan at 75 is the uncoated option, and a cast iron grill pan is the traditional alternative. These grades are estimates built from disclosed materials, not laboratory proof, and nothing here is being called PFAS-free or safe by us.

FAQ

Do grill pans contain PFAS?

Seven of the 15 grill pans we graded carry a non-stick coating whose type is not stated, so our data cannot confirm the chemistry either way. Those grade 15. Four more come from All-Clad and T-fal lines those brands say contain PTFE, and grade 5. The pans that grade well are GreenPan ceramic pans with a brand PFAS statement, and one uncoated stainless steel pan.

Is a ceramic grill pan PFAS-free?

Not by label alone. In our data GreenPan ceramic grill pans with a brand PFAS statement grade 70, while two Cuisinart ceramic grill pans with no PFAS statement grade 15.

Is Cuisinart Ceramica PFAS-free?

The Cuisinart Ceramica XT grill pan in our data is recorded with a proprietary ceramic coating of unspecified composition and no PFAS statement, so it grades 15. Cuisinart may make claims elsewhere that are not on record for this product.

Is a stainless steel grill pan better?

A stainless steel grill pan has no non-stick coating, and the one in our data grades 55, well above the unnamed non-stick pans at 15. It stops short of the top grades because the maker says nothing about PFAS.