PFAS in Non-Stick Saucepans, Eight Recorded as PTFE and Four Will Not Say

We graded 15 non-stick saucepans. Eight are recorded with PTFE coatings and grade 5 out of 100, most of them from All-Clad and T-fal lines those brands say contain PTFE. Four more describe a non-stick coating whose type is not stated and grade 15. Three GreenPan ceramic saucepans grade 70, on a GreenPan statement about the coating.

One brand splits across grades. Calphalon has saucepans at 5 and at 15 depending on the specific listing.

Summary comparison table

Product	PFAS grade	Coating as recorded
GreenPan Rio Advanced 3qt Ceramic Nonstick Sauce Pan	Good, 70/100	Ceramic non-stick, brand PFAS-free claim
GreenPan Chatham Ceramic Nonstick 3-Quart Saucepan	Good, 70/100	Ceramic non-stick, brand PFAS-free claim
GreenPan Mini 1-Qt. Butter Warmer	Good, 70/100	Ceramic-based non-stick, brand PFAS-free claim
Calphalon Premier MineralShield Non-Stick Saucepan	Bad, 15/100	Proprietary MineralShield non-stick coating
Calphalon Simply Nonstick Saucepan	Bad, 15/100	Proprietary non-stick, type unspecified
All-Clad NS Pro Nonstick Sauce Pan	Bad, 5/100	PTFE non-stick coating
Calphalon Premier Hard-Anodized Nonstick Sauce Pan	Bad, 5/100	PTFE-based non-stick coating
Calphalon Classic Nonstick Sauce Pan	Bad, 5/100	PTFE-based fluoropolymer coating
T-fal Comfort Nonstick Saucepan 3 Quart	Bad, 5/100	PTFE fluoropolymer coating
All-Clad HA1 Expert 2.5-Quart Nonstick Sauce Pan	Bad, 5/100	PTFE non-stick, disclosed by All-Clad
T-Fal Simply Cook Nonstick Sauce Pan	Bad, 5/100	PTFE non-stick, disclosed by T-fal
T-fal Easy Care Nonstick Saucepan 2 Quart	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 saucepans the spread is three at 70, four at 15 and eight at 5. Look up any saucepan in our PFAS product finder.

What each grade means

5, PTFE. Eight records carry a PTFE coating, named in the listing or in the brand's own disclosure for that line. PTFE is a fluoropolymer, and naming it answers the question our model is asking.

15, a coating nobody describes. Four records describe a proprietary or unspecified non-stick coating. Our model does not assume what that is, and it scores an unnamed non-stick coating heavily because such coatings have historically often been fluoropolymers.

70, a named ceramic coating with a claim. The three GreenPan saucepans describe a ceramic coating and carry GreenPan's statement that its Thermolon coated food contact surface is free of PFAS, including PTFE and PFOA. Our model adds 10 for the coating and takes 10 off for the statement, which we record as unverified. The Rio and Chatham pans graded 90, and the butter warmer 15, until 17 September 2026, when we began grading every ceramic non-stick as a coating and applied GreenPan's statement across its ceramic range.

Same brand, different lines

Calphalon is the clearest case. Its Premier Hard-Anodized and Classic saucepans are recorded with PTFE-based coatings at 5, while its Premier MineralShield and Simply saucepans leave the coating unnamed at 15. We have no evidence those are different chemistries. The difference is which listing names it.

All-Clad no longer splits. It says its nonstick contains PTFE and lists its HA1, NS Pro and Essentials lines among its PTFE coated products, so its NS Pro, HA1 and Essentials saucepans all grade 5. T-fal's Easy Care and Simply Cook saucepans grade 5 for the same reason, from T-fal's own list of ranges containing PTFE. Those four moved from 15 to 5 on 17 September 2026. GreenPan's Mini Butter Warmer, sold through Crate and Barrel, now grades 70 like the Rio and Chatham pans.

What to avoid

• Saucepans recorded as PTFE, if avoiding fluoropolymers is your aim. Eight are here.
• Non-stick saucepans whose coating type is not stated. That is most of this category.
• Assuming a premium brand settles it. Calphalon and All-Clad both have saucepans at 5.
• Letting a non-stick saucepan boil dry. An empty pan on a burner is the situation our Teflon flu explainer covers.

For uncoated alternatives, our stainless steel cookware roundup covers pans with no coating at all, and our ceramic cookware guide covers ceramic sets.

Our pick

Based on available materials and data, the best-graded non-stick saucepan is the GreenPan Rio Advanced 3qt Ceramic Nonstick Sauce Pan at 70 out of 100, on a GreenPan PFAS-free statement we record as unverified. The Chatham 3-Quart and the Mini Butter Warmer grade the same. A saucepan rarely needs a non-stick surface, though, and a plain stainless steel saucepan avoids the coating question entirely. 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 non-stick saucepans contain PFAS?

Eight of the 15 we graded are recorded with PTFE, a fluoropolymer. Four more have a non-stick coating of unstated type, which our data cannot confirm either way. The three that grade best describe a ceramic coating with a brand PFAS-free claim.

Is Calphalon non-stick PTFE?

Two Calphalon saucepans in our data are recorded with PTFE-based coatings. Two others leave the coating type unnamed. We would not assume the unnamed ones are different.

Is a ceramic saucepan PFAS-free?

Not by the word alone. GreenPan's three ceramic saucepans grade 70 on GreenPan's statement about its coating, which we have not verified. In other cookware categories, ceramic pans with no PFAS statement from the maker grade 15.

Do I need a non-stick saucepan?

That is a cooking question rather than a grading one. Sauces, grains and boiling rarely need non-stick release, and uncoated stainless steel saucepans sidestep the coating question.