GreenPan Cookware Review After 3+ Years (Is It a Good Brand?)

Are you thinking about buying GreenPan cookware but unsure if it’s right for you?

Are you wondering if GreenPan is a good cookware brand and how it stacks up against others?

In this in-depth review, I break down the pros and cons of GreenPan cookware.

After using it for over three years, I reveal:

• How it looks and feels (with lots of pictures)
• How it performs in the kitchen
• What I like (and don’t like) about it
• How much it costs
• And much more

By the end, you’ll have all your questions about GreenPan answered and be able to decide for yourself if it’s worth it.

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Use the links below to navigate the review:

• GreenPan Review: Key Takeaways
• Design
• Materials and Construction
• Durability
• Performance
• Heat Conduction and Retention Test
• Downsides
• Price
• GreenPan Cookware FAQs
• Bottom Line: Is GreenPan a Good Cookware Brand?

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Design

GreenPan, also known as The Original GreenPan, has over a dozen cookware collections. Designs vary from matte black with gold-tone handles to sleek brushed stainless steel and high-sheen pastels.

In this section, I’ll highlight the design features focusing on the Paris Pro collection since it’s one of GreenPan’s best sellers.

Exterior

The Paris Pro frying pan, like many other GreenPan collections, is constructed from hard-anodized aluminum. This material not only makes the pan extremely durable, but it also provides quick and even heating with excellent heat retention.

The exterior is matte black and provides good contrast with the lighter-colored interior.

The bottom is completely flat, which provides stability and even heating.

If you are looking for something brighter or a color to match your kitchen, other collections, such as the Rio, offer a brightly colored exterior.

You can also opt for a classic stainless steel exterior with the Venice Pro collection.

Interior

Most GreenPan interiors are shiny dark gray, thanks to the Thermolon coating — a ceramic non-stick material that is PTFE and PFOA-free.

Thermolon is a more natural alternative to traditional non-stick. It does not release toxic fumes if accidentally overheated and has been repeatedly tested to ensure its safety.

Some collections feature darker, almost black, interiors while others have very light interiors.

Lighter interiors (like the ones on the GreenPan Rio collection) tend to show stains and discoloration easier, so keep that in mind when choosing which GreenPan collection to buy.

The fry pans and wok have sloped sides, and the saucepans feature straight sides.

Most GreenPan pots and pans have straight rims (rather than flared), which help contain ingredients but make it more difficult to pour liquids without making a mess.

Handles

The handles are ergonomically designed and riveted to the base for stability.

You’ll notice that they fork before connecting to the base. This design allows the handles to disperse heat and stay cool.

The rivets can make the pan more difficult to keep clean, as bits of food or oil can get stuck around them.

The same goes for the GreenPan logo engraved on the handle. It will require a little extra care when cleaning.

Most handles are stainless steel, but GreenPan offers some variety across its collections. For example, the Padova collection boasts gold-toned handles.

And the Hudson collection features wooden handles for a more rustic look.

Other collections, such as Rio, feature Bakelite (durable plastic) handles that provide a bit more comfort but don’t look as high-end.

Lids

Lids match the brushed stainless steel handles. They come with the saucepans and are recessed for a snug fit, trapping moisture and keeping your meals tender and juicy. 

The lid handles are thick, sturdy, and arc-shaped. It’s not a design you often see in stainless steel, as many cookware manufacturers tend to add stainless handles with more of a squared or angular profile with visible riveting on either side.

Materials and Construction

GreenPan revolutionized the cookware industry by pioneering PFAS-free ceramic nonstick technology. Unlike traditional nonstick cookware that uses PTFE (Teflon) coatings, all GreenPan products feature their proprietary Thermolon ceramic coating, which is free of PFAS, PFOA, lead, and cadmium.

While the cooking surface remains consistent in its commitment to healthy, non-toxic materials, GreenPan offers several options for the base construction of their cookware. This variety allows consumers to select products that match their cooking style, durability requirements, and budget.

GreenPan Collections – Materials Table

Collection	Base Material	Nonstick Coating
GP5 Stainless	5-Ply Stainless Steel (two layers of stainless steel with three-layer aluminum core)	Infinite8 Ceramic Nonstick
Valencia Pro Stainless	3-Ply Stainless Steel (two layers of stainless steel with aluminum core)	Infinite8 Ceramic Nonstick
GP5 Collection	5mm Hard Anodized Aluminum (extra thick)	Infinite8 Ceramic Nonstick
Valencia Pro	Hard Anodized Aluminum (armored body)	Thermolon™ Advanced
Reserve	Hard Anodized Aluminum (armored body)	Thermolon™ Advanced
Nova	Aluminum	Thermolon
Chatham	Hard Anodized Aluminum	Thermolon™ Minerals (reinforced with diamonds)

Why Base Materials Matter

The base material significantly impacts cooking performance, durability, and price point:

Stainless Steel Collections (GP5 Stainless, Valencia Pro Stainless) offer exceptional durability and heat retention. These premium options distribute heat evenly and are virtually indestructible. The multi-layer construction combines stainless steel’s durability with aluminum’s excellent heat conductivity. These collections are the most investment-worthy but also the most expensive.

Hard-Anodized Aluminum Collections (GP5 Collection, Valencia Pro, Reserve, Chatham) provide an excellent balance of performance and value. The anodization process makes the aluminum harder, more durable, and resistant to corrosion. These collections offer superior durability compared to standard aluminum while maintaining excellent heat conductivity and usually at a more accessible price point than stainless steel.

Aluminum Collections (Nova) are lightweight, heat up quickly, and are typically the most affordable options. While they may not match the durability of the other base materials, they still provide excellent cooking performance with GreenPan’s signature ceramic nonstick coating.

When selecting GreenPan cookware, consider your cooking habits, maintenance preferences, and budget to determine which base material will best serve your needs in the kitchen.

GreenPan’s Ceramic Nonstick Technology

GreenPan’s ceramic nonstick coatings have evolved significantly over time, offering different performance levels across their collections:

Infinite8 Ceramic Nonstick is GreenPan’s most advanced coating (8th generation) featured in their premium collections (GP5 Stainless, Valencia Pro Stainless, GP5). This cutting-edge formula offers:

• Enhanced durability and scratch resistance
• Superior nonstick performance that lasts longer
• Metal utensil safe construction
• Excellent food release properties that require less oil or butter

Thermolon™ Advanced (Valencia Pro, Reserve) represents GreenPan’s mid-tier coating that balances performance and value:

• Improved durability compared to standard Thermolon
• Metal utensil safe
• Even heating properties
• Easy cleanup

Thermolon™ Minerals (Chatham) features diamond reinforcement for enhanced performance:

• Diamond-infused formula for increased hardness and durability
• Constant performance even with regular use
• Improved scratch resistance

Standard Thermolon™ (Nova) is GreenPan’s original healthy ceramic nonstick coating:

• Free of PFAS, PFOA, lead, and cadmium
• Even heat distribution
• Easy cleanup properties
• More affordable option

All of GreenPan’s ceramic nonstick coatings share the core benefits of being free from harmful chemicals and releasing no toxic fumes when overheated, distinguishing them from traditional PTFE-based nonstick coatings.

Durability

To test GreenPan’s durability claims, I conducted a series of rigorous stress tests using the GP5 Collection 12-inch pan, which features GreenPan’s most advanced ceramic non-stick coating designed to be metal utensil safe. I compared this pan to HexClad (a hybrid non-stick pan) and Tramontina (a traditional Teflon-coated pan).

First, I established a baseline by cooking eggs in all three pans. Initially, GreenPan performed exceptionally well—the egg slid around effortlessly with no sticking.

For the first stress test, I rubbed each pan 150 times with a wooden spatula weighed down by 5 pounds. GreenPan showed only faint streaks and rub marks—nothing significant.

Next, I scraped each pan 50 times with a metal ladle. This test revealed GreenPan’s weakness: the ceramic non-stick coating developed several deep scratches almost immediately. Tramontina showed only minor streaks, while HexClad showed no actual scratches—just removable metal dust.

A stand mixer with a beater attachment ran for two minutes against each pan’s surface. GreenPan held up surprisingly well, with noticeable circular rub marks but no deep scratches.

However, a 30-second test with a metal whisk proved challenging. While GreenPan again showed only faint marks, HexClad experienced more noticeable scratching.

I then scraped the pans 50 times with a metal spatula weighted down by magnets. GreenPan impressively showed no visible damage. Tramontina exhibited noticeable streaks and minor scratches, and HexClad had removable marks but no permanent damage.

Finally, dropping a 2-pound steel saucepan onto each pan from 1 inch high 20 times simulated everyday storage damage. All pans, including GreenPan, passed with no visible issues.

When cooking eggs again after the tests, GreenPan’s non-stick performance noticeably declined. The egg stuck firmly after flipping, indicating reduced non-stick capability. Although easily cleaned afterward, the decline was more significant than Tramontina’s, which maintained near-perfect performance.

The takeaway: GreenPan holds up relatively well to moderate everyday use, but its ceramic coating is vulnerable to damage from metal utensils, especially sharp ones like ladles or whisks. While durable for a ceramic pan, GreenPan’s coating won’t outlast traditional PTFE (Teflon) options in the long run.

Performance

I’ve been cooking with GreenPan for several years, and here are my thoughts on its performance.

GreenPan heats quickly and evenly, so you rarely need to turn the burner above medium.

In fact, low temperatures are sufficient for most recipes. Only use high heat to sear and brown, and adjust the heat to medium for the rest of the cooking process.

Since the cooking surface is non-stick, it’s the perfect cookware for omelets, sauteed veggies, seafood, and poultry.

However, I prefer stainless steel and cast iron (GreenPan doesn’t offer either) for cooking steaks, burgers, and other proteins that benefit from a good crust.

You need to keep the surface exceptionally clean to get the best cooking performance. Once something sticky gets “baked in,” not only does the pan lose its non-stick properties, but it will also burn just about anything you cook.

Thankfully, if you simply allow it to cool and hand wash, you can clean it easily. Scotch-Brite-style sponges are only necessary for heavy-duty jobs. In most cases, soaking in warm water and soap will loosen any stuck-on food.

GreenPan isn’t all that compatible with aerosol cooking spray. It leaves a film on the surface that can build up over time. Use olive oil, coconut oil, or avocado oil.

Many GreenPan collections have straight rims (versus flared rims), which contain the ingredients and prevent spills but make pouring sauces a challenge.

Overall, I am impressed with how well GreenPan’s interiors hold up, especially when you consider that ceramic non-stick pans are known to wear down and lose their non-stick properties quicker than traditional Teflon-coated pans. 

Heat Conduction and Retention Test

I mentioned that GreenPan heats up quickly, but how does it compare to the competition?

To find out, I conducted a simple test. I poured two cups of cold water into the GreenPan Paris Pro fry pan. After setting the pan on the burner and turning the heat to high, I set a stopwatch to measure how long it took for the water to boil.

I conduct this test with every cookware brand I review. Here’s how GreenPan stacks up against the competition:

Pan	Time to First Bubbles	Time to Boil
Farberware	1 minute and 2 seconds	1 minute and 29 seconds
Made In stainless steel fry pan	1 minute and 40 seconds	2 minutes and 21 seconds
Anolon X pan	1 minute and 35 seconds	2 minutes and 22 seconds
Misen fry pan	1 minute and 50 seconds	2 minutes and 25 seconds
Caraway	1 minute and 53 seconds	2 minutes and 26 seconds
Anolon Advanced fry pan	1 minute and 55 seconds	2 minutes and 27 seconds
HexClad fry pan	1 minute and 40 seconds	2 minutes and 30 seconds
Made In non-stick fry pan	1 minute and 53 seconds	2 minutes and 31 seconds
Zwilling fry pan	1 minute and 45 seconds	2 minutes and 31 seconds
T-fal fry pan	1 minute and 50 seconds	2 minutes and 32 seconds
Gotham Steel fry pan	1 minute and 58 seconds	2 minutes and 32 seconds
Rachael Ray fry pan	1 minute and 47 seconds	2 minutes and 36 seconds
Viking fry pan	1 minute and 42 seconds	2 minute and 39 seconds
Calphalon fry pan	1 minute and 45 seconds	2 minutes and 40 seconds
GreenPan fry pan	1 minute and 47 seconds	2 minutes and 41 seconds
Pioneer Woman fry pan	2 minute and 2 seconds	2 minute and 46 seconds
Hestan fry pan	1 minute and 52 seconds	2 minutes and 47 seconds
GreenLife pan	2 minutes and 11 seconds	2 minutes and 47 seconds
Our Place Always Pan	2 minutes and 2 seconds	2 minutes and 48 seconds
Tramontina fry pan	1 minute and 53 seconds	2 minutes and 52 seconds
Circulon fry pan	2 minutes and 7 seconds	2 minutes and 55 seconds
All-Clad D3 skillet	1 minute and 55 seconds	2 minutes and 55 seconds
All-Clad HA1 fry pan	2 minute and 12 seconds	2 minute and 58 seconds
Demeyere Industry fry pan	2 minutes and 3 seconds	3 minutes and 10 seconds
Ballarini fry pan	2 minutes and 15 seconds	3 minutes and 12 seconds
Heritage Steel fry pan	1 minutes and 59 seconds	3 minutes and 15 seconds
Demeyere Atlantis fry pan	2 minutes and 11 seconds	3 minutes and 25 seconds
Xtrema fry pan	3 minutes and 41 seconds	6 minutes and 7 seconds

As you can see, GreenPan isn’t the fastest to heat, but it’s not the slowest, either.

Heating up fast comes into play when you’re in a rush and need to boil water or cook a quick meal, but even heating is more important. Fortunately, the bubbles were completely even across GreenPan’s entire cooking surface, which indicates uniform heat distribution.

I also tested its heat retention properties by placing the pan on the counter to cool and measuring the water temperature after five minutes and again after ten minutes.

As you can see below, the GreenPan pan showed excellent heat retention, outperforming high-end brands like All-Clad, Hestan, and Demeyere.

Pan	Temperature After 5 Minutes	Temperature After 10 Minutes
Xtrema fry pan	142°F	113°F
Made In stainless steel fry pan	121.1°F	106.6°F
Demeyere Atlantis fry pan	122.0°F	106.3°F
Made In non-stick fry pan	120.2°F	105.8°F
Misen fry pan	118.6°F	103.4°F
Zwilling fry pan	121.1°F	103.0°F
Rachael Ray fry pan	126.3°F	102.7°F
HexClad fry pan	120.7°F	102.4°F
Circulon fry pan	133.3°F	102.0°F
GreenPan fry pan	131.7°F	101.9°F
Tramontina fry pan	118.5°F	101.3°F
Calphalon fry pan	112.8°F	101.1°F
All-Clad skillet	111.6°F	100.9°F
Ballarini fry pan	120°F	99.9°F
Heritage Steel	120.1°F	98.2°F
All-Clad HA1 fry pan	117.9°F	98.1°F
Hestan fry pan	114.4°F	98.0°F
Demeyere Industry fry pan	115.2°F	96.6°F
Our Place Always Pan	118.0°F	96.7°F
Caraway fry pan	116.6°F	96.4°F
Anolon X pan	114.1°F	96.0°F
Viking fry pan	106.6°F	95.9°F
Farberware fry pan	112.0°F	95.4°F
GreenLife fry pan	119.0°F	95.0°F
Gotham Steel fry pan	113.0°F	95.0°F
Anolon fry pan	112.7°F	90.9°F
Pioneer Woman fry pan	104.3°F	90.9°F
T-fal fry pan	108.7°F	88.0°F

The key takeaway is that GreenPan advertises itself as the cookware with a healthy ceramic non-stick coating, but it has much more to offer. Its heat conduction and retention are on par with high-end, well-established cookware brands.

Downsides

GreenPan pots and pans have several benefits but also many downsides. Here are the cons to consider before making your purchase decision:

Price: Due to its high-end Thermolon non-stick coating, GreenPan cookware is more expensive than comparable non-stick pans with PTFE (Teflon) coating.

Limited options: All GreenPan cookware is non-stick. While it offers excellent food release, you need to shop other brands for other cookware types such as stainless steel, cast iron, and carbon steel. 

Longevity: When it comes to durability, some home chefs complain that GreenPan’s ceramic coating doesn’t last as long as a high-quality traditional (PTFE) non-stick coating. In my testing, I’ve found GreenPan’s coating to last longer than most ceramic coatings but not as long as PTFE non-stick coatings.

Versatility: Although all collections are oven-safe, many are safe at relatively low oven temperatures and might not be versatile enough for all recipes.

Performance: Some home chefs complain that food sticks to the fry pans, even when you grease the surface with oil. While most customers don’t report this issue, it’s a common theme among the negative GreenPan reviews. Based on my experience, food will stick if the cooking surface isn’t clean or if oil from previous meals bakes into the coating. Otherwise, food releases from the surface easily.

Induction compatibility: Many GreenPan collections are not compatible with induction cooktops. So if you have an induction cooktop, read the fine print before choosing your cookware.

Price

GreenPan is more affordable than some other comparable ceramic non-stick brands (like Caraway), but it’s more expensive than most traditional Teflon-coated non-stick cookware.

View the current prices of GreenPan’s most popular collections below (click the price to learn more on Amazon):

GreenPan Cookware FAQs

Before I wrap up this GreenPan cookware review and give you my recommendation, let’s quickly go over the most frequently asked questions about the brand.

Bottom Line: Is GreenPan a Good Cookware Brand?

I’ve reviewed dozens of cookware brands over the years, and GreenPan is one of the best in the ceramic non-stick category. 

Not only did the company pioneer the ceramic non-stick movement, but it has been innovating and refining its collections for over a decade.

Now that you have all the facts, it’s time to decide if GreenPan is right for you. Here are some tips to help you decide:

You should buy GreenPan cookware if:

• You want oven-safe ceramic non-stick cookware.
• You want ceramic non-stick cookware from an established brand, and price is no issue.
• You want non-toxic, eco-friendly cookware that emits 60% less CO2 into the environment during production than traditional non-stick cookware.
• You want a brand that uses sustainable practices; GreenPan uses upcycled stainless steel and aluminum as much as possible.
• You want a variety of choices in construction and design.
• You want celebrity chef-endorsed ceramic non-stick cookware.

If this sounds like you, check out GreenPan.us or Amazon, where you can learn more about the offerings and read verified reviews.

You should NOT buy GreenPan cookware if:

• You are on a tight budget and looking for a cheaper alternative.
• You are looking for the most effortless food release possible (traditional non-stick wins).
• You want a more comprehensive selection of induction-compatible collections.
• You prefer to use metal utensils when you cook (you can use metal utensils on Thermolon Diamond advanced pans only).
• You prefer a longer-lasting non-stick coating.
• You prefer flared rims on fry pans.

If this sounds more like you, I recommend that you check out other non-stick offerings like Caraway, Scanpan, or Calphalon.

Bottom line — GreenPan is a reliable, health-conscious, and environmentally-friendly choice if you want an alternative to Teflon and other PTFE-based non-stick cookware.

If you’re ready to buy or just want to read more reviews and view current prices, check out GreenPan.us or Amazon.