If you’ve been searching for healthy and safe non-stick cookware, you’ve likely heard of Scanpan and GreenPan.
Scanpan is a Danish company that’s been producing high-quality, safe, and sustainable pots and pans since 1956.
GreenPan launched in 2007 and has since become a leader in the ceramic non-stick movement, claiming that their materials are the healthiest and most eco-friendly on the market.
Both companies take pride in their non-toxic and high-performing cookware. But which one is better?
In this comparison of Scanpan vs. GreenPan, you’ll learn how their cookware stacks up in terms of options, materials, design, price, and much more.
By the end, you’ll have all the essential information to decide which brand is right for you.
Use the links below to navigate this comparison:
- Scanpan vs. GreenPan: Comparison Chart
- Product Offerings
- Materials and Construction
- Design
- What Others Are Saying
- Price
- FAQs About Scanpan and GreenPan
- Bottom Line: Should You Buy Scanpan or GreenPan?
Scanpan vs. GreenPan: Comparison Chart
Scanpan | GreenPan | |
---|---|---|
Price | $$$$ (view on Amazon) | $$$ (view on Amazon) |
Performance | Heats quickly and evenly, good for searing | Heats quickly and evenly at a lower heat setting |
Construction | Squeeze cast aluminum or stainless clad | Double forged hard-anodized aluminum or stainless clad |
Cooking Surface | 5-layer titanium-infused ceramic non-stick | Diamond-infused ceramic non-stick |
Oven-Safe | Up to 500°F | Between 250 and 600°F, depending on the collection |
Induction-Compatible | Yes (5 collections) | Yes (10 collections) |
Dishwasher-Safe | Yes | Yes (except the Lima collection) |
Where It’s Made | Denmark | China |
Top Reasons to Buy | Superior searing performance and scratch resistance, limited lifetime warranty | No PTFE, variety of styles and colors, excellent heat conduction, fume-free if overheated |
Top Reasons to NOT Buy | More expensive than GreenPan, contains PTFE | 2-year warranty, less durable than Scanpan |
Product Offerings
Scanpan and GreenPan focus on non-stick cookware, offering a wide variety of pots, pans, and sets.
However, there is a major difference between their product offerings:
All GreenPancookware is non-stick, while Scanpan offers stainless steel, copper, and cast iron cookware in addition to non-stick.
So, if you’re looking for various cookware types and don’t want to mix and match different brands, Scanpan has you covered.
Before I dive into the details, here is a quick snapshot of Scanpan and GreenPan’s product offerings.
Scanpan Product Offerings:
Scanpan offers non-stick cookware collections made with 100% recycled aluminum exteriors, making it a sustainable choice. The collections vary in materials, design, and price.
Scanpan non-stick collections include (view the full range on Amazon):
Classic: The original and most extensive collection. It’s made with cast-aluminum and a STRATANIUM non-stick coating.
Classic Induction: Nearly identical to the Classic, but this collection is induction-compatible.
CS+: Full-clad (5-ply) with a gorgeous brushed stainless steel exterior and STRATANIUM+ non-stick coating. The lids are glass with thick steel knobs.
CTX: Also fully-clad, but the exterior has a satin finish, the lids have handles instead of knobs, and the non-stick coating is STRATANIUM rather than STRATANIUM+.
HAPTIQ: 5-ply stainless steel with STRATANIUM+ non-stick coating and steel handles.
Professional: This collection features brushed stainless steel lids and handles, the base is 100% recycled aluminum, and the cooking surface is STRATANIUM.
PRO IQ: Nearly identical to the Professional collection, but this one is induction-compatible.
TECHNIQ: Straight steel panhandles and squared lid handles give this collection a unique, modern look.
Squeeze-casted aluminum is made from a process that reduces waste, strengthens the cookware, and resists warping. During the process, 250 tons of pressure is applied to create the pans. It is used on Classic, Classic Induction, Professional, Pro IQ, ES5, and TECHNIQ.
Scanpan’s stainless clad cookware features five layers and an aluminum core. You can find this construction on CTX, CS+, and HAPTIQ.
GreenPan Product Offerings:
GreenPan also features multiple cookware styles, including woks and grill pans.
All GreenPan cookware features a ceramic non-stick interior and different exterior looks from brushed stainless steel to hard-anodized aluminum. Some cookware options even feature vibrant color options.
You can choose from cookware sets or individual pieces.
Green Pan opts for recycled or upcycled stainless steel and aluminum in its designs whenever possible. Upcycling takes products that would typically be discarded and repurposes them to avoid waste.
GreenPan doesn’t separate its cookware into collections on its website site. Instead, it lists them by type: sets, fry pans, and saucepans, etc. The best way to view most of the lines is by taking a quick look at the sets.
The most popular sets are:
Valencia Pro Hard Anodized: This set features a hard-anodized aluminum induction base, Thermolon Minerals Pro healthy ceramic nonstick coating, steel handles, and glass lids.
Lima: This set has similar construction as the Valencia Pro, but it’s not induction-compatible (therefore, a bit less expensive).
Prime Midnight: Named after its black hard-anodized exterior, this popular set features Thermolon ceramic coating, a dark exterior, and bright, shiny steel pan and lid handles.
You can view the full range of products on GreenPan.us or Amazon):
Materials and Construction
One of the most significant differences between Scanpan and GreenPan is the makeup of their non-stick coatings.
Let’s take a closer look at the pros and cons of each.
Scanpan Materials and Construction:
Before we dive into the non-stick coating, I want to point out some features of the pan’s base material.
All Scanpans are made from 100% recycled aluminum. It is part of every pan’s base, even if the finish is squeeze cast aluminum or fully-clad stainless steel (in this case, the aluminum is used as the core layer).
Some collections are also induction compatible (Pro IQ, CTX, HAPTIQ, CS+, and Classic Induction) thanks to a squeeze cast, magnetic base.
STRATANIUM
STRATANIUM is Scanpan’s proprietary non-stick coating. It’s the result of two years of research and testing and features these characteristics:
- Multi-Layered Coating: STRATANIUM has a 5-layer interlocking non-stick coating, making it durable and highly effective. With Scanpan, you won’t ever have to worry about food sticking. The material consists of a topcoat, midcoat, primer, thermal spray, and base coat.
- PFOA and PFOS Free: This coating contains no perfluorooctanoic acid or perfluorooctane sulfate, two compounds that fall under a group of manmade chemicals known as PFAS (polyfluoroalkyl substances). These chemicals can impact health in negative ways.
- Oven Safe: Unlike some non-stick cookware, Scanpan non-stick cookware is safe to use in the oven up to 500°F. The tempered glass or stainless lids are also designed to withstand up to 500°F.
- PTFE: STRATANIUM contains PTFE, also known as Teflon, a widely-known non-stick element.
- Dishwasher-Safe: While safe to use in a dishwasher, hand washing is always preferred for optimal results.
- Metal Utensil Safe: You can use metal utensils without ruining the non-stick surface.
- Extreme Hardness: Scanpan claims the coating is ten times harder than stainless steel.
STRATANIUM is featured on Scanpan Classic, Classic Induction, Professional, Pro IQ, and CTX collections.
STRATANIUM+
STRATANIUM+ is an improved version of the original. In addition to the features of STRATANIUM, it boasts these additions:
- Textured Surface: The unique textured design can match the searing and browning results of stainless steel cookware.
- Increased Durability: It is 50% more durable than STRATANIUM in a heavy-use environment, such as a professional kitchen.
STRATANIUM+ is featured on the Scanpan TECHNIQ, HAPTIQ, CS+, PRO S+ collections.
GreenPan Materials and Construction:
Before I lay out the benefits of the non-stick coating, I’d like to call out a few points about the overall construction of GreenPan.
GreenPan exteriors are either constructed from multi-clad stainless steel or double-forged, hard-anodized aluminum. Whenever possible, GreenPan cookware is made with recycled or upcycled products to increase sustainability.
Most GreenPans are compatible with induction cooktops, and all are designed for quick, even heating. The collections incompatible with induction are Hudson, Levels Hard Anodized, Lima, Padova, Chatham, Paris Pro, SearSmart, and Reserve.
Now, let’s visit the non-stick coating.
Thermolon
Today’s GreenPans feature a 5th generation version of ceramic non-stick, known as Thermolon. This durable material is reinforced with diamonds to add to its overall durability, performance, and longevity.
Thermolon has the following characteristics:
- Natural Materials: GreenPan uses a derivative of sand to create its non-toxic coating. It is made into a sprayable solution that is applied to the pans without glues or additives.
- Oven Safe: All GreenPan non-stick coating is oven-safe, but each collection’s oven-safe temperature is different. The max temperature for some of the collections is 600°F, with tempered glass lids that withstand up to 420°F.
- PFOA, PFOS, and PTFE-Free: The coating contains none of these compounds and is also free of lead and cadmium.
- Less Carbon Dioxide Emissions: During manufacturing, these pans produce 60% less CO2 emissions than traditional non-stick coatings.
- Scratch Guard: Pans feature reinforced surfaces to resist scratches.
- Fume-Free: If you accidentally overheat your pan on your cooktop, this coating will not release toxic fumes.
- Superior Heat Conductor: Thermolon allows you to cook at lower temperatures yet still deliver heat quickly and evenly (Thermolon thermal conductivity is greater than the materials (PTFE) used to make Scanpan’s non-stick coating).
Many of the GreenPan non-stick pans are not broiler-safe, but there are two that you can use safely in a broiler: SearSmart and Padova.
Design
When it comes to design, Scanpan and GreenPan both offer several options.
Despite its name, GreenPan offers a variety of colors besides green, such as light blue, turquoise, and burgundy.
If you’re looking to add a pop of color to your kitchen, the GreenPan Rio set comes in turquoise with a light cooking surface and thick, Bakelite handles.
If you’re looking for something less flashy and more traditional, the GreenPan Prime Midnight set has a dark hard-anodized aluminum exterior, sleek stainless steel handles, and glass lids.
GreenPan handles are either stainless steel or wrapped in sure-grip silicone for extra comfort and safety. They split towards the pan’s base to disperse heat and keep cool while cooking on the stove.
Scanpan’s offerings are limited to black, gray, stainless steel, or copper — no bright colors.
Scanpan Classic is the original collection. It features a dark cast-aluminum exterior, rivet-less Bakelite handles, and glass lids.
The handles connect to the base with a patented locking system. Without rivets, this cookware has a completely smooth cooking surface that’s incredibly easy to clean (no scrubbing gunk and grease from around rivets).
Scanpan Professional is another popular collection featuring the same dark cast-aluminum exterior as the Classic. But unlike the Classic, the handles are stainless steel and riveted to the base, and the lids are stainless steel instead of glass.
Scanpan Maitre D’ is one of the most unique collections across both brands. This cookware comes in either a polished stainless steel or copper exterior. The copper not only looks elegant, but its thermal conductivity is much higher than aluminum, so these pans respond to heat much faster.
Bottom line — both brands offer a classy, traditional look. GreenPan offers bright and colorful exteriors, while Scanpan offers a mix of dark (aluminum), stainless steel, and copper.
What Others Are Saying
Both brands earn their share fair of accolades. Here is a peek at what reviewers love about Scanpan and GreenPan:
CNN Underscored named GreenPan Levels Hard Anodized Fry Pan as the Best Eco-Friendly Pan, calling it a pleasing pick for the “chemical-conscious consumer.”
GreenPan also gets high praise from Consumer Reports for the Levels Hard Anodized Fry Pan. The pan earned excellent ratings for even cooking and food release.
Food Network weighed in on the 6 Best Non-Stick Frying Pans and chose to feature the GreenPan Paris Pro 10-inch Fry Pan as the Most Eco-Friendly of the bunch. The review pointed out that the Thermolon coating is “non-toxic” and “unique.”
Epicurious recognized both Scanpan and GreenPan as the Best Non-Stick Pans. Experts featured the GreenPan Paris Pro 10-inch Fry Pan as the Best Ceramic Non-Stick Pan, citing it as a “breeze to use.” Scanpan’s Classic 9.5-inch Fry Pan also got a nod for its “effective non-stick surface” during the pancake and egg test.
Good Housekeeping reviewed the Scanpan Classic Collection and noted its “top-notch performance,” even heat distribution, and easy food release.
Reviewed awarded the Scanpan Classic 9.5-inch Fry Pan as the second-place choice of the five Best Non-stick Pans (All-Clad took first place). Of note was its PFOA-free ceramic-titanium non-stick coating. It passed scratch tests with “flying colors,” showing no penetration of the coating.
Price
Scanpan tends to be more expensive, but both brands offer a variety of price points across collections. GreenPan and Scanpan are pricier than some other non-stick brands because of the customized, innovative, and eco-friendly coatings.
To see the current prices of popular GreenPan and Scanpan cookware on Amazon, please refer to the following table:
Brand / Product | Price | View Details |
---|---|---|
Scanpan CTX 12-Inch Fry Pan | Amazon | |
Scanpan HaptIQ 11-Inch Fry Pan | Amazon | |
Scanpan Professional 8-Inch Fry Pan | Amazon | |
Scanpan Classic 12-Inch Fry Pan | Amazon | |
Scanpan PRO IQ 12-Inch Fry Pan | Amazon | |
Scanpan Classic 11-Piece Cookware Set | Amazon | |
Scanpan PRO IQ 9-Piece Cookware Set | Amazon | |
Scanpan Classic 14-Piece Cookware Set | Amazon | |
Scanpan HaptIQ 10-Piece Cookware Set | Amazon | |
Scanpan Professional 10-Piece Cookware Set | Amazon | |
GreenPan Lima 10-Inch Fry Pan | Amazon | |
GreenPan Paris 10-Inch Fry Pan | Amazon | |
GreenPan Rio 12-Inch Fry Pan | Amazon | |
GreenPan Prime Midnight 12-Inch Fry Pan | Amazon | |
GreenPan Valencia Pro 11-Piece Cookware Set | Amazon | |
GreenPan Hudson 8-Piece Cookware Set | Amazon | |
GreenPan Rio 16-Piece Cookware Set | Amazon | |
GreenPan Venice 10-Piece Cookware Set | Amazon |
FAQs About Scanpan and GreenPan
Here are some of the most frequently asked questions about Scanpan and GreenPan:
Scanpan cookware is made in Denmark. GreenPan cookware is designed in Belgium but manufactured at their company-owned factory in China.
Scanpan claims you don’t need oil if a recipe doesn’t call for it, but feel free to use any oil you prefer (except cooking sprays).
GreenPan does not recommend oil-free cooking. Choose an oil with a high smoke point like peanut oil, coconut oil, or sunflower oil. GreenPan recommends avoiding fats that burn at low temperatures like extra virgin olive oil and all cooking spray types (including mists, pumps, and aerosol products).
Scanpan is dishwasher safe. Some GreenPan collections are dishwasher safe, but the company recommends handwashing for best results.
Scanpan cookware is oven safe up to 500°F (including the handles and lids).
GreenPan cookware is oven-safe, but the maximum temperatures vary depending on the collection (ranging between 250 – 600°F).
GreenPan stainless steel handles are oven safe up to any temperature. Stainless steel handles with a silicone insert are oven safe up to 428°F. Bakelite handles are oven safe up to 356°F. Glass lids are oven safe up to 392°F.
Scanpan products come with a limited lifetime warranty, and GreenPan’s come with a 2-year warranty. Both cover materials and craftsmanship defects.
Bottom Line: Should You Buy Scanpan or GreenPan?
GreenPan is one of the few non-stick cookware brands that does not use PTFE. If your main focus is keeping PTFE away from your food, GreenPan should be your choice.
And if you prefer colorful cookware options, again, GreenPan is the clear winner.
Yet, if you want a kitchen workhorse designed for longevity, Scanpan deserves your attention. Scanpan is pricier, but it’s proprietary non-stick materials last significantly longer, so you won’t have to replace your pans as often.
Let’s recap the major differences between Scanpan and GreenPan:
- With Scanpan, you get dishwasher-safe cookware. GreenPan has some options that are dishwasher-safe, but overall recommends hand washing. If you prefer non-stick cookware that won’t be harmed by your dishwasher, go with Scanpan.
- Scanpan’s 5-layer coating takes scratch-resistance to a new level. In fact, you can use metal utensils on it, not so with GreenPan.
- All Scanpan cookware is oven-safe up to 500°F, but GreenPan’s offerings have a range of oven-safe temperatures. Some of which are higher or lower than Scanpan.
- GreenPan cookware is made in China, while Scanpan cookware is made in Denmark.
- Scanpan offers a limited lifetime warranty, and GreenPan offers a limited 2-year warranty.
- Scanpan STRATANIUM+ textured non-stick coating produces excellent results for searing, browning, braising, and deglazing. GreenPan’s cooking surface is too slick for effective searing and browning.
Scanpan is the most durable choice between the two brands, and it’s my pick if you want the best, long-lasting performance from a non-stick brand.
Read more reviews and check the current prices of both brands at the links below:
Scanpan on Amazon
GreenPan on Amazon and GreenPan.us
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