• People grateful to use less oil: Non-stick pans allow you to use little or even no cooking oil. Customers said that they’re happy to cut down on unnecessary fat or oil in their food.

• Eventually starts to stick: Even with all the precautions to protect the non-stick coating, eventually the coating gets compromised. The higher-priced products, such as the Tefal 12-piece cookware set, will have more layers of Teflon, and may be more durable. But, eventually, you’ll either have to settle for it no longer being non-stick, or buy a new frying pan.

• Induction stove cookware: If you have an induction stove, you’ll need cookware that heats up by induction. For example, the Koch Systeme CS nonstick frying pan set is suitable for induction stoves. It uses a ceramic titanium coating.

• Ergonomic handle: A long handle to a skillet allows you to get a better grip, and keeps you from getting burned. Look for pans which advertise an ergonomic handle.

• Care during use: There are special utensils for non-stick cookware, which ensure that you don’t scrape the surface. They will typically be made of wood, silicone, or plastic. Also, even though Teflon has a high melting temperature, you don’t want to take any chances. If the pan reaches a temperature of over 464 ℉, the Teflon may start to release cancer-causing chemicals. So, don’t “preheat” a non-stick Teflon pan, because it may become too hot if there is no food in the pan. And make sure to remove the non-stick pan from the fire as soon as you finish cooking.

• PFOA-free: You might see statements that Teflon coatings can release a chemical called perfluorooctanoic acid, or PFOA, which is feared to be cancer-causing. Since 2013, PFOA is no longer used in the manufacture of Teflon.

• Care when cleaning: Using Scotchbrite or metal scouring pads on a non-stick surface will scratch it and damage it. Over time, the Teflon coating will tend to peel off. It’s preferable to use a sponge to clean the pan, which is less likely to scratch.

• Care in storage: It’s best to avoid stacking non-stick cookware, because the other utensils can scratch the coating. If you want to conserve space, try to place paper towels between the cookware, to protect the coating.

Carl Schmidt Sohn was founded in 1829 in Solingen, Germany, by the blacksmith and sword-maker Carl Schmidt. They started producing cutlery and kitchen utensils in 1850, and have expanded their range of products to stainless steel and cast iron cookware, in the CS Kochsysteme brand.

Tefal (also marketed as “T-fal”) are makers of cookware, kitchenware, kitchen appliances, and laundry care products. The company was founded in 1954 by Marc Gregoire, who invented the non-stick pan by putting a Teflon coating on an aluminum pan (the name Tefal being a combination of “Teflon” and “aluminum”). Tefal has gained the reputation of being some of the best non-stick products.

Cook N Home, based in California, is a maker of cookware sets, pots and pans, specialty cookware, cutlery, and more. They also have a division, Cooks Standard, for professional cookware.

Home Hero is a maker of knives, cooking sets, and kitchen utensil sets. They make non-stick cookware for both traditional and induction stoves. Their pans are designed for uniform heat transfer.