Why your frying pan keeps dying
Look closely at the pan you're about to replace. The metal is fine. The coating is what's gone: scratched, flaking at the edges, or no longer letting go of an egg.
Every coated pan starts a clock the first time you cook in it. Most non-stick pans are built to be replaced every year or two, and even the cookware industry's own figure for a top-quality coating is five to seven years. When the coating goes, the whole pan goes, because nobody recoats a frying pan. About 1.5 million non-stick pans end up in landfill every year.
The metal is fine. The coating isn't.
So before you compare brands, ask whether a pan has a clock at all. The first two on this list do. The other five don't, and any of them can outlast you.
“We were getting sick of waiting for sales to buy yet another non stick pan…”
Mik M., Grande Legacy Pan review
Four things decide which of the seven suits you: what you cook most, what cooktop you have, how much looking after you'll do on a weeknight, and what the pan costs for every year you own it. We've judged each pan on those four, using independent testing, the makers' own care guides and New Zealand shop prices.
No. 1
Non-stick (PTFE)
The easiest pan in the shop on day one, and the shortest-lived.
A slick PTFE coating, usually over aluminium. Eggs slide, you barely need oil, and a good omelette takes no practice at all.
The coating is also the pan's lifespan. Keep it off high heat, never heat it empty, keep metal utensils and the dishwasher away from it, and it still wears out. Most get replaced every year or two, and once it's scratched or flaking, it's finished. On induction it needs a magnetic plate in the base, so check before you buy.
- NZ price
- $60–$275
- Lasts
- As long as the coating
- Induction
- Magnetic base only
Buy this if you want easy eggs now and you're happy to buy another pan in a year or two.
No. 2
Ceramic non-stick
Non-stick without PTFE. It loses its slip sooner.
Ceramic pans swap PTFE for a sol-gel coating, which is the main reason people buy them. Brand new, they let go of food beautifully.
They don't stay that way for long. In America's Test Kitchen's testing, ceramic pans were less non-stick and less durable than traditional non-stick, and got stickier with use. The coating is fragile, metal utensils scratch it, and on induction it needs a magnetic base.
- NZ price
- $45–$340
- Lasts
- Shorter than PTFE
- Induction
- Magnetic base only
Buy this if you want a coated pan without PTFE and you'll treat it gently.
No. 3
Carbon steel
Light, fast and close to indestructible, if you'll look after it.
Cast iron's thin, light cousin. It heats fast, sears hard, works on induction and builds a seasoning the same way cast iron does.
Heat it too fast, or empty on induction, and that thin metal can warp. Leave it wet and it rusts. It never goes in the dishwasher.
- NZ price
- $30–$250
- Lasts
- Decades, kept free of rust
- Induction
- Yes
Buy this if you like fast, hot cooking and don't mind a pan with needs.
No. 4
Stainless steel
Built to last, and a bit fussy until you've learned it.
Good stainless is layered, with steel on the outside and aluminium or copper inside to spread the heat. It shrugs off the dishwasher and metal utensils, and it makes the best pan sauces on this list, because the brown bits that stick are where the flavour is.
Those same brown bits are the downside. Food grabs if the pan isn't hot enough, or if you move it too soon. Once you've learned to preheat, add oil and wait, it's easy. At seven in the morning with eggs, it's maddening. On induction the base has to be magnetic, so check the label.
- NZ price
- $125–$375
- Lasts
- Decades
- Induction
- If the base is magnetic
Buy this if you cook a lot of sauces, love the dishwasher, and don't mind learning when to leave food alone.
No. 5
Enamelled cast iron
Cast iron without the seasoning. Heavy, handsome and happiest at medium heat.
This is cast iron coated in glass-based enamel. You get iron's heat-holding weight with no seasoning, you can wash it with soap, and you can simmer tomatoes and wine in it as often as you like.
It needs a different kind of care. Its makers say to keep it on low to medium heat, avoid sudden temperature changes and never slide it across a glass cooktop. Knock it hard and the enamel can chip, and a chipped cooking surface ends the pan. It's heavy, and often the dearest pan in the shop.
We sell enamelled cast iron too. Our 28cm Satin Enamel Legacy Pan comes with its lid for $290, and a lifetime guarantee: if something goes wrong because of how it was made, we replace it. See the enamel Legacy.
- NZ price
- $320–$530
- Lasts
- Decades, unless it chips
- Induction
- Yes
Buy this if you want cast iron cooking without the oiling, and you'll be gentle with it.
No. 6
Factory-made cast iron
The cheapest way into cast iron, with a rough finish you can feel.
Iron poured into a sand mould, with oil baked on as its seasoning. Looked after, it lasts for decades. Cast iron heats evenly and holds temperature better than most cookware, and it goes from stove to oven to barbecue to campfire.
What you don't get is a finish. The big makers go from sand mould to shot blasting to a factory coat of seasoning, with no polishing in between, so the surface feels like fine gravel. Eggs have more to grip, and the base is rough enough to scratch a glass cooktop. That's why most cast iron isn't made for induction, even though iron heats on it. It's heavy too: a widely sold 30cm skillet weighs about 3.5kg.
Left: sand-cast iron, the way most cast iron is sold. Right: ours, hand polished to our Antique Finish™.
- NZ price
- $50–$150
- Lasts
- Decades
- Induction
- Heats, but can scratch glass
Buy this if you want cast iron on a budget, cook on gas, and don't mind a rough surface.
No. 7
Hand-finished cast iron: the Ironclad Legacy Pan
Ours. For people who want to buy a frying pan once.
The 28cm Legacy Pan.
We start where number six stops. Each Legacy Pan is hand-poured from recycled iron, then polished by hand to our Antique Finish™. That takes hours per pan, and it leaves the cooking surface and the base smooth where factory cast iron is left rough.
You'd feel the difference with a fingertip. A smooth surface gives an egg far less to grip. A smooth base sits flat on the glass, so the pan is gentle on induction and heats evenly across the base, then holds that heat when the food goes in.
It's triple seasoned by hand with vegetable oil before it leaves us, so you can cook on it the night it arrives. 28cm across, 4.5cm deep, 4mm walls, a 5mm base, 2.7kg. There's no coating of any kind, so there's nothing to scratch, flake or wear through, and no clock.
The Three Generation Guarantee® is cast into the base. If the pan ever fails structurally, we make it right, in your lifetime, your children's and your grandchildren's.
The guarantee isn't printed on a card. It's cast into the base.
Pure cast iron asks a bit more of you at the start. It's 2.7kg, and the handle gets hot, so keep a tea towel or a leather Pan Snug nearby. After dinner it's hot water, a quick scrub, dry it, and a wipe of oil. For the first few weeks eggs want a little butter while the seasoning builds. Then it keeps getting better.
“The crust on steak is perfect and I have been surprised by the natural non stick quality.”
Ken M., verified buyer, Legacy Starter Kit
“Non stick from day one, nil issue with performance very easy to use and look after.”
Jordon T., verified buyer, Lil Legacy Pan
“A little tricky to start with but loving it now it has built up its non stick layer!”
Alison T., Lil Legacy Pan
Steak in a Legacy Pan, on induction.
Buy this if you want one frying pan for the rest of your life, and you'll give the seasoning a few weeks to build.
Legacy Pan
$320
Pure cast iron · Antique Finish™
Medium hobs and induction rings. 2.7kg.
Shop the 28cm Legacy PanOur small pan, for meals for one or two: eggs, sauces, sides and desserts. Light enough to lift with one hand, even when it's full.
Our full-size pan, for family meals for two to four. It sears, roasts, bakes and fries, and it's the one to start with if you're not sure.
Our biggest pan, built for feasts: big enough for eight steaks, a whole leg of lamb, or pancakes for everyone. Two large open grips instead of a long handle.
- Hand-poured from recycled iron
- Hand polished to our Antique Finish™, cooking surface and base
- Seasoned by hand with vegetable oil, ready to cook
- Cooks on any heat: induction, gas, electric, oven, barbecue, campfire
- 20cm across, 4.5cm deep and 1.8kg, with 4mm walls and a 5mm base
- 28cm across, 4.5cm deep and 2.7kg, with 4mm walls and a 5mm base
- 36cm across (43.5cm grip to grip), 5.5cm deep, 4.6 litres and 4.3kg, with 4mm walls and a 5mm base
- No coatings. Free of PFAS, PFOA and PTFE
- Three Generation Guarantee®, cast into the base
- In the box: certificate of material purity, use and care cards, recipe cards, and access to the Ironclad Vault
- 30 days to cook with it before you decide
Who shouldn't buy cast iron
We'd rather tell you now than have you send a pan back.
- If lifting 2.7kg one-handed is hard on your wrists, skip the 28cm. Our 20cm is lighter, but it's still iron, and stainless will be kinder.
- If everything goes in the dishwasher, no exceptions, buy stainless.
- If you want butter-free eggs from the very first morning with nothing to learn, buy a good non-stick and plan to replace it.
- If pans get left soaking in the sink overnight at your place, cast iron will rust. It comes back with a scrub and a re-season, but you'll be the one doing it.
“Takes some work to break them in but so far i like them hold the heat better than non stick pans”
Jason, verified buyer, 4 stars
Questions people ask before buying cast iron
Is cast iron hard to look after?
Less than its reputation. Clean it while it's warm with hot water and a quick scrub, dry it properly, then wipe on a light coat of oil. No soaking, no drip drying, and go easy on the dish soap.
Will it work on my induction cooktop?
Yes. Iron is the best metal there is for induction, and our base is hand polished smooth, so it sits flat on the glass and won't scrape it the way a rough, sand-cast base can. Match the pan to the zone and lift it on and off.
Can I use metal utensils?
Yes. There's no coating to scratch. The seasoning is oil baked onto the iron, and every time you cook with a little fat, you add to it.
Seasoned iron or enamel?
Seasoned iron builds its own non-stick surface over time, takes the highest heat, and goes on the barbecue or the campfire. Enamel needs no seasoning and is happy with soap, but it prefers medium heat, and open flame will mark it. Our seasoned pans carry the Three Generation Guarantee®. Our enamel carries a lifetime guarantee.
What if I don't like cooking with it?
Cook with it for 30 days. If it isn't right for your kitchen, email us and send it back for a refund or store credit. Return postage and the original shipping are on you.
Why does it cost $320?
Because every one is poured by hand, polished by hand for hours and seasoned by hand three times, and because we expect it to outlive us. It comes with a guarantee that covers three generations of your family and a recipe vault to go with it. Most frying pans cost less because they're built to be replaced.
