9 Eco-Friendly Cookware Brands For Sustainable Sautés & Conscious Cuisines
Eco-friendly cookware turns the heat up in the kitchen—without doing the same for our planet.
Most of us have some appreciation of the impact of our diets. Especially if you’ve seen the ground-beef-breaking environmental film, Cowspiracy.
But while consuming meat certainly takes the lion’s paw print portion of our carbon-dinner, what we cook our meals in also has an impact.
We need to consider what materials were mined, what chemicals were used for the coating, and how durable the pot or pan is.
Nonstick pans are the worst—not just because they can release byproducts and toxic chemicals when heated but because their lifespan of three to five years is far from sustainable.
In the immortal words of Chef Gordon Ramsey, nonstick can “get the f*ck out of my kitchen!”
So, where can you buy eco-friendly cookware?
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Sustainable Cookware Sets That Won’t Fry Our Planet
Here are our specials for the evening’s article.
The Caraway Cookware Set is what delicious dreams are made of. The four pots and pans have a non-toxic ceramic coating that’s easy to clean and can handle high temperatures.
Be sure to add Great Jones (aka The Dutchess) to the dinner party guest list as the enameled cast iron Dutch oven lasts forever.
When we’re cooking for the planet, less is more—which is why we love the oven safe 8-in-1 Perfect Pot from Our Place.
Skip to dessert (aka the bottom of the article) to find out more about how we chose the best eco-friendly cookware.
The Full List Of Eco-Friendly Cookware Brands
1. Caraway
About Caraway
Price Range: $95—$145
Caraway is all about clean cooking.
Even if you’re a boxed-mac-n-cheese kind of chef, their eco-friendly nonstick cookware will make your meal a little healthier.
With frying pans, saute pans, saucepans, and Dutch ovens (available individually or as part of eco-friendly cookware sets) it’s easy to get carried away with Caraway.
Especially because everything—including their Fry Pan— is suitable for induction cooktops and can handle high temperatures.
Did we mention that their ceramic cookware and eco-friendly bakeware sets come in several different colors?
Add them to your ethical gift list for the conscious foodie in your life.
Caraway’s Ethical & Sustainability Practices
Materials:
All Caraway cookware is made with an aluminum core, stainless steel handles, and a non-toxic, ceramic coating that doesn’t leach harmful chemicals (PTFE, lead, cadmium, PFAs, PFOA, and toxic metals).
As a bonus, it requires less oil or butter when cooking and less scrubbing with your zero waste dish soap when cleaning.
Just be sure NOT to use metal utensils for cooking as this will significantly decrease the life of any ceramic cookware.
Supply chain & labor practices:
Caraway cookware is designed in New York and produced in ethical factories in China.
Using BSCI- and SMETA-certified manufacturing partners, they only work with those proud to support safe working environments, fair pay, employee benefits, and regulated work hours.
Because they cut out middlemen, they also cut out some unnecessary retail markups.
Green business practices:
In addition to using a coating that releases 60% less CO2 during manufacturing (compared to conventional non-stick coatings), Caraway uses recycled cardboard, low-impact dyes, 100% biodegradable cork trivets, and zero plastic bags.
2. Great Jones
About Great Jones
Price Range: $75—$190
Great Jones wasn’t just started with great food in mind, it was supported by some of the biggest names in American food (like Momofuku’s David Chang!).
The top eco-friendly cookware brand has kitchen essentials for any type of deliciousness and cooking surface (including induction stoves and cooktops).
Their healthy eco-friendly cookware and bakeware includes stockpots, fry pans, warming dishes, bread pans, skillets, sauciers, and sets.
Like a good chef can satisfy (almost) any taste, they satisfy any kitchen, cook, and budget.
Great Jones’ Ethical & Sustainability Practices
Materials:
Great Jones’ eco-friendly non-toxic cookware is made from three main materials: enameled cast iron, stainless steel, and ceramic nonstick.
The non-reactive stainless steel pans won’t impact flavors and the aluminum core distributes the heat evenly. The stainless steel handles and knobs dissipate heat, too.
Pieces made with stainless steel contain trace amounts of nickel, but they’re free of Teflon and instead, a nontoxic ceramic coating is used with some of the fry pans.
The Dutch ovens are made of oven safe cast iron enamel that works well with extremely high heat. A bonus of enameled cast iron cookware is that it doesn’t require seasoning either!
Ceramic (specifically, stoneware) is used in some of the non-toxic bakeware, allowing pieces to go from low and medium temperatures to those up to 450°F.
Most pieces are PTFE and/or PFOA-free.
Supply chain & labor practices:
Great Jones partners with vetted cookware factories all over the world (Guangdong, China; Tianjin, China; and the USA).
We’re hoping they’ll give us more details about specific labor practices and worker protections.
Green business practices:
Ever wondered what happens to a non-stick pan when it becomes… a stick pan? It ends up in a landfill and stays there forever.
Great Jones stands out for one big reason—all of their returned cookware is recycled or donated through a partnership with Hot Bread Kitchen in New York.
You’ll probably never even get to that point though because most of their products are backed by a limited lifetime warranty.
Community & charitable giving:
Potline is GJ’s free text-message service. Text 1-814-BISCUIT to get pre-dinner (4-5pm EST) real-time cooking advice and recipe suggestions.
3. Our Place
About Our Place
Price Range: $60—$300
Our Place believes in the power of a home-cooked meal.
While their collection of cookware and eco-friendly dinnerware is small, it’s quite the display.
The star of the show is the best-selling Always Pan, which can be used for braising, searing, steaming, straining, boiling, frying, sautéing, and serving!
A heaven-sent for home chefs, it’s compatible with all cooktops and replaces eight pieces of cookware.
Pair it with the Perfect Pot (a replacement for a stock pot, Dutch oven, roasting rack, steamer, saucepot, strainer, braiser, and spoon rest), and you’ve got EVERYTHING you need for a sustainable supper, in just two items.
The best sustainable cookware, after all, is minimalist and multi-functional.
Our Place’s Ethical & Sustainability Practices
Materials:
These 8-in-1 non-stick cookware dreams are made from a ceramic non-toxic, nonstick surface and come with a beechwood spatula/spoon, and a sturdy aluminum (partially recycled) bottom for even heat distribution.
They’re free from toxic materials like nanoparticles, cadmium, lead, PTFEs, PFOAs, and PFAs.
The enameled cookware coating means these cast iron pans require no seasoning.
Supply chain & labor practices:
Our Place may want to minimize the number of items we have in our kitchens, but they’re also going the extra step to ensure those items have been produced ethically.
Their partner factories are located in China, Thailand, and Mexico and proudly boast certifications from SEDEX, SA8000, ISO, and BSCI.
They ensure ethical working conditions and pay above a living wage.
Green business practices:
In addition to transforming several pieces of cookware into just one (fewer materials = less manufacturing), Our Place sends it in plastic-free, recyclable, and biodegradable packaging materials.
Community & charitable giving:
The woman and immigrant-founded company’s main philanthropic project is a partnership with the Los Angeles Food Policy Council.
They’re currently in the process of helping to establish a locally-owned mini market, which will help provide access to fresh and healthy food in South LA.
They also regularly donate to organizations like Feeding America.
4. Kana
About Kana
Price Range: $125—$270
Kana is committed to taking the things we use around the house every day and making them better.
Transform your kitchen with their Milo Cookware line of eco-friendly cast iron cookware. You can meal prep like the pros using their cast iron pans, Dutch ovens, spacious skillets, and cookware sets.
Like everything else, the Ultimate Skillet is made of enameled cast iron that’s oven safe (up to 500ªF), dishwasher safe, and suitable for all cooktops.
The cast iron cookware comes in nine fun color combinations including Eucalyptus, Terracotta, Dusty Pink, Dijon, Pebble, and Black Gloss (amongst others).
Kana’s Ethical & Sustainability Practices
Materials:
From the Dutch oven to the skillet, everything is made with 40% recycled cast iron, a stainless steel knob, and TOMATEC™ enamel to enhance performance and durability. This makes it naturally non-stick, easy to clean, and free of PFOA and PTFE.
All Milo Cookware products have been tested and are REACH and California Prop 65 compliant (i.e. free of 800 dangerous chemicals).
Supply chain & labor practices:
Kana’s cast iron pans cast a light on better working conditions.
The designs happen in California before the cast iron cookware is manufactured in BSCI-certified factories that also adhere to ISO 9001, ISO 14001, and ISO 45001 standards.
The family-owned factories ensure fair pay and safe working environments.
Green business practices:
Milo Cookware is meant to last. Every piece is guaranteed for life. If it becomes unusable due to normal use, they’ll replace it—free of charge.
Kana partners with EcoCart to offset their shipping emissions.
Community & charitable giving:
Kana is a fellow member of 1% for the Planet and every purchase supports One Tree Planted, an organization committed to reforestation.
5. Xtrema
About Xtrema
Price Range: $50—$380
Xtrema wants us to not only think about the ingredients and foods we’re putting into our bodies but also the pots and pans we’re putting our food into.
They provide peace of mind with their line of safe and sustainable cookware made entirely of ceramic – a perfect zero-waste gift idea for low-impact loved ones.
Recommended by doctors and nutritionists, their skillets, saucepans, stockpots, dutch ovens, bakeware, teapots, lids, and cookware sets are all free of metals and chemicals.
Bring these non-toxic pots to boil then cover and simmer your way to sustainable supper.
Xtrema’s Ethical & Sustainability Practices
Materials:
Xtrema is xtremely uncomplicated with their single-substance eco-friendly ceramic cookware.
Being 100% natural ceramic (a mix of minerals, clay, oxides, and water), these pots and pans are nonreactive and free of PFOA, PTFE, nanoparticles, glues, polymers, dyes, and coatings (read: the BEST non-stick eco-friendly cookware).
Additionally, the eco-friendly pots and pans from Xtrema won’t change the taste of the food or leach chemicals, lead, cadmium, or metal.
All pieces meet California Prop 65 standards.
Supply chain & labor practices:
Xtrema is family-owned and operated in the U.S.
Each eco-friendly non-stick pan and pot is handmade by skilled artisans in China—a country ranked #1 for ceramic manufacturing in the world.
Each piece takes 20 days to make from start to finish.
Green business practices:
The dedication to quality and 10,000 years of ceramic innovation mean this cookware is durable enough to handle any cooking method.
They’re so confident in this, they provide a 10-year warranty.
Community & charitable giving:
The sustainable ethical cookware company has partnered with Goodwill to support those who’ve had a difficult time finding employment by providing fulfilling work in their fulfillment centers.
They want to expand their capacity to give back, and welcome suggestions from anyone.
6. Material
About Material
Price Range: $95—$295
Material is all about thoughtfully designed items that transform your kitchen (for the better).
When the kitchen is getting hot in herre (cue Nelly), the brand keeps things as cool as possible for the planet—all thanks to their long-lasting saucepan, sauté pan, coated pan, and copper eco-friendly pots and pans set.
Each item is dishwasher safe and affordably priced.
Material’s Ethical & Sustainability Practices
Materials:
Whether heating instant noodles or whipping up a five-course meal, Materials combines non-toxic materials like stainless steel and aluminum.
At the center of the eco-friendly pans and pots is a 5-ply copper core, which ensures excellent heat conductivity.
For anything that requires stirring, flipping, or sautéeing, a non-stick, stainless steel alloy coating is used. It’s non-toxic and free of cadmium, lead, fumes, toxins, and PFOA.
It’ll stop the aluminum/stainless steel pan from imparting “off” flavors when cooking acidic foods, too.
Supply chain & labor practices:
Material’s stainless steel cookware is made in the US, Europe, South Korea, and China.
They work with their manufacturing partners to ensure ethical and environmentally compliant practices are upheld.
Green business practices:
The greenest thing about this green cookware company is their use of an extremely durable non-stick coating.
It’s proven to last 37x longer than ceramic—and much longer than the 2-3 year lifespan of most pots and pans.
Aside from their limited edition products, everything is backed by a lifetime guarantee. If something becomes damaged, just email and they’ll fix or replace it.
Inclusivity:
Material is friend and AAPI-founded.
Community & charitable giving:
The ethical sustainable cookware company has supported underserved groups with more than $100,000 donated to primarily food insecurity-centered organizations.
Most recently, this has included the Korean American Community Foundation, Heart of Dinner, and Drive Change.
7. GreenPan
About GreenPan
Price Range: $60—$260
What is eco-friendly cookware?
GreenPan was one of the first to ask—and make—“non-toxic, easy to clean, and easy to use pots and pans”.
They were also the first to make use of ceramic cookware as a non-toxic alternative to traditional coatings.
Their vast non-toxic cookware range includes frypans, saucepans, sauté pans, stockpots, woks, roasters, griddles, grill pans, lids, and cookware sets.
You can choose between hard anodized or colorful pots and pans, those made with stainless steel, or those designed to be used with all types of cooking surfaces.
The pots and pans are oven safe—even in extremely high heat (600*F)! They’re also dishwasher safe, but hand washing is recommended for longevity.
GreenPan’s Ethical & Sustainability Practices
Materials:
Whether you go with stainless steel pans or those made with extra-durable anodized aluminum, you’ll be cooking up something delicious with GreenPan’s diamond-infused ceramic nonstick coating.
The Thermolon ceramic nonstick coating offers high heat conduction and is free of PFAS, PFOA, nanoparticles, and toxic fumes.
While it’s designed to be scratch-resistant and non-toxic, it’s recommended that only wood and silicone utensils are used, along with low to medium heat.
Their products also comply with Prop 65 requirements in being free of cadmium and lead.
Supply chain & labor practices:
GreenPan’s Thermolon coating is made in South Korea and the pans are manufactured in their own factory in China. It’s ISO:9001 and 14000 certified.
Green business practices:
100% of the aluminum used is recycled.
The Thermolon ceramic cookware coating releases 60% less CO2 than conventional non-stick materials during the curing phase. It also lasts longer.
Their Chinese factory runs on 30% solar power and they have their own wastewater treatment plant where 100% of wastewater is cleaned and reused.
When ordering from GreenPan, customers can pay $20 for a recycling shipping label. The box the new cookware comes in can be filled with old cookware and sent back for recycling.
8. Amoretti Brothers
About Amoretti Brothers
Price Range: $190—$950
We’d be more than happy to welcome the Amoretti Brothers into our kitchens.
This brand ticks all the boxes when it comes to satisfying our hunger and keeping our consciences happy.
Their ethical sustainable cookware range includes saucepans, frying pans, woks, paella pans, roasting pans, Dutch ovens, stockpots, rondeaus, and cookware sets—to inspire new culinary creations.
Amoretti Brothers’ Ethical & Sustainability Practices
Materials:
Amoretti Brothers gets 4 Michelin stars for the best eco-friendly cookware because they use high-quality 100% recycled and hammered copper and cast bronze, lined with tin.
The copper will naturally patina over time, giving it a unique and natural beauty. It’s also naturally antibacterial and ensures excellent heat distribution.
However, it is not dishwasher safe and will not work on induction cooktops.
Supply chain & labor practices:
Amoretti Brothers produces their line in their own Tlalpujahua, Michoacan, Mexico factory.
Each piece is hand-forged by local artisans, 50% of whom are women and 100% of whom are paid fairly.
Amoretti Brothers is committed to investing in whole artisan communities: “We generate jobs that don’t benefit us alone but also help employees provide for their families in a meaningful way.”
Green business practices:
In addition to using recycled materials and eco-friendly business practices, each piece is designed to last several lifetimes.
9. Etsy Vintage Cookware
About Etsy Secondhand Cookware
Price Range: Various
Etsy is a treasure trove for vintage cooking essentials (and one of the best all-around alternatives to Amazon!).
It is THE PLACE to find unique, vintage, and one-of-a-kind cookware. From the famous Rival Crock Pots to beautiful floral Pyrex casserole dishes, Etsy has a vibrant offering of incredible pieces.
We’ll spare you hours (days?) of scrolling by mentioning one of our favorite kitchen-focused Etsy sellers (though there are hundreds more worth giving a taste-test).
Laura’s Last Ditch is dedicated to helping find the unfindable, and with more than 13,000 sales and an average five-star rating, it seems she’s pretty good at it.
This Michigan-based store specializes in antique housewares, food photography props, small appliances, bakeware, and vintage pots and pans.
Etsy’s Ethical & Sustainability Practices
Materials:
Expect to see some of the usual materials used for the vintage eco-friendly cookware—namely aluminum, stainless steel, pyrex, ceramic, and other metals.
Supply chain & labor practices:
This varies by store but in Laura’s case, Laura’s Last Ditch is “like grandma’s kitchen, only bigger!” In other words, owner Laura does it all herself.
She enjoys frugal pursuits which is why she dedicates her time to thrifting and reselling hard-to-find kitchen treasures.
Green business practices:
Laura wants her finds to encourage others to be good stewards of resources. Not only does vintage mean less precious resources are required, but everything is also shipped with reclaimed packaging materials.
Additionally, Etsy powers their marketplace with 100% renewable energy and carbon offsets shipping emissions.
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Why Cook With Eco-Friendly Non-Toxic Cookware?
What is the most environmentally friendly cookware—and why is it important?
We can boil this answer down with one other question that can no longer be put on the back burner:
Is nonstick cookware environmentally friendly?
There’s no easy sliding around this Q. Most non-stick cookware isn’t great for us or our planet.
According to research by the Environmental Working Group, many of the chemicals found in a standard non-stick pan (i.e. polytetrafluoroethylene or PTFE) are considered “forever chemicals”. That means they take decades to leave our bodies (ew) and never break down in the environment (double ew).
Per- or polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a group of thousands of chemicals used to coat consumer goods. The two most notorious of the bunch are PFOA (Teflon) and PFOS, which have been banned in the U.S. after being linked to serious health and environmental problems.
So while we’re normally proponents of using what you have until it’s non-functional, but in this case, associated health concerns have us saying, “Toss the teflon pans!”.
Unfortunately for those wanting to “whip something up for dinner,” the chemicals that commonly replace these two are just as dangerous.
One study looked at various coatings (like PTFE, PFOA, and GenX) and concluded that many times toxic chemicals are replaced by chemicals just as toxic.
Ceramic coatings generally don’t contain harmful PFAS chemicals, but the use of nanoparticles and PTFE to coat such cookware hasn’t been studied thoroughly in a long-term capacity—meaning the environmental and health impacts are unknown.
Ruining dinner like a burnt meal, ceramic-coated cookware can also be easily scratched—sprinkling heavy metals and nanoparticles into every bite. In the case of metal alloys (aluminum, lead, zinc, cadmium, tin, chromium, iron, etc.), this can be harmful to health.
This is why it’s important to flip and sauté carefully and never go above the recommended heat range of your pots and pans. We can eat organic kale and season our food with turmeric all we want, but the health benefits are all for naught if it’s exposed to dangerous chemicals along the way to our bellies.
Non-stick cookware with a ceramic coating is undoubtedly safer than a Teflon pan, from a health perspective. But will it cook our planet?
Is nonstick cookware eco friendly?
Most of the time, getting rid of the “stick” compromises sustainability. A good rule of thumb is to avoid this type of cookware (and granite cookware for that matter) unless a brand is transparent about exactly what it is and what it’s free of.
Ceramic or mineral-based, non-stick coatings that are free of lead, PFAS, cadmium, and other harmful materials are better for good eats and a healthy earth.
Eco-friendly cookware is also better for the environment if it’s durable and never goes to landfill.
How We Found The Best Eco-Friendly Cookware
We’ve been tearing our homes apart to find the most eco-friendly items for decorating, furnishing (including sustainable furniture brands), cooking, and zero-waste cleaning.
This has all been inspired by our sustainable and ethical fashion criteria.
Whilst we’re not planning on wearing our ceramic cookware anytime soon, the ingredients for a sustainable wardrobe are similar to those needed for a sustainable kitchen. Think of it as an (almost) perfect recipe for conscious consumerism.
Materials:
Sustainability starts with materials and when it comes to eco-friendly pots, pans and all sustainable appliances, each comes with its own set of pros and cons.
Ceramic cookware is generally free of some toxins found in other types of materials, though be wary of potentially toxic coatings. It’s also made with natural, renewable materials (like clay and sand).
Aluminum is lightweight, which means easier carrying for you (and whatever fossil fuel-guzzling vehicle got it to your house). However, aluminum is not as durable as some of the other options, though it’s very easy to recycle without downgrading the material.
It also poses a risk of leaching toxic metals into food (especially if it’s uncoated/recycled/scratched). When cooking acidic foods, it can impart unwanted flavors, too.
Stainless steel cookware is highly durable and resistant to scratches, dents, corrosion, and rust. However, excess exposure to acid (including acidic foods) has been shown to contribute to heavy metal leaching. And it’s one of the least heat-conductive materials.
Copper is great when it comes to cooking. It’s highly thermally conductive, so very little heat gets lost as it’s transferred from your stovetop to your spicy tofu stir fry. Copper is another easily recyclable material, too, so it’s not uncommon to find recycled copper cookware.
If you don’t mind heavier cookware, cast iron is the most durable of materials. Taken care of properly (meaning regular seasoning), it can last several generations—which also reduces the mining and manufacturing behind that Stir-Friday skillet.
It has the added benefit of even cooking and extremely good heat retention—meaning it can continue cooking even after your stove/oven is turned off.
When it comes to non-toxic cookware coatings, it’s hard to know what’s underneath our sizzling veggie burgers. The best environmentally friendly non stick cookware is made with a coating clearly labeled to be free of PFAS, PTFE, lead, cadmium, heavy metals, and other toxins.
Eliminating these materials means that the best non-toxic cookware for you is better for our planet, too.
Supply chain and labor practices:
Supply chains aren’t like secret recipes. We want to know every single ingredient! Especially since cookware is often made of metals and minerals that may result from harmful and exploitative mining and refining practices.
Unfortunately, the push toward transparent supply chains hasn’t quite hit even the most sustainable brands.
Still, some brands are incorporating fair wages, safe and respectful working conditions, and methods to improve gender equality.
Green business practices:
Environmentally friendly cookware is minimal, multi-functional, and long-lasting. These brands are doing durability right, and most have the warranties to back it up.
On top of that, it’s great to see some use of environmentally conscious packaging, earth-friendly manufacturing practices, recycling programs, and carbon offsets.
Community & charitable giving:
Some brands are understandably still warming up to the idea of charitable giving, but some have already jumped on board with direct donations of money and cookware, support for those struggling to find employment, and ways to connect and help home chefs.
Final Thoughts On Sustainable Pots, Pans & Cookware
Dinner is served!
And with the top eco-friendly cookware brands, it can be served sustainably—along with the most sustainable foods, of course.
We know that choosing eco-friendly cookware can be like adding another course to an already complex dinner menu. Meal prep and grocery shopping are enough to think about, thanks.
However, if you make just a small change—say, some PTFE-free eco-friendly stainless steel cookware—it can have a big impact for both you and the planet.
Fortunately, the best sustainable cookware companies are making this easier and more affordable.
Share this article with your conscious foodie friends and let’s turn up the heat around the best eco-friendly pots and pans! Or sneak it into your SO’s inbox as a hint for an eco-friendly gift for Christmas.
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