Best Granite Stone Pans [2024 Review]

All cookware sets have their pros and cons. Aluminum alloys are cheap and distribute heat beautifully, but turn the stove up too high, too fast, and they’ll go into warp mode faster than Voyager evading Klingons.

Stainless steel pans look glorious and require little upkeep, but you’ll need plenty of cooking lubricant at higher temperatures. Copper and ceramic cookware require a great deal of seasoning to keep them in non-stick shape (and possibly a few prayers to the non-stick gods every couple of months as well).

Cast iron pans take a while to come to the right heat, but when they do, they fry a steak like no other pan. However, they are a swine to clean unless you attack them immediately and they weigh more than a coven’s cauldron. Enameled cast iron pans are easier to clean but weigh even more.

Hard anodized pans have the cooking surface you associate with Teflon while being almost eternally robust. They are also very much investment pans, sold at professional prices ($50 and above).

And then there is the lightest, cheapest Teflon-coated pan. Given that it’s among the most popular and inexpensive kind, why do I mention this last?

Well, Teflon has taken quite a public relations beating over the last decade. It has been found that the effect of intense heat (over 460°) over an extended period causes one of the chemicals which binds the Teflon to the pan to disintegrate and enter not just the food itself but also the air around the cooking area. In the background of a wider investigation into the rising levels of chemicals in the bloodstream of American citizens, the chemical process for applying the Teflon layer changed, the old formulae being phased out. It’s an important bit of history to raise here to give some context to all the product declarations that a pan is ‘PFOA-free’.

If You’re in a Hurry – My Tops Picks at a Glance

Granite stone pans are a comparatively new entry to the cookware market. They aim to combine robustness, low maintenance, flexibility in use, and a seriously slippery non-stick cooking surface which will have your fried eggs overshooting your plate if you’re not careful. If you’re looking to cut down on oil as a cooking ingredient, then granite stone pans might be the way forward for you.

The tricky part is choosing one. There is an intimidating number of granite, diamond or titanium stone-based pans out there, all of different sizes, functionality, and care requirements. I’ve checked the specs, filtered the customer feedback, and narrowed down a selection of the best. If you have time, read on for the buyer’s guide on points to take into consideration when deciding which pan is the best for you.

Best Granite Stone Pans – Reviews

1. Carote 12-Inch Nonstick Frying Pan Skillet. Granite Coating from Switzerland

This Carote 12-inch pan is made of a cast aluminum core for rapid and even heating, with a secondary granite stone cladding and PFOA-free non-stick layer. It weighs a shade under 3lb with a 5mm deep base for heat conduction. This means that you’ll get no hotspots in your omelet, and the weight will give you control to slide it neatly onto the plate. This pan, handle and all, is oven-safe to 350°.

When used on an induction, ceramic, electric or gas stove, the Bakelite handle will remain cool and comfortable to hold. Your inner chef may be pleased to know that the steeply sloping sides of the deep pan (2.56” tall) make for a broad bottom width of 9.5 inches. This makes it a nice option for a pan-based pizza bake, or a chunky frittata.

If the feedback is anything to go by, the non-stick quality of this pan is almost legendary. pancakes and fried eggs have been made with no oil or butter whatsoever. The Bakelite handle has an elegant and ergonomic shape and has been given a very convincing wooden appearance, which will make it look like a professional item in your kitchen.

Just a final word to the wise: according to the product specifications on Amazon, you can put this in the dishwasher at low temperatures. However, customers who have requested the care instructions (which weren’t sent with the product) received a leaflet specifying that it should be rinsed and cleaned out with a soft cloth. That said, it’s a breeze to clean quickly and safely.

Pros

• Good durability
• Very easy to clean
• Excellent non-stick qualities

Cons

• It doesn’t come with care instructions
• No lid

2. Granitestone 14” Nonstick Frying Pan with Ultra Durable Mineral and Diamond Triple Coated Surface

This Granitestone 14” Nonstick Frying Pan is one of the largest you’ll find with granite stone construction, but it’s not as heavy as you would expect at 2.7lb. Even so, the weight of a four-person family’s dinner is going to be a little unfriendly on the wrist, so it’s good that Granitestone have included a helper handle for easy and safe maneuvering.

It’s a family-friendly option overall. Quite apart from the fact that you could probably assemble a good-sized lasagne in this, its diamond-infused granite stone layer makes it super durable. In practice, this means that you can put it in the dishwasher. It also means that if you see a helpful child mashing potato in it or scraping out an egg with a metal spatula, then there’s no real need to panic. It’s also the most heat-resistant with a tolerance level of 500° and is compatible with gas, electric and ceramic cooktops.

Pans which conduct this quickly are not meant to be used with intense contact heat. In other words, it’s wise to spend some time experimenting with how hot the pan gets on a medium heat. Some users have reported a slight bowing at the center of the pan on higher heats, particularly when used with a glass-topped electric stove. This isn’t really an issue for a meal with a great deal of sauce, but this might be an irritant if you’re trying to fry eggs and they roll towards the edges.

Pros

• Durability
• Huge capacity
• Low-maintenance
• Great non-stick quality
• Light (given the amount of food it can contain)

Cons

• Not suitable for induction stoves
• No lid

3. MICHELANGELO 10” Granite Frying Pan with Lid and Non-Toxic, Stone-Derived Coating

The Michelangelo 10-inch stone earth frying pan is constructed from three layers. The pan’s core is made of aluminum alloy, which provides that rapid heating element, coated with a granite layer to form an insulation layer between food and core, and then there’s the durable, non-stick layer which will help your food to flow out of the pan. A nice bonus with the Michelangelo pan is the rolled edge design, which helps you to pour wet ingredients without them splattering the plate or dripping down the side and onto the kitchen counter.

The glass, steam-vented lid is a nice bonus on this product, although it will not go in the oven with the rest of the pan, it’s made of glass and steam-vented. It’s a great performer on the stove, though. Once you’ve seared your food, you can simmer it in a controlled way, avoiding dehydration. The handle is also comparatively long, so once you’ve assembled a pasta bake, you can take it over to the broiler and melt the cheese over the top without having to do an untidy vessel transfer just to put the finishing touches on your dinner.

If you’re after a pan which can take intense oven heat, then this might be your choice—it can take cooking temperatures (minus lid) up to 450°.

The overriding feedback from reviewers is that the heat distribution is beautifully even and that the non-stick layer lives up to the hype. There appear to be very mixed opinions about the durability of the pan, but one of the instructions for a long life is to not use metal implements at any time—silicone or wooden spatulas only.

Like the Carote 12-inch, this pan can be used on induction hobs as well as electric, ceramic or gas. It’s a good option to take camping, or on a self-catering holiday where the pans are invariably anything but non-stick. Why leave it in the cupboard to get dusty if you’re away?

If your kitchen is somewhat smaller than you’d like it to be, a flexible-use pan is worth its weight in gold, so this is a good product to try out.

Pros

• This product comes with a lid
• Excellent non-stick qualities
• Can handle higher temperatures in the oven

Cons

• One of the dearer options of the selection

4. GRANITESTONE Non-stick Lidded 10-inch Frying Pan

This GRANITESTONE Non-stick Lidded 10-inch Frying pan is the smaller cousin of the 14″ monster family skillet with the additional benefit of having a lid, and perhaps a greater chance of fitting inside the average oven. As with other Granitestone products, this is oven-safe up to 500°, but this one is also manufactured to work on glass-topped and induction stoves as well as ceramic or gas.

It’s scratch-proof, truly slippery on the inside, and the stainless-steel handle keeps cool while used on the stove. It’s quite hard to track down the details of when this model was released in comparison to the 14″, but it gives every impression of having evolved as a result of customer feedback. This model is specifically anti-warp, promising even heat distribution.

Neither the product summary nor specification state explicitly whether or not you can put this pan in the dishwasher, but the ease of cleaning this out with a rinse and wipe with a soft cloth still makes it a time-saver compared to pans which won’t go in the oven or beneath an overhead broiler. It takes seconds to clean this, whereas tidy transfer of a meal between containers can be a time-consuming or frustrating experience.

Pros

• Has a lid
• Can be used on all stove tops
• Can withstand high oven temperatures
• Excellent non-stick performance
• Durability

Cons

• You can’t put the lid in the oven

5. Seekavan 8-Inch Nonstick Frying Pan: Aluminum Skillet Stone Cookware

This Seekavan 8-Inch Nonstick Frying Pandinky pan is one of five sizes you can select in the series, the most expensive being a 12.5 inch for $21.99. In terms of wallet damage, Seekavan is at the gentler end of the granite stone pan market.

The base is made of five layers overall. The external layer is stainless steel with heating spots. This makes for rapid heating and good heat retention. The aluminum alloy layers within distribute the heat evenly. The inner cooking layer makes for a polished, super-slick surface for your food.

This is one of the pans that you can’t put in the oven, but it’s fantastic for searing high-stick food (such as chicken strips or meatballs) before you simmer them with their accompanying wet ingredients.

This is a particularly light-weight pan at just 1.2lb, which puts it in the same range as a basic Teflon frying pan. If you have arthritic wrists or carpal tunnel syndrome, this may be a very good stone pan to experiment with, to see if you’re convinced by the non-stick surface feature offered by granite stone pans as a genus of cookware.

This pan shouldn’t be cleaned with anything abrasive (soft side of the sponge only!) and shouldn’t go into the dishwasher. Though, again, it is exceptionally easy to clean.

Pros

• Very inexpensive: worth buying more than a couple (there are five sizes available)
• Nicely durable if you keep up the instructions to season it every couple of months
• Super-light

Cons

• Will not go in the oven
• If you use a gas stove, make sure you use a very small burner to protect the base of the handle from burning

Best Granite Stone Pans – Buyers Guide

Will you be using this in your oven? It’s worthwhile getting a measurement of your oven’s interior across the diagonal and then comparing that to the product specifications, which you’ll find on Amazon if you scroll right down below the tables of comparisons with alternative offers.

Comparison Table

Product	Material	Special Feature
Carote 12-Inch Nonstick	Aluminum	Non-Stick, Gas Stovetop Compatible, Electric Stovetop Compatible, Induction Stovetop Compatible
Granitestone 14” Nonstick Frying Pan	Aluminum	Electric Stovetop Compatible
MICHELANGELO 10” Granite Frying Pan	Stainless Steel, Aluminum	Oven Safe
GRANITESTONE Non-stick Lidded 10-inch	Aluminum	Oven Safe and Dishwasher Safe
Seekavan 8-Inch Nonstick	Aluminum	Induction Cooker, Gas, Electric, Ceramic Platen, and Electric Cooker

What will you mostly be cooking? The pans which will cope with oven heat up to 350 are great for reducing fluid in the pan or even for making brownies, but you won’t be able to cook chips alongside a butterflied chicken breast, for example.

What kind of oven gloves do you have? The Bakelite handles offer a good grip, but a stainless-steel handle might require a more robust grip, either in your hand or in the material of the glove itself. While the handles are designed to stay cool while using the pan over the stove, no chemical technology yet can defend against convection heat from an oven.

What kind of implements will you be using? You might already be well stocked with silicone or wooden spatulas, in which case the options are entirely open to you. However, if you’re going to experiment with a less expensive pan, which does not specifically advertise itself as scratch-proof, then it’s worth having the equipment to keep your new purchase in tip-top shape.

Finally, let’s look at the importance of understanding the labels. Polytetrafluoroethylene (PFTE) is better known as Teflon. Are Teflon pans dangerous? No, not anymore. The change in pan design came in line with a much larger study of the levels of perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) in the human bloodstream. Because PFOA was identified as a carcinogenic chemical, it’s been phased out of production as a polymerization agent since 2013. If you don’t recognize an acronym in the pan product description, then google it with the extra key phrase ‘non-stick’. The Ozeri Earth Pan, for example, is a product which is offered if you look for granite stone pan bestsellers. It’s a strong performer and earns an honourable mention here, but it is essentially a Teflon pan if you dig into the product specification details.

Frequently Asked Questions