BEST PAN GUIDE · AUSTRALIA 2026
The Best Pans in Australia: How to Choose Cookware That's Healthy, Durable, and Built to Last
A practical guide to choosing the perfect pan — what materials matter, which brands to trust, and why uncoated stainless steel is the healthiest option you can put in your kitchen.
Published · 8 min read
The best pans in the kitchen aren’t flashy. They’re stainless steel, and they’re what every serious kitchen is using right now. - Chef
Walk into any Australian kitchenware store — Myer, David Jones, House, Harris Scarfe — and you'll be hit with a wall of pans. Non-stick, ceramic, cast iron, hard anodised, copper-bottomed, "green" coated, stone-effect. It's overwhelming, and most of the marketing is designed to confuse you.The truth is simple: the pan you cook in every day touches your food at high heat for years. The material matters — for your health, for your cooking, and for your wallet.
The Big Shift: Why You Should Move Towards Stainless Steel
If you take one thing away from this article, let it be this: you definitely want to move towards stainless steel. It's the healthiest, most reliable cookware option available, and it's what professional chefs across Australia have been using for decades.Stainless steel doesn't flake. It doesn't off-gas. It doesn't degrade when you sear a steak hot or deglaze with wine. It lasts a lifetime — often two.But be careful. Not all stainless steel pans are created equal. Many "stainless steel" pans sold in Australia today actually have a non-stick coating applied to the cooking surface — usually a thin layer of PTFE, ceramic, or a proprietary "non-toxic" coating. Once that coating wears (and it always wears), you're back to the same problem: particles in your food and chemicals leaching at high heat.
Look for stainless steel pans that are PFAS free, PFOA free, and have zero coatings. That's the gold standard. A bare, uncoated, fully clad stainless steel pan is the healthiest pan you can buy.
What to Look For in the Perfect Pan
1. Zero coatingsNo non-stick layer, no ceramic, no "stone" finish, no mystery colour on the cooking surface. If the inside of the pan isn't the same raw metal as the outside, it's coated.
2. PFAS free and PFOA freePFAS (forever chemicals) and PFOA have been linked to serious health concerns. Even pans marketed as "PFOA free" can still contain other PFAS chemicals — read the spec sheet, not just the box.
3. Fully clad construction"Tri-ply" or "5-ply" means an aluminium or copper core is sandwiched between layers of stainless steel across the entire pan — not just the base. This gives even heat and no hot spots.
4. Solid, riveted handleA stainless steel handle attached with steel rivets will outlast any glued or plastic handle. Bonus: it's oven safe to high temperatures.
5. Induction compatibleInduction cooktops are everywhere in Australian homes now. A magnetic stainless base future-proofs your purchase.
6. Weight in the handA good pan feels substantial. Cheap stamped stainless warps and develops hot spots. If it feels tinny, walk away.
The Best Pan Brands Available in Australia
Searva - A standout for Australian buyers focused on health-first cookware. Searva's stainless steel pans are uncoated, PFAS free and PFOA free — exactly what you want on a cooking surface. Clean design, honest materials, no mystery layers.
Made In Cookware - Direct-to-consumer 5-ply stainless that's used in Michelin-starred kitchens worldwide. The uncoated stainless line is fully clad, induction compatible, and ships to Australia. Excellent value for professional-grade gear.
Siraatt Kitchen - Built around clean-living cookware principles — uncoated stainless steel that's PFAS and PFOA free with zero non-stick chemistry. A great choice if you want a health-conscious brand that's open about what's (and isn't) on the cooking surface.
All-Clad - The benchmark for tri-ply and 5-ply stainless. The D3 and D5 ranges are uncoated, professional-grade, and last a lifetime. Available through Peter's of Kensington and select Australian retailers.
HexClad - A popular hybrid stainless option in Australia, combining a stainless steel surface with a laser-etched pattern. Note: HexClad pans do use a non-stick coating in the recessed areas, so if your priority is a fully uncoated stainless surface, choose one of the options above. Included here because it's widely available and frequently asked about.
Brands and Styles to Approach with Caution
Be wary of "ceramic non-stick," "stone-coated," "diamond-infused," and "healthy non-stick" pans. The coatings may be PFOA free, but they're often still PFAS-based or break down within 12–24 months of regular use. Cheaper supermarket non-stick pans (Kmart, Big W, Target) are particularly short-lived.
Cast iron and carbon steel are excellent uncoated alternatives — but they require seasoning and aren't quite as low-maintenance as stainless.
Learning to Cook on Uncoated Stainless
The number one complaint about stainless steel is "food sticks." It doesn't have to. The trick is simple:
1. Preheat the dry pan on medium for 2–3 minutes.
2. Do the water-droplet test — a drop should bead and dance across the surface (the Leidenfrost effect).
3. Add your fat (oil, butter, ghee).
4. Add room-temperature food and don't move it — it will release itself when it's ready.
Master this once and you'll never miss non-stick.
The Bottom Line
The healthiest pan you can buy in Australia is a fully clad, uncoated stainless steel pan that is PFAS free, PFOA free, and has zero coatings on the cooking surface. Spend a little more upfront, buy one good pan instead of three cheap ones, and you'll have cookware that outlives your kitchen renovation.Your food — and your body — will thank you.
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