A lot of the "Kitchen Yuppies" tend to hate on non-stick pans, but if you take a look at the facts, chefs can't even deny the power of a good, nonstick pan.
Just listen to Gordon Ramsey scream his love for nonstick pans here.
There are two things above all that make nonstick unattractive, and that is the potentially toxic fumes and the low heat storage rating.
While the research is still being conducted, there is a lot of fuss over whether or not nonstick material (such as teflon) can increase your chances of getting some nasty, long-term side effects.
So why would I choose this granite stone pan over other nonstick pan?
The Granite Stone Diamond pan has its advantages and disadvantages as a cooking surface, no doubt. To help expose the benefits and risks, we've analyzed all company claims using customer responses and basic reasoning skills.
Why Granite
Cookware?
When non-stick pans came out they were revolutionary. No more smothering the pan with butter or oil to keep your food intact, the nonstick layer would take care of the bulk of the work.
But as time carried on, and more research was conducted, the chemical fumes became questionable at best. While the studies are still being investigated, we really don't understand how detrimental these chemicals are.
The cooking material known as “granite” is actually stainless steel or aluminum covered in a layer of nonstick porcelain enamel (a glass-like material that is heated to very high temperatures).
Bottom line, these lightweight pans are easy to clean but susceptible to chipping. The enamel is a thin layer of glass which could be harmful if small pieces made their way into food.
ALSO...
Granite Stone Pans MAY include PTFE because, without it, the pans are not entirely nonstick. It's a big maybe because the company only advertises that their pans are PFOA and PFOS free.
So...
If you're sole reason for buying the granite rock pan is for its "healthier" nonstick layer, we'd advise against it. There isn't enough information to validate that this is actually true.
Despite that...
There are some notable advantages to this nonstick pan over others. Take a look at our "company claims" section below for a better summary of everything this pan offers.
If you're interested in finding the healthiest pan possible, we recommend you check out our guide to the healthiest cookware.
Popular Sellers
Granite Stone Pan Claims
Let's examine what this pan claims and whether these claims are valid or not (according to science and customers).
Claims? The Granite Stone Pan is PFOA, PFOS free. These are the most notoriously harmful chemicals you can find in pans and plastic.
Valid? It's impossible to know for sure. You're relying on the integrity of the company to reveal honest information. Also, they don't advertise PTFE free which is the equivalent of teflon. A similar case with the Blue Diamond Pan.
But despite this lack of information, there were a lot of customers who reported that the nonstick layer was effective, but not as effective as their other teflon pans. This MAY be an indicator that the Granite Stone pan is actually teflon free. Again, impossible to know without chemically testing the pan.
Claims? The granite pan's triple layer granite claims to be non-stick.
Valid? A lot of the reviews are mixed (the usual case), but the overall consensus is that the granite is legitimately non-stick, "it's just not as nonstick as teflon". This is to be expected, as natural compounds rarely match up to the materials made in a lab.
A lot of people conducted the "egg test" in high hopes the egg wouldn't stick (without butter or oil). It's been our experience that most nonstick pans require at least a little oil or butter to truly become nonstick. While the pan may have not lived up to the hype (or as advertised) it is an extremely low priced pan that offers a lot of upsides.
Claims? The Granite Stone Pan is made of a triple layered granite which boasts durability, scratch resistance, and metal utensil friendliness.
Valid? The overwhelming majority of customers believed this to be the most true of all the granite pan's qualities. In spite of the "nonstick" complaints, all customers agreed that this pan was extremely tough. Most nonstick pans cannot say the same. But while the surface is tough, the core is made of aluminum which is cheaper and gives out after long periods of being exposed to high heat.
Claims? The aluminum core distributes heat evenly and quickly.
Valid? While the heating surface is enamel, the core is composed of aluminum to encourage good heat conduction. Aluminum does in fact have great thermal conductivity, but isn't very strong and can slowly degrade when being cooked over high heat. While aluminum tends to scratch more easily (due to its relative weakness) it does not come in contact with the food, so the logic does check out.
Claims? The Granite Stone Pan can be placed into the oven up to 500°F.
Valid? The customer consensus is that this pan can be placed in the oven with no adverse effects to the pan. This is, however, only advertised up to 500°F. Anything over this temperature may result in damage.
Again, if the product does in fact have PTFE, this high temperature could be an issue. As a recent study shows that "highest toxicity occurs when PTFE is decomposed under non‐flaming conditions over a temperature range of 400–650°C" (1). This is entirely dependent upon whether this pan has PTFE or not.
Claims? The Pan is dishwasher safe.
Valid? Customers were generally happy with how the nonstick performed after cleaned in the dishwasher. This is impressive considering most dishwasher detergents strip the nonstick coating of traditional nonstick pans.
Is it Worth It?
We think so. But here are the facts to help you make that decision for yourself:
Pros
Cons
Our Conclusion
A nonstick pan is a critical part of the kitchen, don't let anybody fool you into thinking otherwise. But it ultimately comes down to what you need. If you're looking for a tough, non-stick pan (that requires a little bit of oil to be truly nonstick), there's a surprising amount of perks for a very low price tag.
While the "As Seen on TV" hype can come off a little spammy, the product speaks for itself. The only variable we don't agree with is the advertising. Advertising the "no oil/butter needed" is false advertising and the majority of Amazon reviewers will validate this.
If you need a little confirmation on the quality of the granite stone pans, click on one of the Amazon links below. Check out the average customer reviews and decide for yourself whether the granite stone pan is right for you, or not.
Product Break-Down
Different Size Options
8" Granite
Pan
10" Granite
Pan
11" Pan
(Most Popular)
12" Pan
(Most Popular)
Some Other Unique Options
11" Square
Pan
12" Square
Pan
10" Pan
w/ Lid
14" Fry
Pan
Granite Stone Kitchen Sets
5-Piece NonStick
Cookware Set
10-Piece NonStick
Cookware Set
10-Piece Cookware
w/ Utensil Set
Concluding
We know that the most effective way of making a good buy is doing the proper reseach. We've made it our job here at Robust Kitchen to expedite this process by exposing the bulk of the unknown information in one article.
If there is anything we missed, or if you have any questions, please don't hesitate to leave a comment below.
Cheers,
Michael
Founder of Robust Kitchen
References
1) Purser, David A. “Recent Developments in Understanding the Toxicity of PTFE Thermal Decomposition Products.” Fire and Materials, vol. 16, no. 2, 1992, pp. 67–75., doi:10.1002/fam.810160204.
Hello Michael.
Thanks so much for your reviewundefinedinvestigation. You site is one of my 'favourites'.
Could you tell me if these Granite Rock pots contain the pfas chemicals?
(After 20 years, my KitchenAid had to be replaced.
I purchased the Granite Rock set; the cheapest I've ever purchased (budget)
The set is extremely flimsy but I don't cook on high heat (just in case) and wouldn't put them in the oven.)
Thanks again.
Hey Lise,
The granite rock pan claims to be PFOA free but this doesn’t imply it is PTFE (teflon) free. PFOAs were created as a biproduct of teflon manufacturing, until studies confirmed links to cancer, so PFOAs were outlawed in 2015. PTFE (teflon) is still heavily used today as a nonstick material. There are not a whole lot of studies with PTFE and the effects it can have on our biology, so I always tell users to beware. It’s a roll of the dice only some of us are willing to take. I hope this helps 🙂