Nonstick and stainless steel skillets are kitchen staples. Each cookware kind has pros and cons. HexClad, a novel hybrid cookware, offers a natural nonstick surface that won’t chip or wear out like ordinary nonstick. It also produces searing surface heat like stainless steel and cast iron.
If these high claims are valid, the HexClad Cookware frying pan may be all you need. I used a 10-inch skillet for a month and cooked side-by-side with stainless steel and nonstick skillets to test HexClad‘s marketing. See whether HexClad wok is a one-pan-fits-all cookware invention.
The HexClad didn’t sear like a stainless steel skillet, but it did offer advantages over other pans I’ve tested. It shouldn’t replace all your cooktop pots but may be a good addition for the appropriate cook.
What is HexClad Cookware?
It is the first line of cookware to combine PFOA-free nonstick with laser-etched stainless steel in the shape of a honeycomb. There is a small rise in the stainless steel lines and a fall in the nonstick in the middle of the hexagonal honeycomb shapes. The steel is meant to keep the nonstick inside safe from metal tools and normal wear and tear while letting the surface heat get very high for grilling steaks.
HexClad, like most cookware, has a metal core, which is light and good at moving heat around. A HexClad 10-inch pan weighs 3 pounds, more than the normal nonstick or three-ply stainless steel skillet, which weighs less than 2 pounds.
They make a lot of different kinds of cookware, but I only tried the frying pan because it’s the most popular item people use. The strong pan has a rounded handle that stays cool and is easy to hold. If you put it in the oven at 500 degrees F, it will not break.
Key Features Of HexClad
If you don’t have time to read this whole HexClad review, these are the most important things. I’ve learned these things from trying HexClad pots and pans for a few years. I took movies and more than a dozen pictures during my testing that are all over the study.
Pros:
Durability: Most non-stick cookware lasts between 2 and 5 years, and if you use metal tools to scratch the covering, it may not last as long. This issue is fixed by HexClad’s mixed design. The surface isn’t smooth and doesn’t stick; it has sharp stainless steel peaks and non-stick valleys. You can feel the roughness if you rub your hand over the square lines and dots. They made it so that spatulas, tongs, and forks couldn’t touch the non-stick layer because of the steel tips. You can use metal tools, and the non-stick covering will last longer.
Versatility:Â HexClad cooks more like non-stick cookware, but it sears the meat and grips food better than most non-stick pans because the surface isn’t completely smooth. It works about the same as stainless steel pans when it comes to cooking crispy bacon, salmon, roast chicken, and chicken cutlets. The temperature stays fixed, it heats up quickly, and the effects are always the same.
The bacon is perfectly crispy, and the chicken and steak cook similarly. It was also good for cooking pancakes, eggs, and veggies. Even though it’s not as smooth as non-stick, eggs didn’t stick as long as I used a lot of butter or oil to grease the surface.
Controlling Heat: For every brand of pan we review, we do a quick test to see how quickly and evenly it heats up. We turn the heat high and add two cups of water to the pan. HexClad did an excellent job. The bubbles were spread out evenly across the cooking surface, which means it heated up evenly, and it was one of the pans that boiled water the fastest. There was water in the pan. We took it off the heat and put it on the counter. The water in the HexClad pan was 120°F after five minutes and 102°F after ten minutes. HexClad keeps heat better than most types, including Calphalon, Hestan, and All-Clad. The results will show you this.
Cons:
Eggs Stick Without Oil: Eggs and other delicate foods will stick if you don’t heat the pan enough or use enough butter or oil. Eggs don’t stick to a regular non-stick pan because it doesn’t need much oil, if any. Not so with HexClad. It would be best if you had fat, at the very least.
Short Handles: The 12-inch HexClad pans have a handle that is only 8 inches long. All-Clad Non-Stick handles, on the other hand, are 9 inches long. Using HexClad will make your writing slightly closer to the heat. The end of the handle stays cool on the stove, but it gets hot about 2 inches past where the handle splits.
Round Handles: The round handles are nice, but I noticed they moved around when I turned the pan to transfer food to a plate. The grip will likely turn if your hands are dirty or wet or if you’re carrying a towel or pot holder.
Polished handles: The steel handles are polished, which makes it hard to hide smudges and fingerprints. To keep the handle looking new, you’ll need to buff it often.
Price: HexClad is much more expensive than most other non-stick choices on the market. The higher price is fair since it’s more practical and will last longer.
Hexclad Review: All You Need to Know Before Buying One!
Hexclad Review: All You Need to Know Before Buying One! How We Rated Hexclad Review: Cookware to Consider
The elements we considered when ranking Hexclad are significant when buying nonstick cookware:
- Heater performance
- Durability
- Nonstick function
- Design
- Easy cleanup
- Price
- Warranty
Hexclad is rated in each category and overall.
We evaluated the Hexclad skillet and recommend buying only the skillet, griddle, or the “wok” if you’re not using it as a wok with high heat but as a deep skillet or chef’s pan.
Although Hexclad is hybrid cookware, its nonstick coating is its main drawback. High heat isn’t allowed (unlike clad stainless). Although it requires oil or butter to prevent food from sticking, it is a nonstick pan.
If you think of Hexclad as a more durable nonstick skillet rather than a clad stainless pan that doesn’t stick, you’ll be happier with its performance.
Heater Performance
Since we usually use a 12-inch skillet, we tried it. We tested the pan for two weeks to see how it functioned, cleaned, and held up.
The 12-inch skillet weighs 4 pounds without the cover. That may sound hefty, but the pan’s excellent heating performance is due to its weight. A pan, especially a clad stainless pan, needs bulk to heat uniformly and hold heat.
Hexclad advised us to season the pan with oil and low heat for a few minutes before use. As mentioned, this prevents stickiness, but we don’t understand the science and aren’t sure if it works.
Hexclad boiled water 15 seconds faster than All-Clad D3 in a side-by-side comparison. Though surprising, we retested and found that the Hexclad pan heats somewhat quicker than the All-Clad D3.
Pouring out the water and drying the pans on the burners tested heat retention. This wasn’t a scientific test, but the Hexclad and All-Clad D3 skillets retained heat similarly. We cooked with oil or butter, as Hexclad instructed: no bare pans.
We made pancakes, cheese omelets, seared burgers and chicken breasts, and sautéed broccoli, carrots, and cauliflower to test the Hexclad skillet. Chicken Breast Seared in Hexclad Pan
We utilized low to medium heat for all jobs because we read online that nonstick characteristics disappear above medium heat (and aren’t terrific at medium heat, in our experience).
Hexclad, which contains PTFE, is oven-safe to 500F (a stovetop burner on high can go much above 500F in a shockingly short period), but extreme heat destroys the nonstick coating.
All-Clad admits that its clad stainless cookware doesn’t need high heat because it heats quickly and evenly. This also applied to Hexclad.
It won’t hurt if you use high heat with clad stainless, but if you use it with a nonstick or Hexclad pan, it will destroy it. Heat damage is cumulative, so high heat will kill your nonstick pan over time. Even medium heat can kill it, depending on how hot your burners get.
Still, the Hexclad skillet cooked fast and evenly at low and medium heat, similar to an All-Clad D3 skillet or a high-end cast aluminum nonstick pan like All-Clad or ScanPan. It was faster and more even than D3. We browned everything evenly and nicely. The pancakes turned out amazingly evenly golden brown.
We like to sear meat better than we can at low heats, so don’t be fooled by Hexclad videos on the Internet. High heat is needed to sear a steak or burger, so cast iron, carbon steel, or very heavy-clad stainless like the Demeyere Proline skillet are best. Look closely in some movies to see the hot heat under the pan.
Hexclad’s heating performance is otherwise good. It cooks as well as All-Clad D3, but if you like a solid sear, choose a different pan or risk damaging your Hexclad and making a sticky mess.
Durability
Pan with Metal Spatula Hexclad
It’s hard to quantify durability. Hexclad cookware is stronger than nonstick. The stainless steel lattice atop the PTFE coating prevents scratches so Hexclad can be used with metal cutlery. Metal utensils with wide blades won’t dig beyond the stainless surface. Therefore they’re fine.
So Hexclad is more durable than conventional nonstick cookware. Compared to clad steel cooking surfaces, it is much less stable. High heat is rarely needed with clad stainless, but it can be used without damage. You can use steel utensils on clad stainless without worrying about scratches, but it may look wrong.
None of these apply to Hexclad. Use metal utensils, but never poke below the lattice. Hexclad demos an electric mixer by running beaters across the pan. Impressive, however, the stainless lattice covers the nonstick coating. Good thing you can use metal utensils. High heat also destroys nonstick pans.
High heat is terrible for PTFE pans like Hexclad. Although the lattice overlay may hide it, the PTFE coating will wear off because that’s what it does.
How safe is a PTFE coating when you can’t determine how worn out it is? Does it release fumes at high heat? Does it release dangerous chemicals? We don’t know, but we’d like to know.
We gave the Hexclad an average durability rating: better than nonstick but not as good as clad steel. For a durable pan like clad steel, deduct a star or two. You can add at least one star if you desire a nonstick pan with more durability and are ready to treat it like one.
Nonstick Properties
Cooking oil or butter prevents food from sticking. Hexclad says, “Our pans require a bit of oil since they are hybrid.” Without oil, sticking is awful. Since we tried to fry an egg without oil in the pan, we think it’s worse than regular clad stainless, which will release food even without oil when it has the proper crust.
However, Hexclad pans were terrible at releasing food without oil or butter, no matter how well-browned. Though the “peaks and valleys” are advertised as a significant improvement in cookware design, they provide a lot of surface area for food to stick to. Additionally, the uneven surface makes cleanup difficult. Hexclad pans are not nonstick because they require oil or butter.
We realize it’s harsh because most nonstick pans only stay that way for a short period when new, and then you need cooking oil to keep food from sticking. However, these Hexclad pans cost more, and we expected something more spectacular, inventive, and nonstick.
Hexclad is not a good nonstick pan for cooking without oil or butter. Due to PTFE, Hexclad stainless pans won’t last decades or withstand much damage. Hexclad is a fantastic option if you want something in-between, more straightforward to clean than clad stainless, don’t mind using cooking oil, and can live with nonstick care and usage constraints (low heat!).
Design
Look and Feel: Hexclad pans are well-designed. Comfortable handles, a grooved lip for drip-free pouring, shallow sides for optimal evaporation (which gives dishes a wonderful brown), and a good quantity of flat cooking surfaces (9 inches in the 12-inch skillet) make them handy.
Lattice nonstick pans are more durable, but they have drawbacks. They’re also great-looking pans: the Hexclad design on both sides makes them stand out in your kitchen, and the external nonstick makes cooking stains easier to wash off and less noticeable against the dark surface. The pans are heavy enough to heat evenly but light enough to handle.
Excellent design overall. Glass lids are our sole complaint; therefore, we take half a point. If you adore them, add half in. Read about the lids below.
Induction: All Hexclad cookware is induction-compatible, increasing versatility.
Lids: The glass lids’ tiny vent holes are another feature some people appreciate but TRK hates. Our vent hole is meant to release pressure and reduce boil-overs, but we don’t like or need it. We prefer a stainless lid without vent holes because glass is heavy, fragile, and found on low-quality cookware. Pan lids are generally used to produce pressure. Due to pressurization, water boils faster with a cover. Therefore food cooks more quickly, even at low heat. This is less efficient with a vented lid. If these pans had stainless or unvented glass lids, we’d give them 4 or 4.5 stars for design.
Hexclad handles: They are well-shaped and comfy. They get 4.5 stars. The 12-inch skillet without a helping handle loses a point. This pan weighs half a pound less than the All-Clad D3 12-inch skillet, and we think an assist handle is essential for this size pan. Full of food, it wasn’t easy to move.
Why not a helping handle on the pan like the 12-inch wok?
The larger 14-inch skillet and wok include two short handles to fix this. The idea is excellent, but we still want an assist handle for the 12-inch skillet.
Heat Settings: We wish the pans could be used at any heat level because low heat prevents a great steak sear. Forget Hexclad (or any nonstick) if you want a pan you can use at any heat setting.
Oven safe to 500F may mislead you into using excessive heat on these pans. Unfortunately, you cannot. A stove top burner can become hotter than 500F; this is the maximum temperature you should cook a PTFE pan to (PTFE degrades even lower than 500F, roughly 390F, so don’t routinely use high oven temps).
Regarding the Hybrid Nonstick Design: Since it contains PTFE but is not a nonstick pan (what “hybrid” denotes in marketing literature), we’ll let you decide if it’s a revolutionary cookware design or just foolish because we couldn’t decide—probably because we enjoyed these pans despite their flaws.
Easy Cleaning
Cleanup is easy with Hexclad pans. This is perhaps the best reason to add PTFE underneath a stainless lattice: to make pans wash up easier than clad stainless. If you don’t mind the heating constraints, it’s genius. Lattice-covered PTFE cleans up better than bare stainless, and the darker, patterned surface covers stains better than stainless steel.
Hexclad pans discolour when cooking, especially on the sides, as shown here:
Discoloured Hexclad Pan: The pan’s stainless steel makes this commonplace, according to Hexclad. To remove it, use steel wool or abrasive scrubby pads. Treat this as a stainless steel pan (not nonstick). Most of the discoloration appears on the stainless steel in the closeup image.
Does steel wool damage nonstick coating?
It’s possible, but why have PTFE if it’s not on the pan? Won’t steel wool or other abrasives damage the pan surface?
Scrubbing removed most of the discoloration, but not all, and it required a lot, perhaps more than you’ll want to do to keep your pans looking new. We thought the pan looked like an old Teflon pan with heat and scratch damage after this thorough scrub:
After Scrubbing Hexclad Pan: The pan appears ancient after steel wool cleaning.
Hexclad’s cleaning ease is mixed. Hexclad isn’t nonstick but easier to clean than clad stainless. The Hexclad pan’s peaks and valleys can trap food, mainly if you use it without oil or butter (which we don’t advocate).
And uses a maker-recommended abrasive scrubby! Truly safe?
For ease of cleaning, we rate clad stainless cookware average-3 stars and nonstick top 5 stars. We gave Hexclad 3.5 stars in this category because of the discolouration and how much labour is required to remove it (not all).
Price
We gave Hexclad a poor pricing rating since they’re costly for Asian-made PTFE pans, even though we liked them. There are more expensive nonstick choices like ScanPan and Swiss Diamond. As we write in our ScanPan article, these pans are worth more than their nonstick lifespan because they’re designed with an environmentally friendly attitude that Chinese cookware lacks. (ScanPan’s usage of PTFE contributes to the “forever chemical” poisoning of our water systems.)
Hexclad cookware is created in Asia (Korea and China), so we’re not sure what you’re paying for besides the stainless lattice. It’s more expensive than most Chinese-made clad stainless cookware brands like Cuisinart and Tramontina.
Hexclad is cheaper than All-Clad cookware (any line) but expensive compared to most other brands.
Though Hexclad’s lifespan is unknown, it won’t last as long as clad stainless steel cookware. Heat degrades PTFE so that the coating will wear out like all others. Because these pans contain PTFE, we recommend comparing prices to other nonstick brands.
Asian-made nonstick cookware is pricey. If you enjoy the design and have no budget worries, Hexclad may be worth it. But if you’re on a budget and want durable cookware, we recommend almost any good-clad stainless steel brand. A decent nonstick pan can be found cheaper. Hexclad is a “hybrid” cookware, meaning it’s not nonstick (making this a bizarre review).
Warranty
Hexclad gives a limited lifetime warranty on its cookware. Still, some customers have complained that they must pay to ship their defective pan to them for replacement and that the warranty only covers manufacturing flaws. Thus, the contract is typical for nonstick cookware: it sounds lovely, but you must prove you didn’t mistreat the pan.
Hexclad’s 30-day, no-questions-asked refund policy lets you return cookware for a full refund within 30 days of purchase. Unfortunately, return shipping costs money. This is why you may prefer to shop from Amazon, especially if you have Amazon Prime. Amazon covers return shipping for cookware. Before buying, check Amazon’s prices, which can be higher or lower than Hexclad.com’s.
What About Hexclad Wok
Hexclad woks are pretty, but they’re unsuitable for traditional Asian stir-frying. This guide to cooking in a wok says to use high heat, but Hexclad cookware shouldn’t be used with high heat. High heat is terrible because it makes things stick together badly and damages the PTFE coating, possibly giving off dangerous fumes.
But if you think of these “works” as chefs or Essential pans, which they are, they can be used for many more things. Think of these pans as big skillets, and you might find that they are one of the most useful pans in your kitchen.
The 14-inch has a lid, but the 12-inch can be bought with or without one. The 14-inch top has a dome and is partly made of stainless steel, while the 12-inch cover doesn’t have a crown and is made of glass only.
Remember that you must get the lid if you buy the pan to use as a chef’s pan. The 14-inch cover costs about $70, and the 12-inch cap costs about $50.
Comparison Chart Of HexClad vs. Anolon X:
| HexClad | Anolon X | |
| Base Construction | 3-ply stainless steel | Hard-anodized aluminum |
| Cooking Surface Material | Hybrid of stainless steel and non-stick | Stainless steel mesh on top of non-stick coating |
| Cooking Surface Design | Hexagons | X’s that form a diamond pattern |
| Handles | Rounded, polished steel | Flat, polished steel |
| Thickness | 3 mm | 2.5 mm |
| Weight (10-Inch Fry Pan) | 2.5 pounds | 2.3 pounds |
| Time to Boil (2 Cups)* | 2 minutes and 30 seconds | 2 minutes and 22 seconds |
| Water Temperature After 10 Minutes* | 102°F | 96°F |
| Oven-Safe Temperature | Up to 500°F | Up to 500°F |
| Induction-Compatible | Yes | Yes |
| Metal Utensil Safe | Yes | Yes |
| Dishwasher Safe | Yes | No |
| Product Offerings | 22 sets and individual pieces | 15 sets and individual pieces |
| Where It’s Made | China | United States, Thailand, Italy, and China |
| Company History | Introduced in the U.S. in 2016 | Anolon launched in 1989, but Anolon X was released in 2021 |
| Price | $$$$ (HexClad.com, Amazon) | $$$ (Anolon.com, Amazon) |
| Top Reasons to Buy | Versatility (from searing to flipping eggs) | Flush rivets, oil stays in the center |
| Top Reasons to NOT Buy | Price: Costs as much as premium stainless steel or copper cookware | Stickier than HexClad, the steel X pattern doesn’t protect the sides |
| More Details | HexClad Review | Anolon Review |
Conclusion
Finally, HexClad cookware is a reliable and unique option for updating kitchen basics. This makes cooking enjoyable with its excellent nonstick performance, even heat distribution, and sturdy construction.
Higher upfront cost than conventional cookware, but better quality and long-term benefits. The HexClad Wok enhances every kitchen, whether you’re a professional chef or a home cook.
FAQs
The material of HexClad cookware?
One of the first hybrid cookware manufacturers, HexClad uses interconnected hexagonal stainless steel/non-stick.
The three-ply construction includes a magnetic steel outside, aluminum core, and innovative hybrid surface with laser-etched high-quality stainless steel peaks and PFOA-free non-stick valleys.
Most non-stick coatings are made of safe polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE). The only PTFE warning is not to heat it above 500°F.
HexClad offers how many sets and pots?
HexClad has one cookware series with multi-piece sets and separate pans. Browse HexClad.com for all current offerings:
13-Piece Lidded Cookware Set
- • 7-Piece Cookware Set with Lids and Wok
- • 6-Piece Pot Set
- • 14-Inch Pan with Lid
- • 12-Inch Pan
- • 10-Inch Pan
- • 8-Inch Pan
- • 12-Inch Lid
- • 8-Inch Lid
- • 14-Inch Wok
- • 12-Inch Wok
- • 12-Inch Griddle Pan
All cookware is a stateless steel-non-stick hybrid. Tempered glass lids have stainless steel handles.
HexClad cookware is made where?
HexClad is designed in LA and made in China.
Are HexClad pans oven-safe?
Up to 500°F, HexClad pans are oven-safe. The tempered glass lids can be baked at 300°F.
Are HexClad pans dishwasher-safe?
HexClad cookware, including lids, is dishwasher safe for quick cleanup. I advocate hand-washing fine cookware like this. Steam, strong detergents, and high temperatures can limit dishwasher life.
