Looking for a non-toxic, non-sticky frying pan? I just found my favourite

Non-stick coatings are great, but how do you know if yours is non-toxic too? One of the easiest places to look is GreenPan and their Barcelona Pro Frying Pan.

With over 150 patents, GreenPan works hard to make some of the best non-stick pans induction pans on the market. Coated with a ceramic non-stick, not only can it keep food moving without the need for lots of oil, it’s also safe to use with metal utensils.

I’ve used and loved GreenPan’s collection for ages. In fact, it’s actually a homes favourite (Emily, one of our other news writers loves their Stanley Tucci collection) so I wanted to get something formal testing sorted so that you could find out whether this is the non-toxic frying pan for you.

GreenPan Barcelona Pro Frying Pan Specifications

Unboxing the GreenPan Barcelona Pro Frying Pan

Greenpan, as you might expect, keeps the packaging on the Barcelona simple and sustainable. You’ve got a carboard wrap that keeps the base clean and that gives detail on how to care for the pan as well as what you’ve got by way of non-stick and materials. It’s handy to have, so make sure you read through it before recycling.

On the packaging, you’ll see that this is compatible with all hob types, that its oven safe and that its dishwasher safe too. I have mine a quick rinse under the tap before I used it, just in case any dust or dirt settled on the pan in the factory or transit. Then, I could get cooking.

Who would the GreenPan Barcelona Frying Pan suit?

I tested the 28cm diameter GreenPan Barcelona Pro, but it comes in any size from 20-32cm, making it a really versatile option for a range of homes. The spacious base was perfect for the batch cooking tests that I carried out: I could fit five American pancakes in at once and could fry up three onions. At this size, it’s perfect for a family, but equally a single-person who cooks small amounts could still do well from a smaller option.

One of GreenPan's big selling points is the ceramic coating. This non-stick holds up against all the Teflon and chemical alternatives that we’ve been using for years, but it comes without any of the concerns that you may have over scratching and ingesting. It’s also great from a sustainability perspective, so is another easy option for those looking to make their kitchen a little greener.

What is the GreenPan Barcelona Frying Pan like to use?

Even though I tested a big size of the GreenPan Barcelona Pro, it was nice to hold. The biggest size (32cm) comes with a handle on the other side, so you could steady the feel of the whole pan if you wanted. The smaller sizes just have the one riveted handle that doesn’t transfer heat and it’s really nice to hold, even if you’ve got a heavy pan.

I have some standardised tests that I put all my pans through to compare them to each other, looking for speed, consistency, as well as low and slow cooking. If you’re keen to find out the results, look no further.

My speed heating test takes two parts. The first is really simple. I put the induction hob on full blast, sit the pan on, and splash water droplets. When they sizzle and dance, I stop the clock. The GreenPan has an aluminium, magnetic base, so I expected a pretty quick heat up. Fourteen seconds is beyond impressive. I actually couldn’t believe my eyes when I stopped the clock here. It’s a great result.

Carrying on the speed test, I fried some onions in the GreenPan Barcelona Pro. Thanks to the high heat, I had these crisped up and tender, without them feeling soggy or limp in a few minutes. I was actually using these for burgers and the tongs that I wanted to place the onions with were metallic. It’s not often that a non-stick pan will let you use metallic utensils, but one of GreenPan’s many patents is this ceramic coating that they call “ScratchGuard” and it does exactly what it says. My pan looked as good as new when I washed it out after this.

The next test that I run is the opposite. I want to make sure that the frying pan could do a low and slow cook if it needs to, so I make a chocolate sauce. I put the heat setting on my hob to low (about 3/10) and sat squares of chocolate in the pan, moving them around. The combination of good heat transfer and an impressive non-stick left me with some perfectly melted chocolate. You can see it has great gloss and consistency and, even more importantly, it’s not hanging off the edge of the pan. The non-stick is keeping it moving.

The final test that I run on all our pans is pancakes (and that’s not just because I enjoy eating the end result) which shows off how consistent the heat is across the base of the pan. You can actually see from the golden patches on the pancake whether there are hot and cold spots, but it’ll also give good insight into whether the non-stick is any good and what the pan is like to hold too. As you can see, this was brilliant. The non-stick was actually almost too sloppy because the butter that I put in to make the pancakes golden ended up making the pan too slippery. Once I knew to use less oil, I was getting perfect pancakes every time.

Cleaning the GreenPan Barcelona Frying Pan

The Greenspan Barcelona Pro is dishwasher safe, which makes the clean up really easy. I tried very hard to get food to burn to the Barcelona Pro, but the non-stick was actually too good. Everything just slid off, even if I had blackened it completely. This kind of easy clean up meant that I ended up washing this by hand because it’s quick, easy, and puts a lot less wear on the pan and its surface. It’s also quite big to fit into a dishwasher. However, if that’s the only way you’ll ever get round to keeping the pan clean, you’ll make it fits.

How does the GreenPan Barcelona Frying Pan compare?

I’ve tested lots of the best non-stick frying pans and this is still one of my favourites. The model that jumps to the front of my mind as a reasonable competitor is the Joseph Joseph Foldable Frying Pan. On the one hand, the Greenspan Barcelona Pro is stackable with other, smaller versions of the frying pan, it performs really well, and you’ve got the non-stick coating. The Joseph Joseph frying pan has the exact same benefit, but the handle folds really neatly down and inside the container of the pan, making it easier to store, especially if you’re short on space. It is a little more expensive, but you’re paying for convenience.

Should you buy the GreenPan Barcelona Frying Pan?

If you want a non-toxic, non-stick frying pan, the Greenspan Barcelona Pro is perfect. It’s robust, well made and feels like a pan that you can trust. I think this one is tough to beat.

How we test

At woman&home, we have a rigorous process for how we test induction pans and frying pans. We do tests for flash frying which time how long it takes for a splash of water to sizzle as well as for onions to fry. Then, we look at how evenly a pancake cooks to get an idea of how evenly heat is transferred across the base of the pan. Finally, we do a slow cook with chocolate, testing how well it melts. Whilst those are key aspects of the testing process, I also look at the packaging, what the pan is like to hold, and how easy it is to clean. Then, thanks to our testing process, I can make direct comparisons between pans to help younger good idea of whether the pan suits you, whether it’s good value, settling the question of whether you should buy it. After that, you should have a really clear idea of whether this is the pan for you. If not, don’t hesitate to send me a message. I’m always happy to chat about all things frying pans.

You can also find out more about our testing process on our dedicated page for how we test induction pans.