In case you haven’t noticed, steel pans are all over the food world now and with good reason. Almost bullet proof, nice and shiny, and a joy to cook with. We try out GreenPan Premiere Pro
Once we all wanted non-stick pans, but earlier types were made with PFAS, PTFE, lead and cadmium, which came off and got into our food. Not nice.
Of course those days are gone, the materials have changed, but non-stick coatings can still eventually suffer wear and so have a limited working life. You will always end up throwing them away, one day.
Steel is a lifelong kitchen workhorse. You need never say goodbye.
Most chefs agree non-stick is ideal for more delicate tasks such as eggs or fish and for washing up after easily. However if you’re a bit more of a serious chef, searing, deglazing, doing a lot of high-heat cooking etc, steel is your choice.
Of course, ideally you’ll have both.
And Greenpan makes both. Their Apex Collection uses Thermolon™ PFAS-free, ceramic non-stick coating, applied over a 3-ply stainless steel base and we reviewed the range here
Their new GreenPan Premiere Pro 5-ply Stainless Steel Collection uses professional-grade 2-ply stainless steel around a 3 ply aluminium core and works on all hob types, including induction. We tried one of the frypans and once we got used to the way stainless steel works, we were pretty hooked.
The build quality is impressive, the handle looks like it will never come loose and the pan weighs a fair bit. This last was something of a surprise, I found myself struggling a little with it and my wife found it too heavy for her to use comfortably.
It is to be expected though when a pan is made from three layers of aluminium between stainless steel, creating a thermal sandwich that heats quickly and evenly across the entire cooking surface. It also responds quickly to changes in heat.
This evenness means you don’t have to negotiate hot spots or have food cooking unevenly. Great for simmering, too.
We tried various things, from bacon to bolognese sauce, from chicken fillets to steaks, and there are a couple of hacks you need to employ.
First preheat the pan empty, not to some insane temperature which might warp it but do get it hot. A good test is to drop a splash of water in, if it sizzles and evaporates immediately then it’s too hot. What you’re looking for are beads of water that skate about (it’s called the Leidenfrost effect).
Wipe out that water and you’re good to go. Put some oil or fat in and then add your food, which needs to be dry and at room temperature. Don’t touch it for a while, no matter how tempted you are, it will simply stick. Wait and the natural sear will cause the food to release from the pan in its own time. Don’t crowd the pan or the food may steam rather than fry,
Of course there will always be small stuck bits at the end, but these are your flavour elements of a sauce. Deglaze with wine or stock to get them off. You can be as tough as you like with your tools, as stainless steel is even tougher, unlike coated pans.
Pouring sauce out is made easier by the Premium Protec Rim, its curve stops dripping and it’s tough enough to shrug off any bumps too.
Of course the whole range is dishwasher safe, we’ve never had a dishwasher so I couldn’t test that, but I am sure it is.
The pans boast what is called Evershine™ technology for a lasting mirror finish. To clean ‘professionally’, put some water in and heat on the hob and then scrape about with a spatula to remove stubborn bits. It will come up mirror like in no time.
Stainless steel cookware tells people you’re no ‘Sunday Cook’, you’re a serious pot slinger, and GreenPan Premiere Pro is what you need to really shine.
The collection includes frypans, casseroles, a wok, saucepan with lid and chef’s pan.
Available from greenpan.co.uk.
Frypan 20cm, RRP £84.00
Frypan 24cm, RRP £90.00
Frypan 28cm, RRP £104.00
Frypan 30cm, RRP £114.00
Wok 30cm / 4.74L, RRP £139.00
Saucepan with Lid 16cm / 1.58L, RRP £89.00
Chef’s Pan 20cm / 2.36L, RRP £99.00
Casserole with Lid 16cm / 1.58L, RRP £89.00
Casserole with Lid 18cm / 2.13L, RRP £99.00
Casserole with Lid 20cm / 3.11L, RRP £109.00
Casserole with Lid 24cm / 4.91L, RRP £129.00
Prices as at October 2026