Hestan’s New Skillet Is a Safer Nonstick Alternative

I’ll admit it: I miss nonstick cookware. I swore off traditional low-friction coatings — what we generically call Teflon — 10 years ago, as increasingly strong evidence of their persistent forever chemicals appeared. As a public health expert with a Master’s in Public Health Nutrition, I dutifully switched to cast iron and carbon steel, and I’m better for it. But still, I miss that feeling of sliding a fried egg out of a slick, nonstick skillet.

When Hestan released a new PFOA-free nonstick skillet, I jumped at the chance to test it out. Here’s why: The Titum Nonstick Skillet is diamond- and titanium-reinforced to prevent scratches and chips (which can cause forever chemicals to slough off traditional nonstick). Hestan claims that its Titum nonstick finish is 22 times stronger than typical coatings. Naturally, I put it to the test.

Hestan Titum Nonstick Skillet with Lid

I threw all my most stubborn ingredients at the Titum, starting with cooking an egg in the pan without any butter or grease. This did not result in a delicious egg, but it was a pretty seamless way to judge the pan’s nonstick capabilities. Even after flipping and piercing the yolk, the egg lifted right out of the pan. The Hestan handled pan-fried fish just as well, allowing me to lift out a piece of black cod with its skin not just intact, but shatteringly crisp. The Titum’s stainless steel lid traps steam to gently cook delicate proteins and wilt garlicky kale until tender.

Like much of Hestan’s cookware, the Titum skillet was designed in Napa, California in collaboration with chef Thomas Keller, and handcrafted in Italy. I found the pan’s texture interesting. The skillet doesn’t share the typical ice-rink slickness of generic nonstick, but has a textured finish, almost like pebbled leather. Its diamond-reinforced surface quite literally sparkles.

It’s finished with smart features, like flush rivets that don’t trap food, a dishwasher-safe finish, and a steeply arched handle that stays remarkably cool. Plus, the Titum has a special base that’s made up of two layers of steel to help prevent warping. 

Another notable feature: The Titum is an unusual size. I’ve routinely seen 8-, 10-, and 12-inch skillets, but 11-inch models are rarer. I find 12-inch skillets inconveniently bulky for my small cooktop, but with the Titum’s slightly smaller diameter, I still had plenty of surface area to cook on. In fact, I could fit six chicken thighs on it comfortably.

The Titum is not without its downsides. The skillet is surprisingly shallow, especially when the lid is in place. And the nonstick finish does contain PTFE, the synthetic chemical compound responsible for Teflon’s slipperiness. A key detail here is how PTFE behaves when exposed to heat. We know that it’s pretty inert at most temperatures, with a melting point of 327°C. That’s ridiculously hot. Short of sticking your skillet into a pizza oven, that coating is going to stay pretty stable. I appreciate that Hestan is upfront about using PTFE and also shares that this compound isn’t one we necessarily need to lose sleep over, if the skillet is used as intended. And the Titum is made without PFOAs, a large, notorious family of forever chemicals more likely to be absorbed by our bodies and make us sick.

Is it worth $200? I’d say so. The skillet doesn’t just work, it actively improves my cooking, letting me sear salmon on the stove and finish it in the oven — which isn’t recommended for most generic nonstick pans — or wiggle an unbroken omelet onto my plate. And having a safer version of nonstick available is a joy I’d happily recommend.

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At the time of publishing, the price started at $200.