Pots, Pans, and Lead

196 pans, pots, skillets, slow cookers, air fryers, bakeware and cast iron personally scanned. 162 tested safe. Plus the part most cookware guides get wrong: the PTFE / aluminum moral panic vs. the actual lead risk.

Start here, what actually matters in a cookware pan

Cookware guides online are mostly either a) copies of each other, b) selling a specific brand, or c) fear-mongering about Teflon and aluminum without understanding the chemistry. Here is the version that starts from what the pan is actually made of and what that actually does in your food.

Cooking surfaces that are fine, buy them for life

• Cast iron, raw iron + seasoning. Iron. No issue.
• Carbon steel, iron with ~1% carbon. Same story as cast iron, lighter.
• Stainless steel, iron + chromium + sometimes nickel. Inert at cooking temps.
• Titanium, inert, lightweight, premium price. Used mostly in bonded multi-layer pans.
• PTFE (Teflon)-coated aluminum or steel, yes, it is safe. See below.
• Glass bakeware (Pyrex / Anchor Hocking / borosilicate), glass is silica. Fine.
• Enameled cast iron (Le Creuset / Staub core lines), enamel is glass, cast iron under it. Safe unless the enamel is chipped and the piece is vintage / lead-colored.

The three moral panics that do not hold up

PTFE / Teflon is a special plastic, not "plastic" in the takeout-container sense

PTFE (polytetrafluoroethylene) is a fluoropolymer with extraordinary thermal stability. The C–F bond is one of the strongest single bonds in organic chemistry. PTFE is stable up to about 500°F (260°C). Above 660°F (350°C) it starts to decompose. Ordinary stovetop cooking tops out around 400°F. So under normal use, a Teflon pan is not emitting breakdown products into your food.

The actual problem is the precursors, not the pan

PFOA and PFOS, the "forever chemicals" people are scared of, were processing aids used in the manufacture of PTFE pans. They were phased out globally under the 2006 EPA PFOA Stewardship Program; DuPont committed to eliminate PFOA by 2015, and they did. Any Teflon pan made after 2015 is PFOA-free by design. The replacement chemistries (GenX and similar) are themselves under scrutiny, but they are upstream problems at the factory and in the watersheds around the factory, not on your stove.

The "forever chemical" framing, here is the scale

"They are not even a forever chemical in your body. The half-life of PFOAs in the human body is about five years. The half-life of lead is basically your whole life. 95% of all lead never leaves the body and is stored in the bones. Lead is really the original forever chemical. PFOAs will degrade, you can break them down with heat, but you cannot get rid of lead. You have to bury it."

PFOAs are real, and workers and communities near fluoropolymer plants have been harmed. That is a serious conversation about industrial regulation. But for the person standing in their kitchen looking at a nonstick pan: the thing on your stove is not the lead in your toddler's bloodstream. The orders of magnitude aren't comparable.

Exposed aluminum is not a meaningful risk

Aluminum forms a stable oxide layer on contact with air (that is what you are actually cooking on), and the small amount that migrates into food is rounding-error compared to the ~10 mg most people ingest daily from food and water anyway. The aluminum-Alzheimer's link in older literature has not held up under decades of follow-up research. If you want to be cautious about acid-cooking in aluminum (tomato sauce etches the oxide), fine, but that is a preservation concern, not a health one.

For context: Pure Earth and Washington State use 5ppm as a working standard for ingredient screening, and the trace aluminum that migrates from a kitchen pan sits well inside that bound.

The threshold

Same rule as all my lists: ~100 ppm lead on the accessible surface is the line. Under that, noise. Over that, worth caring about. Of 196 cookware items scanned, 34 (17%) exceeded threshold. Higher hit rate than dishes, bakeware coatings and cheap ceramic nonstick finishes drive that.

By material

Cast iron (11 safe)

Lead in cast iron shows up as discrete globules in the pour, not distributed through the metal. An XRF scan on a specific spot can hit a globule and read 250 ppm; the same pan two inches away can read zero. Seasoning can also fluoresce orange under UV, looking like a lead signal, wipe with isopropanol and retest. Normal cooking on cast iron is not meaningful lead exposure even when XRF hits a hot spot.

Pb ppm	Brand	Item	Type
0	Figmint	Figmint 10.in fry pan	Pan
0	Figmint	Figmint 12.in fry pan	Pan
0	Lodge	Lodge 10.5.in grill pan
0	Lodge	Lodge 15.in pizza pan	Pan
0	Lodge	Lodge 9.13.in casserole	Pan
0	Lodge	Lodge U.S.A enamel cast iron 4.2L	Pan
11	Food network	Food Network Non Stick Double Griddle	Pan
14	Emile Henry France	Emile Henry France Cast Iron Shallow Casserole	Pan
16	Hearth & Hand	Hearth & Hand Cast Iron	Pan
31	Lodge	Lodge 8.in fry pan	Pan
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Carbon & stainless steel (18 safe)

Stainless steel cookware does not contain lead. Alloying elements (Cr, Ni, Mo) can show up in XRF at hundreds or thousands of ppm but they are not lead and not a health issue at the surface of a finished pan. My default recommendation for people who ask "what pan should I buy that I do not have to think about."

Pb ppm	Brand	Item	Type
0	David Burke	David Burke "3.5qt" Restaurateur Fry Pan	Pan
0	Farberware	Farber Ware Stainless Steel Sauce Pan	Pan
0	Philippe Richard	Philippe Richard Stainless Steel Frying Pan	Pan
0	Pots	Estia Gourmet Gold Dipping Sauce Pan
0	Pots	Pots & Pans 6 qt. Stockpot No Lid
0	Tivoli Stainless Steel	Tivoli Stainless Steel Sauce Pan	Pan
10	All-Clad	All-clad 10.in frying pan	Pan
11	All-Clad	All-clad 10.5.in fry pan	Pan
16	Nordicware	Nordic ware baking pan	Pan
16	Nordicware	Nordic ware baking sheet	Pan
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Metal (PTFE nonstick + aluminum + bakeware; 60 items; mixed)

T-fal PTFE pans: every one I scanned reads clean. The PTFE coating is inert; post-2015 pans are PFOA-free by design. The pans that failed in this category were the "stone / granite / woodstone" ceramic-coated budget pans, not the PTFE ones. Dark nonstick bakeware (cake pans, muffin pans, loaf pans) is where the sneaky fails live, five of the top 10 worst offenders are Mainstays or Wilton baking pans.

Pb ppm	Brand	Item	Type
0	Baking	Thyme & tables 13x20.in cookie sheet
0	Blue Diamond	Blue Diamond Ceramic Non Stick Fry Pan	Pan
0	Calphalon	Calphalon Sauts Pan Skillet Glass Lid cover 10.in	Pan
0	David Burke	David burke tri-ply 12.in fry pan	Pan
0	David Burke	David burke tri-ply 8.in fry pan	Pan
0	Eco Term	Eco Term Mox Metal Round Fry Pan with Lid	Pan
0	Green Pan Gold	Green Pan Gold Fry Pan	Pan
0	LH Diamond	LH Diamond Stainless Steel Frying Pan	Pan
0	LH Diamond	LH diamond non stick fry pan	Pan
0	Lenox	Lex home diamond non stick fry pan	Pan
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Ceramic (41 safe)

Ceramic nonstick has been marketed as the "healthy" alternative to Teflon. In my data, ceramic-coated pans have a higher fail rate than PTFE because "ceramic nonstick" at the cheap end is a silicate-bound mineral layer that can contain lead-based pigments. Blue Diamond, Green Pan Gold, Food Network ceramic test clean. Natural Elements Woodstone, Nordic Granit, Master Class Premium Casserole fail.

Pb ppm	Brand	Item	Type
0	California Pantry	California Pantry Gold Tall Mug	Mug
0	Ceramic Cookware	Corning Ware 1 QT. Blue Cornflower Casserole	Dish
0	Ceramic Cookware	Corning Ware Corn Flower Blue Square Saute Pan	Dish
0	Ceramic Cookware	Corningware casserole dish	Dish
0	Ceramic Cookware	Corningware casserole dish (scan3)	Dish
0	Ceramic Cookware	Delmar design by fapor rectangular blue bowl 1	Dish
0	Ceramic Cookware	Delmar design by fapor rectangular blue bowl 2	Dish
0	Ceramic Cookware	Delmar design by fapor rectangular blue bowl 3	Dish
0	Figmint	Figmint white loaf dish
0	Glasbake	Glasbake Casserole dish
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Glass bakeware (10 safe, zero fails)

Anchor Hocking, Pyrex, Marinex, Fresh & Seal borosilicate, all read zero. Clear glass bakeware is the most foolproof category in the entire database. No pigment, no glaze, no coating. The only glass caveat: colored / printed glass bakeware can fail on the decoration (Legacy advocacy documented 326 ppm cadmium on Pyrex red exterior writing). Plain clear glass is fine; painted decor is a separate question.

Pb ppm	Brand	Item	Type
0	Anchor Hocking	Anchor hocking 1.5qt loaf dish
0	Anchor Hocking	Anchor hocking 2qt cake dish
0	Anchor Hocking	Anchor hocking 9.in pie dish
0	Anchor Hocking	Anchor hocking oven basics 4.8qt
0	Fresh & Seal	Fresh & Seal 2Pcs Borosilicate Glass Food Storage
0	Fresh & Seal	Fresh Borosilicate Glass Food Storage
0	Glass Cookware	Pyrex bake it! glass baking dish	Pyrex
0	Kitchen Classics	Kitchen Classics Glass Measuring Cup
0	Marinex	Marinex Round Baking Glass Bowl	Glass Bowl
0	Marinex	Marinex Square Baking Glass	Baking Glass
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By store, cookware that tested clean when I bought it

Walmart , 26 safe items (15 shown)

Pb ppm	Brand	Item	Material
0	Anchor Hocking	Anchor hocking 9.in pie dish	Glass
0	Anchor Hocking	Anchor hocking oven basics 4.8qt	Glass
0	Baking	Thyme & tables 13x20.in cookie sheet	Metal
0	Lodge	Lodge 10.5.in grill pan	Cast Iron
0	Lodge	Lodge 15.in pizza pan	Cast Iron
0	Lodge	Lodge 9.13.in casserole	Cast Iron
0	Thyme & Table	Thyme & table 12.4in loaf pan	Metal
6	Mainstays	Mainstays 12.in fry pan 1	Metal
7	Mainstays	Mainstays 9.5in fry pan	Metal
8	Mainstays	Mainstays 10.in fry pan	Metal
8	Thyme & Table	Thyme & table 12.5in fry pan	Metal
10	Mainstays	Mainstays 10.in fry pan 1	Metal
11	Mainstays	Mainstays 11.in fry pan	Metal
13	Granite Ware	Granite ware covered oval roaster	Metal
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Kohl's , 22 safe items (12 shown)

Pb ppm	Brand	Item	Material
0	David Burke	David Burke "3.5qt" Restaurateur Fry Pan	Stainless Steel
0	Green Pan Gold	Green Pan Gold Fry Pan	Metal
0	Kitchen Classics	Kitchen Classics Glass Measuring Cup	Glass
0	LH Diamond	LH Diamond Stainless Steel Frying Pan	Metal
6	Food network	Food Network Non Stick Ceramic Egg Pan	Ceramic
8	Othello	Othello "8in" Skillet Fry Pan	Ceramic
10	Othello	Othello "8in" Gray Skillet Fry Pan	Ceramic
11	All-Clad	All-clad 10.5.in fry pan	Stainless Steel
11	Food network	Food Network Non Stick Double Griddle	Cast Iron
11	Ninja	Ninja Extended Life Ceramic "8" Fry Pan
14	Othello	Othello "9.5in" Gray Skillet Fry Pan	Ceramic
17	Ninja	Ninja Never Stick Premium "12" Fry Pan
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Target , 16 safe items (10 shown)

Pb ppm	Brand	Item	Material
0	Baking	Figmint square baking pan
0	Ceramic Cookware	Corningware casserole dish	Ceramic
0	Ceramic Cookware	Corningware casserole dish (scan3)	Ceramic
0	Figmint	Figmint 10.in fry pan	Cast Iron
0	Figmint	Figmint 12.in fry pan	Cast Iron
0	Figmint	Figmint white loaf dish	Ceramic
0	Pie Dish	Figmint stoneware pie dish	Ceramic
0	Trudeau	Trudeau crave loaf pan	Ceramic
8	Gotham Steel	Gotham steel diamond 11.in fry pan	Metal
8	Green Pan	Green pan 10.in black fry pan	Metal
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At Home , 10 safe items (8 shown)

Pb ppm	Brand	Item	Material
0	AR+Cook	AR+Cook Black Air Fryer
0	AR+Cook	AR+Cook Red Air Fryer
0	Lodge	Lodge 26 cm Cast Iron Skillet Pan
0	Lodge	Lodge 26.6 cm Cast Iron Pan
9	Ninja	Ninja Digital Black Air Fryer
17	AR+Cook	AR+Cook White Air Fryer
17	Bella	Bella Slow Cooker
32	Green Life	Green Life Turq Slow Cooker	Ceramic
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Marshalls , 4 safe items (4 shown)

Pb ppm	Brand	Item	Material
0	Blue Diamond	Blue Diamond Ceramic Non Stick Fry Pan	Metal
0	Fresh & Seal	Fresh & Seal 2Pcs Borosilicate Glass Food Storage	Glass
0	Fresh & Seal	Fresh Borosilicate Glass Food Storage	Glass
14	CLAD	IKO Clad "12" Fry Pan	Metal
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Williams Sonoma , 1 safe items (1 shown)

Pb ppm	Brand	Item	Material
14	Emile Henry France	Emile Henry France Cast Iron Shallow Casserole	Cast Iron
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Job Lots , 2 safe items (2 shown)

Pb ppm	Brand	Item	Material
0	Marinex	Marinex Round Baking Glass Bowl	Glass
0	Marinex	Marinex Square Baking Glass	Glass
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The 34 cookware items that exceeded threshold

Pb ppm	Brand	Item	Source
292	Natural Elements	Nature elements woodstone 12 frying pan	Thrift
251	Lodge	Lodge 30.4 cm Cast Iron Pan	At Home
244	Imusa	Imusa 14.in fry pan	Target
240	Ceramic Cookware	Corning Ware Northland Rectangular Baking Dish	Thrift
239	Mainstays	Mainstays 12.in fry pan	Walmart
229	Goodful	Goodful 11.in gray fry pan	Target
222	D&W Deane and White	D&W deane and white 8.in frying pan	Thrift
211	Lodge	Lodge 10.25in fry pan	Walmart
208	Rival	Rival Crock Pot Slow Cooker	Thrift
204	Baking	Wilton medium baking pan	Walmart
199	Mainstays	Mainstays 13.75in fry pan	Walmart
197	Thyme & Table	Thyme & Table Stone Ware Ceramic Gray Salad Bowl	Walmart
193	Mainstays	Mainstays 16.in pizza pan	Walmart
178	Baking	Mainstays 6-cup jumbo muffin pan	Walmart
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Brand patterns in the fail list

• Natural Elements Woodstone / Nordic Granit / Pots Master Class, budget "stone / granite" ceramic coatings. Avoid the category unless individually tested.
• D&W Deane and White, 4 pans on the fail list out of 4 total I have tested. Avoid this brand.
• Mainstays / Wilton bakeware, cheap dark-nonstick finish. Use Figmint, Anchor Hocking glass, Nordic Ware, or bright aluminum sheet pans instead.
• Imusa, Goodful, cheap imported fry pans. Pass.
• Lodge cast iron, 2 on the fail list are likely globule artifacts of casting, not leaching. See the cast iron nuance section.

Buying decisions

• One pan for everyone: Lodge cast iron 12-in skillet from Walmart. $20, lasts forever.
• Nonstick that you will not have to think about: T-fal or Made In PTFE pan. Replace when the coating is visibly damaged (cooking reasons, not safety).
• Fancy / for life: All-Clad stainless 3-ply or 5-ply. All-stainless, no coating to fail.
• Enameled cast iron: Le Creuset / Staub core lines are fine; be wary of their decorative ceramic bakeware.
• Glass bakeware: Anchor Hocking clear glass. Never fails.
• Do not buy: "Stone / granite / woodstone" ceramic-coated pans from off-brand makers. D&W Deane and White. Mainstays / Wilton dark-nonstick bakeware.

legacy “lead-poisoning prevention advocates” overlap

legacy “lead-poisoning prevention advocates”'s #LeadFreeKitchen category has 111 posts. Relevant cookware posts:

• Vitamix, lead-free small appliance
• Green+Life Saucepan, lead-free but not recommended (ceramic coating degrades)
• Emile Henry Loaf Pan, leaded (matches my Le Creuset pie dish find: decorative ceramic cookware = mixed bag)
• Stainless Steel Pan (brand unknown), non-detect
• Pyrex Glass Measuring Cup red exterior writing, 326 ppm Cadmium

Gaps this adds: systematic by-store testing (Walmart, Kohl's, Target, At Home) · PTFE / Teflon modern-era honest testing · budget brand fail patterns (D&W, Mainstays, Goodful, Imusa) · the "stone / granite" ceramic nonstick category · air fryers (AR+Cook, Ninja) · no affiliate tags.

All items purchased in-store at the retailer listed (or from thrift, clearly marked), scanned on a Thermo Niton XL5 Plus or Nikon XRF Soils module, logged on everythinglead.org with photos and XRF screenshots. Supply chains change. Brands reformulate. Test the specific item you are about to use if you want to be sure.

See all 196 cookware results, plus 2,165 dishes and 35+ baby bottles.

One unlock covers every Leaducational database I’ve built. New categories added as I scan.

The list isn’t a substitute for testing. Supply chains move.