Is this ceramic pan the affordable answer to non-toxic cooking?

Salter has launched a collection of ceramic frying pans and saucepans. I wanted to test out their eco-credentials and efficiency to find out whether their frying pan is a game-changer (and I even tested their milk pan for fun, too).

Ceramic non-stick pans have been getting better and better, but with that, the price of the best non-stick pans has skyrocketed. Not for Salter though. These affordable pans claim all the same credentials of the best induction pans that are twice (if not three times) the price. They're crafted from recycled aluminium, free from PFOA and PFAS (the nasty chemicals that release toxins into your food). And the price tag is almost too good to be true.

These look elegant, but I wanted to find out how effective, and easy to use they are in-person. Here's how my tests went.

Specifications

Unboxing

True to their promise, Salter sends their frying pan in completely recyclable packaging. it comes in a secure cardboard box with a light cardboard wrap around the frying pan, so everything can go in the green bin (or whatever colour your bins are).

I can already hear the cynical amongst you, questioning whether the recyclable packaging can do the same job of plastics and polystyrenes and I'm here to say that, yes, it does. This arrived scratch-free and pristine.

On the note of aesthetics, all of Salter's Non-Stick Ceramic collection looks beautiful. The soft-touch handle felt really nice to hold, even when I cranked up the heat. The tonal ceramic coating looked smooth and even and there were lots of other touches, including the rivets, which are subtle and sturdy.

Who would it suit?

There's a lot of chatter out there about non-toxic cookware. I've seen hoards of people making the switch. Whilst there are plenty of simple, inexpensive swaps you can make, overhauling a whole pan set could be expensive, which is where Salter comes in. Their frying pan retails between £17.99 and £22.99, which is a quarter of the price of the iconic Our Place Always Pan and Joseph Joseph's folding ceramic-coated pan. So, if you're health-conscious and shopping on a budget, this is perfect. It's also crafted with recycled aluminium, which is good for the planet, without compromising on heat distribution and heating time.

There are plenty of other neat features that make these pans perfect for any home, whether you're always cooking for one or trying to feed a family of four. Salter generally offers a range of sizes, but I found that even the smallest were effective at frying up a couple of onions or boiling a family-sized amount of potatoes.

It's also worth noting that the non-stick pans are versatile: they can be used on all hobs and the handle stays cool. The aluminium is also much lighter than plenty of other weighty frying pans out there, so if you struggle with wrist strength, this is a great option.

What is it like to use?

I've given the game away a little with this because it's hard not to gush about them. I'll go into the details of what these are like to use, but here's a little overview. Compared to most other frying pans and saucepans, Salter's Ceramic Non-Stick collection is lightweight. The handles are easy to grip and they didn't even get hot when I tested them on a gas hob. And, the final piece of this triptych is the speed at which it heats up. I had my water beads dancing around on the surface of the frying pan and saucepan in well under 60 seconds.

The frying pan

I put the frying pan through a few tests. First, I heat it up and then splash water on the base. Then, I fry onions in the pan and, finally, after a clean, I make pancakes. This gives a good indication of how good the frying pan is: the onions should caramelise without sticking; the pancakes should have even spotting across the base; and the water should bounce around in beads.

The water test was simple. I put my pan on an induction hob and set it to full temperature. After one minute, splashing water onto the base made the water sizzle and dance, which is a quick heat up. It's unsurprising since this is made with aluminium, but good to know.

After turning the heat down and adding a drizzle of oil, I put a chopped onion into the pan. I wanted to see how this would fare with a little less oil, so I did reduce my normal tablespoon. The onion pieces slid effortlessly around the pan, browning, whilst turning clear and tender too. In total, the whole frying process took just a few minutes. Once I'd taken the onions out, the pan almost looked clean.

The last test that I run is making pancakes. I always like to do this, because the brown spotting that you get across the whole crepe shows really clearly how evenly heat has been transferred across the base of the pan.

I added a knob of butter for my first pancake, but this made the non-stick almost too slippy for the pancake, so on my next attempt, I used a single slither. The pancake browned and cooked quickly. Then, when it came to the all-important flip, the lightness and grippy handle made for a very slick movement. The pancake, as you can see, cooked evenly across both sides. It was a great success.

The milk pan

With the frying pan success behind me, I wanted to test out the milk pan to find out whether it was as good as the frying pan. I know you only signed up for a frying pan review, but this is worth knowing about. If you're not fussed, you can skip to the next section.

If you're thinking "what even is a milk pan?", it's like a small saucepan, but with the frying pan handle. It's useful for porridge, warming milk, soup, and small portions of boiled potatoes. I think it's an underrated kitchen essential, especially if it can be non-toxic and non-stick too.

I started out the test by boiling 400ml of water in it. Without a lid, this is naturally slower than a saucepan with a lid. However, within five minutes, it was bubbling away. Again, for an aluminium pan, this is unsurprising, but what was nice was the feel of the handle. It stayed cool and dry, making it easy to lift and pour from the Salter.

Next, I made porridge using a cup of oats and some milk. I stirred it around when it was bubbling and thickening up and watched as it made my perfect porridge. Emboldened by the success of the non-stick, I tried leaving a little porridge to catch on the bottom and, whilst it browned and caught, it didn't stick right on the base of the saucepan.

I tried the same trick when I was warming up a casserole in this and the non-stick, rather ironically, just wouldn't slip up. Time and time again, it delivered technically perfect results.

Cleaning

As you've probably guessed from the impressive, technical non-stick performance of the Salter, it's really easy to clean. Whilst Salter says that this can be put in the dishwasher on one part of the website (the FAQs) another part will tell you that it's not, so I would really recommend hand washing it.

This will reduce the wear and tear on your pan, but it also means that you're much less likely to scratch the non-stick coating and damage the metals. It's really easy anyway, so a worthwhile investment to make in your future.

How does it compare?

I mentioned in my price comparisons above that the Salter frying pan and milk pan are at the cheaper end of ceramic non-stick products. This doesn't translate into them being worse quality (I still really like them), but it's helpful to know what else is out there.

Around the same price point, you'll see Ninja's ZEROSTICK pans, which are really good. They're scratch-resistant, very modern-looking, and really nice to work with. The aesthetic is certainly smarter and the non-stick has a little more texture to the surface, which some people prefer. I would say that Ninja has the edge on durability and strength, especially because you can use metal utensils without needing to worry about scratching. In my tests, both pans performed equally well.

If you're willing to splurge a little more, you can pick up the Joseph Joseph Frying Pan, which has a foldable handle. It feels really sturdy (the handle doesn't lose any strength when it bends inwards) and it performs well too. It's a little bit slower than the Salter, but that's a compromise that you make for having a more space-efficient pan.

Should you buy it?

If you're looking for an affordable, non-toxic pan, this is the one for you. It's incredible value for money; the metal is all recyclable and eco-conscious; it looks good, especially the mushroom-coloured interior; and it heats up quickly and efficiently too.