Kitchen & Cookware
Caraway vs HexClad: this one is not close
If you are shopping to avoid fluoropolymers, only one of these two does that. If you are not, the comparison gets interesting.
Last reviewed October 13, 2026 — Selena H.
The verdict. If you are comparing these two because you want to avoid PTFE, buy Caraway: its coating is a sol-gel ceramic with no fluoropolymer, while HexClad's non-stick layer is PTFE-based. HexClad is PFOA-free, which is true of nearly everything sold today and is not the same claim.
If you are not avoiding PTFE, HexClad is the more durable pan and the better searing surface, because the raised stainless ridges take the abrasion and give you browning. It is a good product in the wrong aisle for this site's readers.
Quick picks
| # | Product | Best for | Material | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Caraway Cookware SetSol-gel ceramic coating, no PTFE, 550F rating, published construction. | Avoiding fluoropolymers | Aluminum body | |
| 2 |  HexClad Hybrid PanStainless ridges over a PTFE layer. More durable, better browning, still a fluoropolymer. | Durability, if PTFE is acceptable | Tri-ply stainless with a laser-etched hexagon pattern over a PTFE-based non-stick layer |
Tap a row to jump to that write-up. Prices are not shown on this site because they change — the button sends you to the live Amazon listing.
The specification, side by side
| Caraway | HexClad | |
|---|---|---|
| Body | Aluminum | Tri-ply stainless with aluminum core |
| Non-stick layer | Sol-gel ceramic — no PTFE | PTFE-based, in the etched valleys |
| Is it a PFAS? | No fluoropolymer in the coating | PTFE is a PFAS |
| PFOA | Stated free | Stated free |
| Oven rating | 550F (manufacturer) | 500F (manufacturer) |
| Searing | Poor — it is a coated pan | Decent — stainless ridges contact the food |
| Durability | 1-3 years of release | Longer; ridges protect the coating |
| Safe with pet birds | Yes | No — overheated PTFE kills birds |
The distinction that decides it
PTFE is a member of the PFAS family. So a pan can be honestly described as PFOA-free while being coated in a PFAS, and that is precisely the HexClad situation. The brand is not lying; the claim is just answering a question almost nobody is asking any more, because PFOA has been out of US non-stick manufacture for well over a decade.
If the reason you are reading this page is to get fluoropolymers out of your kitchen, that single fact resolves the comparison. What PFAS means separates the terms in full.
Where HexClad genuinely wins
Durability and browning. The raised stainless hexagons mean a spatula contacts steel rather than coating, which is a real engineering answer to the main reason non-stick pans die. And because food touches stainless at the ridges, you get browning a fully coated pan cannot produce.
It is the better pan on both counts. It simply does not answer the question this site's readers are asking.
The bird rule, which is absolute
If there is a bird in your home, this comparison has only one answer, and it is not a preference. PTFE-coated surfaces emit degradation products above roughly 280C, and the veterinary literature attributes most PTFE toxicosis cases in pet birds to overheated frying pans, with death often following within minutes.
A hybrid design does not change the chemistry of the layer in the valleys. Why PTFE is dangerous for birds.
A third option worth knowing
The thing HexClad is trying to be — one pan that sears and releases — is better served by two pans. Cast iron or carbon steel for heat and browning, plus one small ceramic-coated pan for eggs, costs less than one HexClad skillet and each half is better at its job.
The picks in full
1. Best for Avoiding fluoropolymers
Caraway Cookware Set
Sol-gel ceramic coating, no PTFE, 550F rating, published construction.
- Made of
- Aluminum body, sol-gel mineral ceramic coating, stainless steel handles and base plate
- Certified to
- Manufacturer claimManufacturer claim; no third-party certification published.
- Oven safe
- Manufacturer states 550F
- Coating type
- Ceramic (sol-gel), no PTFE
- Induction
- Yes, stainless base plate
The only one of these two that answers a PTFE-avoidance question. Published aluminum body, ceramic interior, stainless handles and base plate.
What you give up
One to three years of release, and it does not sear.
Who it's for
Anyone shopping to leave fluoropolymers behind.
Who should skip it
Cooks who want browning from a non-stick pan.
2. Best for Durability, if PTFE is acceptable
HexClad Hybrid Pan
Stainless ridges over a PTFE layer. More durable, better browning, still a fluoropolymer.
- Made of
- Tri-ply stainless with a laser-etched hexagon pattern over a PTFE-based non-stick layer
- Certified to
- Manufacturer claimManufacturer claim; no third-party certification published.
- Coating type
- PTFE-based non-stick between raised stainless ridges
- PFOA
- Manufacturer states PFOA-free
- Oven safe
- Manufacturer states 500F
Included so you can judge for yourself. The hybrid design genuinely protects the coating from abrasion and browns better than any fully coated pan.
What you give up
The non-stick is PTFE, so it fails the question most readers of this page arrived with. Not for homes with birds.
Who it's for
Cooks who want one do-most-things pan and are not avoiding PTFE.
Who should skip it
Fluoropolymer avoidance, and bird owners.
How we chose, and what we did not do
Every product on this page was checked against its published material composition and its third-party certifications, with each claim labeled as certified, manufacturer-stated or independently tested by a named party. We do not run a lab and we do not claim to have used these products — the full method is here.
Questions people actually ask
Is HexClad PTFE-free?
No. Its non-stick layer is PTFE-based, sitting in the valleys between raised stainless ridges. The brand's PFOA-free claim is accurate but refers to a different compound.
Is Caraway better than HexClad?
For avoiding fluoropolymers, yes — decisively. For durability and browning, HexClad is the better pan. Which matters more depends entirely on why you are shopping.
Can I use HexClad if I have a pet bird?
No. Overheated PTFE kills pet birds within minutes, and most documented cases trace to overheated frying pans. The hybrid construction does not change the coating chemistry.
Does HexClad sear as well as stainless?
Not quite. Food contacts the raised stainless ridges intermittently rather than a continuous surface, so browning is better than a coated pan and worse than bare stainless.
Sources
- Caraway Home (manufacturer)
- HexClad (manufacturer)
- US EPA — Our Current Understanding of the Human Health and Environmental Risks of PFAS — Regulator overview of PFAS persistence and health endpoints
- PTFE toxicosis in pet birds (review, NIH PubMed Central)
- Science News — Sticky situation: nonstick surfaces can turn toxic at high heat
Read next
Kitchen & Cookware
HexClad review: good pan, wrong aisle
HexClad's hybrid construction, the PTFE layer under the hexagons, and who it is actually right for.
Kitchen & Cookware
What PFAS actually means in cookware
PFAS, PFOA and PTFE separated with sources, plus what the labels can and cannot promise.
Pets & Fitness
Why non-stick cookware kills birds
The mechanism, temperature and clinical signs of PTFE toxicosis in birds, and the only reliable prevention.
Kitchen & Cookware
PFAS-free cookware, with the terminology sorted out first
Cookware with no fluoropolymer anywhere, plus a plain explanation of why the PFAS-free label is unregulated.
Written by Selena H., owner of Glass & Cotton.