Blue Diamond Pan Reviews: Are They Right For You?
Blue Diamond Pans offer a solid alternative to pans that use potentially harmful non-stick coatings. Instead, Blue Diamond uses a ceramic-based coating, which provides a non-stick cooking experience without the need for any potentially harmful chemicals. The pans are popular, however, and the range has quickly grown, which is why we’ve put together these Blue Diamond Pan Reviews and Buyer’s Guide to help you get the pan you’re looking for.
Top Pick – Blue Diamond Ceramic Non-Stick Skillet
Best Budget Pick – Blue Diamond Red Skillet
Best Value for Money – Blue Diamond 6-piece Cookware Set
Most Durable – Blue Diamond Steel Skillet Set
Best Cookware Set – Blue Diamond 10-piece Cookware Set
Buyer’s guide – What makes Blue Diamond pans special?
Pots and pans may seem simple, but there’s a lot of tech and clever design choices that go into high-quality cookware. In this buyer’s guide, we’ll explain all the little details you need to know to choose the best pan for you.
Blue Diamond’s Non-Stick Technology
Instead of using the Teflon coating common on other non-stick pans, Blue Diamond uses a ceramic-based coating. These coatings contain no toxins, meaning you don’t have to worry when using your pan.
Blue Diamond isn’t the only company that makes pans with a ceramic coating. Other manafacturers produce ceramic-coated pans, which can indeed boast similar non-stick properties. However, what makes Blue Diamond pans special is the diamonds used to enhance their ceramic. The idea of a pan using diamonds may sound outlandish, but it’s actually quite practical. The amount of diamond needed to enhance a pan is very small, and yet it can have a remarkably beneficial effect. What are the best pans for making omelettes?
…Diamonds?
Diamonds are the hardest material known to man. Even tiny diamonds can significantly increase the strength of cookware, just as the small percentages of metal additives in steel make it a great alloy. In practice, this means that Blue Diamond pans are tough – super tough.
This isn’t the only benefit. Diamond ceramics are also great heat conductors. This encourages heat to spread across the pan evenly, ensuring no hot spots form on the pan.
Crucially though,iamonds themselves also have natural non-stick properties. This means that Blue Diamond pans have superior non-stick qualities even compared to other ceramic pans. The non-stick properties also make these pans very easy to clean – a quick rinse and wipe should be all it takes to clean one.
What’s Wrong With Teflon?
You’ve likely heard of Teflon, which used to be particularly widespread as a non-stick coating. Teflon is a brand name for a PTFE, or polytetrafluoroethylene, coating. We’ll just call it PTFE, or Teflon. The problem is, PTFE coatings were often manufactured with the use of another chemical, called PFOA (Perfluorooctanoic acid). PFOA is toxic, and has been linked to a variety of particularly unpleasant illnesses, including testicular cancer and kidney disease.(1) (2) (3) Cooking with Teflon cookware could cause you to ingest an amount of toxic PFOA therefore, although we should point out that new research has suggested that Teflon pans may not have contained enough to put you at serious risk.(4)
Teflon pans, as of 2013, are no longer produced with PFOA. However, Teflon coatings can still break down at high temperatures, which provides an additional health risk. Above 570 degrees F, Teflon begins to break down, releasing fumes into the air.(5) Prolonged exposure to these fumes can cause ‘polytetrafluoroethylene toxicosis’, also known as polymer flu or Teflon flu. Evidence suggests that it would take hours of cooking at a very high heat to cause illness, but regardless, these concerns have understandably made many cooks retire their Teflon-coated pans.
Blue Diamond pans are some of the best non-stick pans without Teflon as they use only a ceramic coating to provide non-stick properties, which has no health risks attached to it. This means you can use these pans without having to worry about ‘poly-tetras’ and ‘PTFEs’.
Heat conductivity
Most Blue Diamond pans use an aluminum core. Aluminum is an excellent heat conductor, just like diamond, and this makes Blue Diamond pans great for heat sources that can change temperature rapidly, such as gas hobs.
While most Blue Diamond pans use an aluminum construction, others use stainless steel, which sacrifices heat conductivity for superior strength and stain resistance, as well as a classic look &induction hob compatibility.
Care & Durability
Blue Diamond recommend that you use their pans on a low to medium heat.(6) Technically, ceramic coating on Blue Diamond pans can withstand heat up to 450 degrees F, but it’s best not to push it to avoid any damage. So if your oil starts smoking or burning, it’s time to back off the heat. Blue Diamond pans may be dishwasher safe but, similar to kitchen knives, to give them the best care we’d still recommend that you hand wash them if possible.
The non-stick properties of Blue Diamond pans ensure that the vast majority of times, your pan will only need a light wipe or scrub. But for when you pan does need a deeper clean, here’s a video of some more advanced cleaning techniques:
The best Blue Diamond pans
Not sure where to start your pan search? We’ve collected some of the best Blue Diamond pans below, and reviewed them to help you choose the cookware that suits you best.
Blue Diamond Ceramic Non-Stick Skillet – Best Overall
- Pan type: Skillet
- Construction: Aluminum with diamond-encrusted ceramic
- Size: 12-inch
- Oven safe: Yes
- Other notes: Not suitable for induction hobs
This Blue Diamond skillet showcases everything that makes Blue Diamond cookware so useful. Simple, durable design principles makes this pan an excellent all-round performer in the kitchen.
The Blue Diamond Ceramic Non-Stick Skillet is made from aluminum, which has excellent heat conductivity.(7) In layman’s terms, this means that the pan will heat up quickly, and won’t develop the annoying hot spots which are common on steel and iron cookware.
Aluminum alone wouldn’t grant these pans their renowned non-stick qualities though. That’s why Blue Diamond has used a ceramic layer, which surrounds the aluminum core. This smooth ceramic coating is too slippery for food to stick to, providing the pan with excellent non-stick properties.
It’s no ordinary ceramic though – the manufacturer has infused it with thousands of diamonds, which increases the pan’s strength, as well as its non-stick capabilities. Though this might sound extravagant, it’s actually quite practical, since only tiny diamonds are required to have this beneficial effect. This dust of diamonds effectively alloys the ceramic, granting increased durability, too.
This pan is a great, durable and easy to use performer. We recommend this to any chef who wants a non-stick pan that will last.
Blue Diamond Red Skillet – Best Budget Pick
- Pan type: Skillet
- Construction: Aluminum with diamond-encrusted ceramic
- Size: 10-inch
- Oven safe: Yes
- Other notes: Not suitable for induction hobs
Want to save yourself some money? This 10-inch pan performs just as well as our 12-inch top pick above. We’ve also chosen to highlight this red pan to show that even with Blue Diamond cookware, you don’t have to limit your self-expression in the kitchen to one color.
A 10-inch pan is by no means small. You can still fit a lot of food on a pan of that diameter – there’s enough room to fry several eggs at breakfast, for example. You may want the larger pan if you’re cooking for a larger family, but if you’re cooking for yourself and a partner, the 10-inch will likely suffice.
Like its larger sibling, this pan uses a ceramic non-stick coating. This means there is no Teflon, no PFOAs, no PFAs and no potentially harmful chemicals. The lack of a traditional non-stick coating is also what makes this pan oven ready. Teflon coatings can begin to degrade and release toxic chemicals at around 570 degrees F. By contrast, this pan is safe for temperatures of up to 850 degrees F, making it ready to handle even the highest setting on most household ovens.
Just like our top pick, this pan is safe, sturdy and really non-stick – it’s just a little bit smaller. This capable skillet is a great pick for the chef on a budget, who still wants quality.
Blue Diamond 6-piece Cookware Set – Best Value for Money
- Pan type: Set – 8-inch and 10-inch skillets, 2-quart covered saucepan and 2 multi-purpose black nylon cooking utensils
- Construction: Aluminum with diamond-encrusted ceramic
- Size: Various
- Oven safe: Yes
- Other notes: Not suitable for induction hobs
Need more than one pan? You can save some money and time by buying them together as a cookware set. This Blue Diamond set gives you the essentials for your stovetop, letting you keep your focus on your cooking.
Included in this set are two sizes of skillet, giving you greater flexibility in the kitchen, as well as a saucepan for liquid-based dishes. The included utensils are made of nylon, which ensures they won’t scratch the ceramic surface of these pans, allowing you to use them without worry.
Both of the skillets are built to the same standard as our Best Overall and Best Budget picks, with a blue ceramic non-stick surface and sturdy, riveted metal handles. We like the forged aluminum base too, which is designed to prevent your pans from warping over time, ensuring they keep a solid, sturdy and safe contact with your hob.
And just like the pans we’ve featured above, all three of these pans and pots forego any non-stick coatings, instead relying on the more-than-capable natural non-stick properties of ceramics. This set is a great way to freshen up the skillets and saucepan in your kitchen with some brand new, state-of-the-art equipment.
Blue Diamond Steel Skillet Set – Most Durable
- Pan type: Set – 9.5 & 11-inch skillets
- Construction: Stainless steel with diamond-encrusted ceramic
- Size: 9.5 & 11-inch
- Oven safe: Yes
- Other notes: Suitable for induction hobs
While the rest of the pans in this roundup use an aluminum construction, the skillets in this set are made from stainless steel. This gives them a classic look, with a clean, silver exterior and a deep blue ceramic interior.
The advantages of stainless steel aren’t only cosmetic – stainless steel is also tougher, giving your pans enhanced durability. And if you have induction hobs, these particular Blue Diamond pans are essential – induction hobs require pans with a magnetic base. Aluminum is a non-ferrous metal (it’s not magnetic), so aluminum pans aren’t induction compatible.(8) Steel, however, is magnetic, and will work with induction hobs just fine.
Stainless steel does have its disadvantages though. It has lower heat conductivity than aluminum, which means it can be prone to generating hot spots. This flaw should be alleviated somewhat by the ceramic coating on this pan, since diamond-encrusted ceramics have excellent thermal properties.
Stainless steel is also, well, stainless. It’s earned its title because of its remarkable ability to resist corrosion and staining, and it’s really easy to clean, too. These features make this pan set a great pick for the chef who wants a low-maintenance pan set.
Blue Diamond 12” Covered Pan – Most Versatile
- Pan type: Covered skillet
- Construction: Aluminum with diamond-encrusted ceramic
- Size: 12-inch
- Oven safe: Yes
- Other notes: Not suitable for induction hobs
This Blue Diamond pans features a lid, allowing you to lock in heat and moisture when you need it. What’s more, glass construction of the lid lets you monitor your cooking as it progresses, so that you can fry your food to perfection every time you cook.
Despite the non-stick properties of this pan, it’s safe to use a lid to lock-in the heat. While some Teflon coatings (especially the earlier versions) can deteriorate under heat, Blue Diamond’s ceramic coating can handle temperatures of up to 850 degrees F. Thanks to the lack of a chemical coating, there are no toxins that can be released when using this pan, either.
“The lid helps you conceal the heat and flavors inside for that flavorful cooked food every single time” –Avacraft(9)
What’s more, thanks to the forged aluminum base, the pan can handle high temperatures without the base of the pan warping over time. The aluminum also helps to spread the heat too – it’s a great heat conductor, and will prevent any hot spots forming on the base.
Using a lid lets you raise the temperature of your food quickly, by retaining an insulating layer of hot air, and keeping moisture around your food to keep it from drying out. This pan is a great pick for the chef who wants effortless flexibility.
Blue Diamond Ceramic 5 Quart Sauté Pan – Best Pan with Lid
- Pan type: Sauté pan
- Construction: Aluminum with diamond-encrusted ceramic
- Size: 5 Quart
- Oven safe: Yes
- Other notes: Not suitable for induction hobs
Sauté pans give you low, straight sides, ideal for frying vegetables under a moderate heat. The art of sautéing is in tossing your food in the pan, using the sides of the pan to roll your food upwards and back into the pan.
The tight-fitting lid lets you retain heat and moisture while you fry your food, and the clear glass gives you the confidence to cook at higher temperatures without overcooking your food, since it is easy to monitor your cooking progress.
After your cooking is done, you can use a dishwasher to clean this pan, since it’s dishwasher safe. Thanks to the ceramic non-stick coating however, you won’t need to – most of the dirt and debris will glide off after a quick rinse and wipe.
As this pan is oven-safe, the lid really helps to keep the moisture in when braising – it’s a great option for this style of cooking, which involves frying or sautéing your food over a high, dry heat on the stovetop, and finishing it off with a low, slow and moist heat in the oven with the lid on.(6)
The qualities of this pan make it really versatile. It’s a great pick for the chef who wants to try various cooking techniques.
Blue Diamond 10-piece Cookware Set – Best Large Cookware Set
- Pan type: Set – 7-inch and 9.5-Inch skillets, 5 quart covered skillet, 2-quart and 3-quart saucepans, 5-quart covered stock pot, 1 stainless steel steamer and 3 multi-purpose black nylon cooking utensils
- Construction: Aluminum with diamond-encrusted ceramic
- Size: Various
- Oven safe: Yes
- Other notes: Not suitable for induction hobs
Why stop at one pan? This set gives you a wide range of cookware, letting you cook without limitation.
Each of the pans in this setpans is built to the same high standards. They feature forged aluminum bases, which prevent the pans from warping after prolonged use. They also use a diamond-enhanced ceramic layer, which makes these not only more non-stick, but also more scratch-resistant than conventional non-stick pans. And thanks to their metal handles, all of these pans are oven-ready, too.
The larger pots in this set give you a lot of cooking flexibility. You don’t only get skillets – you also get a large 5-quart stock pot with a lid, which is great for cooking meals such as pasta, stews, and of course making an appetizing stock.
The included nylon tools are a perfect match for these pots and pans, too. Although the diamond-enhanced ceramic coating on these pans makes them strong enough to handle metal utensils without scratching, it’s still safer to use nylon tools in case of any unlikely damage. We like the inclusion of a stainless steel steamer too, which adds value to this set.
This Blue Diamond cookware set gives you all the essentials for your stovetop, letting you explore the world of cooking with ease. It’s great for the chef who wants a whole set of no-compromise cookware.
Blue Diamond 11-inch Square Griddle – Best for Breakfasts
- Pan type: Griddle
- Construction: Aluminum with diamond-encrusted ceramic
- Size: Various
- Oven safe: Yes
- Other notes: Not suitable for induction hobs
Nothing wakes you up in the morning like the smell of a good home-cooked breakfast. Sometimes all it takes is some new cookware to persuade you to make the effort in the morning. This quality griddle pan is perfect for frying eggs, pancakes, tomatoes or any other breakfast treats you fancy.
Blue Diamond’s ceramic non-stick coating means it won’t leave you with a big mess to clean up afterwards, too – food debris and grease will glide off with a rinse and a wipe.
Of course, this griddle’s not only good for breakfast. Griddles are great for cooking all sorts of meals, but their simple design is well-suited to a quick fried breakfast meal. The durable ceramic coating means you don’t have to worry about being clumsy in the morning, and the large 11-inch size gives you plenty of space for cooking for family members, too.
A griddle is a great addition to any kitchen for quick hot meals. This Blue Diamond square griddle is a great pick for the chef who wants a griddle he can rely on.
The Final Verdict
For our top pick, we have to choose Blue Diamond’s dependable 12-inch skillet. This pan packs all of Blue Diamond’s non-stick technology into a simple, reliable design. It’s a great all-rounder, and a piece of cookware we would recommend that any chef consider.
Top Pick – Blue Diamond Ceramic Non-Stick Skillet
FAQs
Can I clean my Blue Diamond pan in the dishwasher?
You can. Blue Diamond pans are tough enough to handle being cleaned in the dishwasher without the damage which cheaper pans are prone to suffering. However, we still recommend you hand-wash them if possible, as this is much gentler on pans than using a dishwasher.
Should I use metal utensils with a Blue Diamond pan?
The non-stick coating on Blue Diamond pans is tougher than typical coatings, and can handle metal utensils without damage. However, we still recommend you switch to utensils made of a softer material for cooking, such as wooden or nylon tools, to avoid scratching your pans.
Can I use Blue Diamond pans with an induction hob?
The majority of Blue Diamond pans use aluminum in their construction. As aluminum is a non-ferrous metal, and non-magnetic, aluminum pans won’t work with an induction hob. However, Blue Diamond also makes pans with a stainless steel construction – these are the ones you’ll want for an induction hob.
References
(1) Shuster, K., Brock, K., Dysko, R., DiRita, V., & Bergin, I. (2012, February). Polytetrafluoroethylene toxicosis in recently hatched chickens (Gallus domesticus). Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3276392/
(2) S;, S. (n.d.). Cohort mortality study of workers exposed to perfluorooctanoic acid. Retrieved from https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23079607/
(3) A;, S. (n.d.). Perfluoroalkyl chemicals and chronic kidney disease in US adults. Retrieved from https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21873601/
(4) Trudel D;Horowitz L;Wormuth M;Scheringer M;Cousins IT;Hungerbühler K;. (n.d.). Estimating consumer exposure to PFOS and PFOA. Retrieved from https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18419647/
(5) Shuster, K., Brock, K., Dysko, R., DiRita, V., & Bergin, I. (2012, February). Polytetrafluoroethylene toxicosis in recently hatched chickens (Gallus domesticus). Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3276392/
(6) Diamond, B. (n.d.). Blue Diamond™: FAQ. Retrieved from https://www.bluediamondpan.com/FAQ.dtm
(7) (n.d.). Retrieved from http://hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu/hbase/Tables/thrcn.html
(8) Media, S. (2019, March 28). The Difference Between Ferrous and Non-Ferrous Metal. Retrieved from https://www.metalsupermarkets.co.uk/the-difference-between-ferrous-and-non-ferrous-metal/
(9) Why You Should Be Putting a Lid on a Stainless Steel Frying Pan. (2020, May 13). Retrieved from
