Frök cookware has been making a splash because of its interesting design, which marries a wok and a frying pan. The high-walled pan has a non-stick coating Frök says is PFOA-free, but is this pan a match for GreenPan and other competitors?
Is Frok cookware a good choice for eco-conscious consumers? Let’s have a look at how Frok stacks up to some other well known green cookware brands.
Frök Cookware
Highlights: Attractive cookware made without PFAS (but no third-party testing). Aluminum and non-stick ceramic coating. Durability unknown.
What is Frök?
Frök is the name of both the cookware company and the frying pan / wok it makes. This ‘frök’ has a diameter of 11 inches at the top and a 7.5-inch base, with sloped and curved walls joining the two.
The general idea is that you can use the frök in place of either type of pan, for braising, frying, sauteing, and so forth.
The frök is the company’s signature pan, though it now offers a 10-piece cookware collection that includes a:
- Sauté pan with aluminum lid and stainless steel steamer/strainer
- Dutch oven with aluminum lid
- Saucepan with aluminum lid
- Frying pan with tempered glass lid
- Flat griddle.
You can also add the frök to the collection.
All of the pans have a proprietary non-stick ceramic coating.
Frok vs. Greenpan
| Feature | Frök Cookware | GreenPan |
|---|---|---|
| Non-stick coating | Ceramic, titanium-infused or black “PFOA-free” | Thermolon™ ceramic, PTFE/PFOA-free |
| Unique features | Sloped/curved sides of the frök (wok/fry pan) | 5-ply pans with robust coating and decent durability |
| Materials | Aluminum with stainless steel handles and aluminum or tempered glass lids | 3-ply or 5-ply (aluminum layers sandwiched in stainless steel) |
| Third-party testing | None available | None available since 2020 |
| Oven-safe | Up to 400 F or 500 F, depending on Frök’s confusing site | Up to 600 F (varies by line) |
| Durability | Good non-stick capability in the short-term; long-term unknown | Excellent due to 3-ply or 5-ply design that resists warping. Non-stick loses slickness over time but pan is still okay to use |
| Certifications | None | Some lines NSF® and ASI certified |
| Concerns | New and largely untested; no durability data | Lawsuits and greenwashing track record, but a little better these days |
What’s the frök made from?
The frök pan is made of aluminum, with stainless steel handles. It comes with a tempered glass or aluminum lid, depending on your style choice.
Frök claims the frök is suitable for all stovetops, though aluminum wouldn’t work with induction, so either the materials or compatibility are incorrectly stated.
Frök also claims the frök is oven safe to 400 degrees Fahrenheit in one place on the site and 500 F in another. Personally, I would avoid putting these pans in the oven at all, given that aluminum is prone to warping, which would then risk cracking the coating.
Durability and usability
Unlike GreenPan and some similar cookware brands, Frök hasn’t been around long. That means we have very little to go on other than materials and construction to determine pan durability.
Frök cookware is mainly made of aluminum, with stainless steel handles and a non-stick ceramic coating. Because of this design, I wouldn’t expect the cookware to prove very durable or to resist warping and cracks in the coating.
I’m also a bit suspicious of the use case for the frök. I love my carbon steel wok (the Forest, from Alva), and I love my MadeIn non-stick frying pans (although nothing beats my cast iron pans and pots).
Honestly, I don’t see why you would want a very-high-sided frying pan or a wok where the sides aren’t steeply sloped. It’s the worst of both worlds. Surely food gets steamed and soggy instead of actually frying?
If you use the frök and love it, please leave a comment to explain why.
Transparency and toxicity
Like most non-stick ceramic coated cookware brands, Frök isn’t transparent about its coating. It also provides no third-party test results for PFAS, lead, cadmium, or other heavy metals.
The company does state that:
“Our ceramic non-stick coatings are crafted without lead, cadmium, PTFE, BPA, PFOA, and PFOS, and meet Prop 65 compliance and FDA certification standards. These coatings adhere to USDA, FDA, and other regulatory bodies’ standards. Even if scratched cookware or coating particles are ingested, they are safe.”
Without actual certifications and third-party test results, I remain cautious about this cookware. After all, cookware companies that have claimed to make PFOA-free pans have turned out to contain significant amounts of PTFE or other PFAS.
Frök cookware vs. GreenPan
As we all know, GreenPan has had its share of controversy over the years. So far, Frök cookware has avoided any lawsuits.
The biggest difference to note between the two cookware companies, though, is that GreenPan now offers much more robust pans made with 3-ply or even 5-ply designs. These are much more likely to hold up over the years. And even if the non-stick starts to scratch, your cook surface will be stainless steel, not exposed aluminum.
Yes, I’d still like to see more transparency from GreenPan. But overall, GreenPan beats Frök for me.
GreenPan’s most advanced line, the GP5, offers a 5-ply stainless steel body with Thermolon™ ceramic coating. These pans provide even heat distribution and work on all stovetops, including induction. Between Frök and GreenPan, I’d go for the GP5.
That said, MadeIn’s CeramiClad remains my favorite of all these non-stick options (still going strong after a year), closely followed by Alva’s Maestro non-stick pan.
And, naturally, I’ll always choose well-seasoned cast iron or carbon steel over any ceramic-coated non-stick pan.