Blue Diamond Diamond-Infused Ceramic Frypan Review

• Made without PTFE: This pan’s ceramic cooking surface does not include the compound polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), which was introduced in the 1940s as the nonstick pan surface material Teflon. Growing research suggests that compounds used to make those coatings may pose risks to human health and the environment, and recent tests by CR revealed that claims that cookware is free of those compounds cannot be trusted.
• Oven-safe to 600° F: Few nonstick frying pans in our ratings make that claim; most go to 500° F. Withstanding that high a temperature could be useful for, say, pan-broiling a steak. (CR did not test this temperature claim.)
• Light weight: At 1.7 pounds, the Blue Diamond is among the lighter 10-inch frying pans in our tests. (The range is 1 pound to 2.5 pounds.) 

CR’s experts ran the Blue Diamond Diamond-Infused Ceramic Nonstick Frypan through rigorous lab tests, part of a larger evaluation of the Blue Diamond cookware set. I also experimented to see how it performed at home. Here’s what we found.

The CR testers found that the Blue Diamond frying pan to be top-notch for cooking evenness as well as food release—that is, keeping cooked foods from sticking. The surface was judged to be very durable, and the handle stayed cool while on the stovetop. That handle, though, scored just so-so for sturdiness.

I’ve read online comments from some folks complaining that the pan doesn’t remain nonstick. The manufacturer’s use and care instructions, in fact, warn users to expect “a natural reduction of non-stick properties” over time. I saw this myself after four months of using the pan, when my attempt to fry an egg on its dry surface resulted in a sticky mess. It’s possible I had damaged the pan by using too high a flame when I first got it. (The same instructions also warn that prolonged exposure to high heat will accelerate the deterioration of the nonstick surface.) In any case, the next time I added a nib of butter, and the cooked egg moved ’round the pan like a child on a water slide. That was good enough for me.

Tara Casaregola, the engineer who leads cookware testing at Consumer Reports, brings up a number of cookware no-no’s—among them, heating a pan before adding ingredients. “If you leave it empty and have it on high, that’s a misuse that can affect the coating,” she says.

Sticking to the recommended moderate heat setting means the Blue Diamond pan offers more cooking control than the cast iron pans I’m used to. The flip side: It needs more time to heat up. Onions softened nicely but took forever to caramelize. I got a great sear on a flank steak, but only after a patient wait.

Blue Diamond says the frying pan can be placed in the dishwasher, but I wouldn’t dare. (CR recommends hand-washing among seven steps to maintain a nonstick surface.) And while the maker’s claims and CR’s tests suggest you can use metal utensils on the Blue Diamond, I don’t take that chance. So I was surprised that in spite of the care I’ve given this pan, it has developed a tiny pit in the surface. It doesn’t appear to have affected the pan’s performance, but I have to admit it has taken some of the shine off this pan’s cachet.

Diamonds, it seems, aren’t forever.

It’s ideal for anyone who wants a capable, easy-to-clean pan at a low price (with the caveat that in my experience, a bit of butter or oil aids its nonstick properties). Those with concerns about PTFE can feel secure with the Blue Diamond that they won’t be at risk. And for cooks with limited hand strength, the relatively light weight makes this diamond a gem.

In our lab, we point a thermal imaging camera at the pan’s surface to determine whether it’s heating evenly. For the nonstick food release rating, we cook four eggs consecutively without adding oil; an Excellent score means they all slide off by themselves, and a Poor score means there’s still egg left on the pan after we’ve tried scraping it off. A pan that earns an Excellent rating for nonstick durability maintains its nonstick surface even after we try to wear it down by scraping it about 2,000 times with steel wool. For sturdiness, we judge how well the handle resists bending or breaking under increasing force.