HexClad vs Henckels Paradigm: Which Hybrid Pan to Buy

HexClad's listing describes a tri-ply pan with an aluminum core and a laser-etched hexagonal surface of stainless steel and TerraBond ceramic coating. It works on every cooktop including induction, is rated metal-utensil safe and dishwasher-friendly, and the pan is oven safe to 900 degrees Fahrenheit, with the included glass lid rated lower. HexClad gives the pan as about 12 inches across, 2 inches high and about 4 pounds, and asks owners to season it before first use.

Prudent Reviews, testing both brands' 12 inch pans side by side, measured the HexClad at 3 millimeters thick against 2.4 for the original Paradigm, and found it held heat a little longer. Independent testing of HexClad's release is mixed: America's Test Kitchen did not recommend it among nonstick skillets because eggs stuck, while Consumer Reports rated it very good at releasing eggs.

Check the seller before buying. HexClad's lifetime warranty against manufacturer's defects covers only pans sold by HexClad, and this listing is sometimes sold by other merchants. Skip it if the extra thickness and oven rating are not worth about $100 to you.

Henckels describes Paradigm Ceramic as a tri-ply stainless steel body with a raised stainless steel pattern over a ceramic coating it says is made without PFAS, PFOA, PTFE, lead and cadmium. The top layer of steel is left exposed for searing. The listing, sold by Amazon.com, rates it for every cooktop including induction, the dishwasher and metal utensils, and oven safe to 500 degrees Fahrenheit. This version comes with a lid.

Prudent Reviews tested the earlier Paradigm, then called HXagon, which used a PTFE coating. It found the pan heated a little faster than the HexClad, held heat a little less well, and needed oil or butter for eggs, as hybrid pans generally do. It also noted the smooth polished base, which is less likely to scratch a glass cooktop than HexClad's patterned underside. That review predates the ceramic version, and we found no independent test of the ceramic pan yet.

Buy it if you want to try a hybrid pan without paying HexClad prices. Make sure the name says Ceramic if a PTFE-free coating matters to you. Skip it if you finish dishes in a very hot oven or under the broiler for long.

Retailers list this set as an 8 inch and a 10 inch Paradigm Ceramic pan, with the same tri-ply body, raised steel pattern, ceramic coating and 500 degree oven rating as the 12 inch pan. It is sold on Amazon by Amazon.com.

The 8 inch pan is the egg pan most kitchens actually need, and the 10 inch covers two chicken breasts or a frittata for two. Add the 12 inch above and all three Paradigm pans cost about $230, only a little more than one HexClad 12 inch. No lids come with this set.

The listing, sold by HexClad, includes an 8 inch, a 10 inch and a 12 inch pan, each with a glass lid, plus a 10 inch wok. Every piece has the hybrid surface and the tri-ply aluminum core body, works on induction and carries the same 900 degree pan rating and metal-utensil rating. HexClad recommends hand washing even though the pieces can go in the dishwasher, and says seasoning is essential.

Bought this way, the three pans cost less each than the 12 inch alone, and the seller is HexClad. It is still about $165 more than the three Paradigm pans above, bought as the 12 inch plus the two-piece set.

D3 is All-Clad's original bonded tri-ply, stainless inside and out around an aluminum core, oven and broiler safe to 600 degrees Fahrenheit and induction compatible. America's Test Kitchen has named it its winner among stainless skillets.

Food sticks to bare steel until you learn to preheat and use fat, and it is hand wash only. Paired with a cheap ceramic pan for eggs, it does everything either hybrid does and outlasts both. Our All-Clad vs HexClad comparison covers it in detail.

Hybrid pans trade some release for durability. If eggs and fish are most of what you cook, a fully coated pan does that job better. Valencia Pro is hard-anodized aluminum with an induction base and a ceramic coating GreenPan says is free of PFAS, PFOA, lead and cadmium. The listing rates it oven and broiler safe to 600 degrees Fahrenheit, with lids to 425.

America's Test Kitchen named the 12 inch its winner among ceramic nonstick skillets and noted it runs hotter than traditional nonstick. Like any coated pan, it loses release over time.