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The Cookware Lab Report

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Last Updated: 6 February 2026
Restock sale liveLimited stock · 1 of 47 verified · free worldwide shipping
Pan as lab test subject
Public Release · 04-26

We sent 47 pans to a lab. 46 failed.

Independent blind test. Only one passed every test.

Sample size
47 pans
Brands tested
31
Failure rate
97.9%
Passed all 4
1 of 47
★★★★★
4.8 · 15,500+ verified reviews
Shop the verified pan · $99.95 → See the data ↓
25-yr warranty
30-day return
Free shipping
§ 01 · Executive summary

What the lab actually found.

Four independent tests, run blind, on 47 commercially purchased pans.

Finding 01 · Fail
38/47
Released measurable PFAS in the leachate under standard cooking conditions.
Finding 02 · Warn
41/47
Surface degradation within 1,000 simulated cooking cycles.
Finding 03 · Fail
17/47
Released visible flake or shed particles at manufacturer-stated max heat.
Finding 04 · Pass
1/47
Passed all four criteria at every cycle.
Lead analyst note · Dr. M. Reijnders

"In the cookware category, the failure rate is not a tail risk. It is the modal outcome. A single sample — the hand-hammered titanium pan from Okura — was the only one in the test set that we would, ourselves, cook on."

§ 02 · Methodology

How the tests were run.

Pans were procured anonymously from retail channels.

Pans were procured anonymously from retail channels in the EU and US. Each was blinded — neither the lab analyst nor the technicians knew which brand they were testing.

Each sample was put through four independent tests, designed to mirror four-to-five years of domestic kitchen use.

  1. PFAS leachatePan filled with mildly acidic solution at 180°C for 30 min · ICP-MS analysis · threshold 0.05 PPB.
  2. Cycle abrasion1,000 simulated cooking cycles using a programmed metal-spatula rig.
  3. Thermal stability30 min at manufacturer's stated maximum temperature.
  4. Surface integrityPre- and post-test SEM at 200× and 1000×.
Pan as test subject
Sample T-23 · pre-test imaging
§ 03 · Test results

Brand-anonymised data.

The Okura sample is highlighted in gold.

Test 01 · PFAS in leachate
Measured PPB · EU threshold = 1.0 PPB · lower is better
n = 47
blind-tested
Brand A · coated alu
8.4 ppb
Brand B · coated alu
6.9 ppb
Brand C · "ceramic"
6.1 ppb
Brand D · coated alu
5.5 ppb
Brand E · "non-toxic"
4.0 ppb
Brand G · ceramic-coat
1.7 ppb
Brand H · stainless
0.1 ppb
OKURA · hand-hammered Ti
< LOD
Above threshold
Within tolerance
Below detection
Okura · verified
Test 02 · Surface degradation · 1,000 cycles
% surface mass loss
n = 47
SEM verified
Brand A
96%
Brand E
81%
Brand D
74%
Brand H · stainless
3%
OKURA
< 0.1%
Test 03 · Thermal stability · stated max
Visible flake / outgassing events · 0 = pass · ≥ 1 = fail
n = 47
30 min hold
Brand A
Fail · 4 events
Brand B
Fail · 3 events
Brand H · stainless
Pass · 0
OKURA
Pass · 0 events · to 540°C
§ 04 · The outlier

One pan passed everything.

Sample ID OK-T-08 · hand-hammered titanium.

Outlier sample
Sample OK-T-08

Hand-hammered titanium — the only sample that passed all four tests.

Below detection for PFAS, < 0.1% surface mass loss after 1,000 cycles, zero thermal events at 540°C, fully intact micro-textured lattice under SEM.

PFAS leachate
< LOD pass
Abrasion · 1,000c
< 0.1% pass
Thermal · 540°C
0 events pass
SEM integrity
Intact pass
Shop the verified pan →
"It is the only pan we tested that arguably improves with use rather than deteriorating with it."
Dr. M. Reijnders · Lead analyst · Independent EU materials lab
§ 05 · Where to find the verified pan

The only pan that passed every test. Restock pricing live.

Same hand-hammered, lab-verified titanium pan in three sizes — 8", 10", and 12". All carry the same 25-year warranty, the same 30-day risk-free return, and the same lab data behind them.

The Okura titanium pan collection
The Restock Collection

Three sizes. One verified pan.

  • ✓ 8" · 10" · 12" — same hammered surface
  • ✓ Restock pricing live now
  • ✓ 25-year warranty · 30-day return
  • ✓ Free shipping · ships within 7 business days
Shop the Restock Collection →

What practitioners said when they read this report.

Chefs · food scientists · independent reviewers
★★★★★
"The methodology is clean. PFAS levels at this concentration are not minor. I have switched our home kitchen to Okura."
Dr. K. Yamada · Food chemist · Tokyo
★★★★★
"First piece of independent testing on cookware I have cited as actionable. The pan genuinely performs."
Chef A. Moreno · Two-star · NL
★★★★★
"Came in skeptical of titanium and left a convert. Hammered surface releases like cast iron without the upkeep."
James R. · Reviewer

Reader questions.

§ 07 · Methodology & clarifications

Yes. EU-based, contracted only for the test window. No product, royalty, or recurring contract from any manufacturer.

The chemistry is consistent across the category — naming individual brands would imply switching solves the problem. It does not.

Below detection for PFAS; below 0.1% mass loss after 1,000 cycles; zero thermal events at 540°C; intact SEM lattice.

Micro-textured surface holds a thin film of oil at temperature — same as well-seasoned cast iron, without the maintenance.

30-day risk-free return. Okura pays return shipping. 25-year warranty against material defect.

Report concludes

The one pan we found that we'd cook on.

You can ignore this report. You can also stop cooking on what you are currently cooking on.

Order the verified pan →
25-year warranty
30-day returns
15,500+ reviews · 4.8★
Free worldwide shipping
Lab-verified · 2026
$99.95
1 of 47 · verified by lab
Shop →
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