Compare Frying Pans
OXO Mira Tri-Ply Stainless Steel 12" Frying Pan scores higher on safety - here's why.
The most important dimensions, side by side.
The ceramic coating is genuinely free of PTFE, PFAS, and Teflon — a real improvement over traditional nonstick. The trade-off is that ceramic coatings wear down with regular use over one to three years. When the nonstick performance fades, you are cooking on a degraded surface rather than the clean metal of a stainless or cast iron pan.
The OXO Mira's cooking surface is bare stainless steel — no coating of any kind touching your food. Stainless steel is FDA-approved for food contact, contains zero PFAS or PTFE, and won't degrade, chip, or off-gas at any temperature. It's the safest cooking surface material available and is fully exempt from every state PFAS cookware ban.
Rated to 550°F, this pan handles stovetop-to-oven transitions for finishing steaks, roasting vegetables, or making frittatas. That temperature ceiling covers everything a home oven can do.
Oven-safe to 600°F — you can sear on the stovetop and finish under the broiler, roast a whole chicken, or bake at any temperature your oven can reach. No limitations, no worries about coating breakdown.
The stainless steel handle is sturdy and well-designed, but it does warm up during longer stovetop sessions. Keep a potholder nearby for extended cooking.
The contoured stainless steel handle is riveted for structural strength and the flush rivets mean no food traps on the cooking surface. The trade-off is that stainless steel conducts heat — for quick stovetop tasks you're fine, but for extended high-heat cooking you'll want a towel or oven mitt.
The heat distribution is solid in the center of the pan but less even around the edges and sidewalls. For eggs, pancakes, and everyday sauteing this is perfectly adequate. For serious searing where you need edge-to-edge even browning, a fully-clad pan will outperform it.
The tri-ply construction sandwiches an aluminum core between two layers of stainless steel — not just at the base, but all the way up the sides. This means heat distributes evenly across the entire cooking surface with no hot spots. Food browns uniformly, sauces reduce evenly, and temperature responds quickly when you adjust the burner.
Works on every cooktop type including induction — the stainless steel base plate makes it compatible regardless of the aluminum body.
Works on every cooktop — gas, electric, ceramic, and induction. The stainless steel exterior is naturally magnetic, so no special base plate is needed.
At 2.7 pounds, this is one of the lightest pans in the category. Easy to lift, flip, and handle with one hand — great for everyday cooking tasks.
At 3.52 pounds, this sits comfortably in the ideal weight range for a 12-inch pan. Lighter than the All-Clad D3 at 3.75 pounds, heavy enough for stable heat but light enough for comfortable one-handed cooking.
Hand wash only — the dishwasher will damage the ceramic coating and accelerate its degradation. The good news is that the nonstick surface makes cleanup quick: a soft sponge and warm water is usually all you need.
Fully dishwasher-safe — unusual for a high-performance stainless pan. No seasoning to maintain, no special hand-wash routine. Just cook and clean.
Everything you need to make the call - who each one is for, and who should skip it.
Go for it if you...
You specifically want PFAS-free nonstick convenience for eggs, pancakes, and delicate proteins that would stick to bare metal
Design and aesthetics matter to your kitchen and you appreciate Caraway's color options and magnetic storage system
You need a very lightweight pan under 3 pounds for easy one-handed cooking
You are comfortable replacing the pan every few years when the ceramic coating wears down
You want the safest cooking surface available — bare stainless steel with zero PFAS, zero coatings, and FDA food-contact compliance.
You need a pan that goes from stovetop to a 600°F oven to the dishwasher without any special care or maintenance.
You cook on induction and want fully-clad tri-ply construction for even heat distribution at a price below All-Clad.
You want a lightweight pan for one-handed cooking that still delivers professional-grade heat performance.
The main thing to know
The ceramic nonstick coating degrades with regular use over one to three years — unlike stainless steel or cast iron which last a lifetime. When the nonstick fades, you are cooking on a worn surface.
The riveted stainless steel handle conducts heat during extended stovetop cooking — you'll need a towel or oven mitt for longer sessions, which is standard for this pan type but worth knowing.
Skip this if you...
You want a pan that will last a decade or longer — stainless steel or cast iron will outperform any coated surface over time
Even heat distribution for serious searing is important to you — fully-clad construction outperforms disk-bottom significantly
You expected a nonstick pan to be dishwasher-safe — this one requires hand washing to protect the coating
You need true nonstick performance for eggs, crepes, or delicate fish without learning oil-and-heat technique — stainless steel requires practice.
You want a handle that stays completely cool during high-heat searing without a towel — a silicone-wrapped handle pan would better suit you.
Neither of these quite what you're looking for?
I've reviewed all Frying Pans options at every price pointEvery Frying Pans in our database is scored using R3's deterministic scoring system - the same inputs always produce the same score. For this comparison, we evaluated Caraway and OXO across 3 independent criteria: Safety (78%), Efficacy (16%), Usability (6%). No sponsored rankings. No paid placements.
Straight answers - no sponsored content, no filler.
I'd start with OXO OXO Mira Tri-Ply Stainless Steel 12" Frying Pan - it scored 9.6/10 overall in our scoring system. Safety is our top-weighted scoring pillar, followed by efficacy, and usability. Check which pillar matters most to your family and compare those specific scores.
R3 uses a deterministic scoring system - the same inputs always produce the same score. We evaluate each Frying Pans across Safety, Efficacy, Usability using independently verified data. No sponsored rankings. No paid placements. Every score is fully reproducible.
Not necessarily. The overall score reflects our weighted rubric, but your priorities may differ. If you care most about safety, compare the safety scores directly. If budget drives your decision, the prices tell a clearer story. The "right" pick is the one that matches what matters most to your family.
Not the right match? Explore these alternatives in the same category.
