Does HexClad Have a Coating? What Sits Under the Hexagons

Quick answer: Does HexClad have a coating? Yes. A HexClad pan is stainless steel with a laser-etched hexagon pattern, and the low “valleys” between the steel peaks are filled with a nonstick coating. Current pans use HexClad’s TerraBond ceramic coating, which the company says is PTFE-free and PFAS-free. Older pans were different: HexClad’s 2023 FAQ said its coating contained PTFE.

So the honest answer has two parts. There is a coating. Which one depends on when your pan was made.

I’d read this as good news and fine print at the same time, because the steel grid shields the coating far better than the bare surface of an ordinary nonstick skillet does, yet the chemistry of that coating changed partway through the brand’s history and the box on your shelf may predate the change.

	Older HexClad (PTFE era)	Current HexClad (TerraBond)
Coating in the valleys	PTFE-based nonstick	TerraBond ceramic nonstick
What HexClad said	2023 FAQ: “Our nonstick coating contains PTFE”	Current FAQ: “PTFE-free and PFAS-free”
PFAS status	PTFE is a PFAS, per the class action	Company says PFAS-free
Purchase window to watch	February 2022 to March 2024 lawsuit window	Current listings name TerraBond

Does HexClad Have a Coating? How the Surface Works

HexClad’s science page describes a tri-ply pan: magnetic stainless steel outside, an aluminum core for fast, even heating, and a stainless steel cooking surface. On top of that surface sits the signature pattern.

• Peaks: a laser-etched stainless steel hexagon grid. These raised ridges give the pan its searing contact.
• Valleys: the recessed spaces between the ridges. HexClad says these hold its “high-grade proprietary ceramic nonstick called TerraBond,” described as PTFE-free and free from forever chemicals.

What does that mean at the stove? Food rests on steel and coating at once. The steel ridges take most of the scraping, which is why HexClad allows metal utensils, while the coated valleys provide the release.

Does HexClad Have Forever Chemicals?

It depends on the pan’s age.

Current pans. HexClad’s FAQ answers the coating question directly: its cookware uses TerraBond ceramic nonstick, “which is PTFE-free and PFAS-free.” Its 12-inch hybrid pan listing says the same. The formula itself is proprietary, so the claim rests on HexClad’s word.

Older pans. HexClad’s own FAQ from May 2023, preserved in a web archive, asked “Does HexClad contain PTFE?” and answered that its nonstick coating contains PTFE. It added that PTFE appears on the Biomonitoring California priority chemicals list.

That history led to a class action over HexClad’s marketing. Per ClassAction.org’s summary, the case covered purchases from February 1, 2022 through March 31, 2024, and argued that PTFE belongs to the PFAS family. HexClad agreed to a settlement of about 2.5 million dollars and to stop advertising products as “non-toxic,” “PFOA free” or “PFAS free” if they contain PTFE or any PFAS.

Is PTFE in Cookware Dangerous?

This is where I’d stay careful and stick to the regulator. The FDA lists nonstick cookware coatings among the PFAS uses it has authorized for food contact since the 1960s, so for more than 60 years. It says the coating is applied at very high temperatures that drive off virtually all of the smaller, migratable PFAS molecules, and that only negligible amounts in this coating have been shown to migrate into food.

Overheating is the practical risk. Chemours, which makes Teflon, says PTFE coatings start to deteriorate around 500°F and does not recommend nonstick for broiling. It also notes that over the past 40 years there have been only a few reported cases of flu-like “polymer fume fever” from severely overheated nonstick pans, and that cooking oils themselves start smoking near 400°F. So if you own an older PTFE-era HexClad, I’d keep it off high heat and out of the broiler.

My take: if avoiding PFAS matters to you, check which version you own before deciding anything. Don’t assume. Don’t panic either.

How to Tell Which Coating Your HexClad Has

There’s no official serial-number lookup that I found, so I’d work from the paperwork.

1. Check the box, manual or receipt. Current packaging and listings name TerraBond. A 2022 or early-2024 purchase is more likely the PTFE version.
2. Check the seller’s listing. Some resellers still list legacy stock. Look for the words TerraBond, PTFE-free or PFAS-free.
3. Ask HexClad. Its support team can confirm based on your order or product details.

In practice, the purchase date is the best clue. The lawsuit window spanned about 26 months and ended March 31, 2024.

How to Protect the Coating Either Way

Both versions last longer with the same habits:

• Cook on low to medium heat. HexClad says medium on its pans is similar to medium-high on others.
• Hand wash in warm, soapy water. HexClad says a dishwasher can leave cookware looking dull over time.
• Skip baking soda, which HexClad says could harm the coating.
• Don’t plunge a hot pan into cold water. HexClad warns that thermal shock can warp a pan.

If yours has started grabbing food, our guide to why your HexClad pan is sticking walks through the fixes. For temperature limits, see can you put HexClad pans in the oven. More guides live in pots and pans.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does HexClad Have Teflon?

Teflon is a brand of PTFE. HexClad’s 2023 FAQ said its coating contained PTFE. Its current FAQ says its TerraBond ceramic coating is PTFE-free.

Is HexClad PTFE Free Now?

HexClad says current cookware uses TerraBond ceramic nonstick, which it describes as PTFE-free and PFAS-free. Older stock sold through resellers may still be the earlier version, so check the listing.

Can the HexClad Coating Come Off?

Coatings wear over time. HexClad says scratches from sharp utensils are cosmetic and don’t affect performance, and its warranty treats surface imperfections over time as normal wear rather than a defect.

Is HexClad Stainless Steel or Nonstick?

Both. The base and the raised hexagon ridges are stainless steel, and the valleys between them hold a nonstick coating.

Last updated: November 10, 2026. Sources: HexClad: the science, HexClad FAQ, ClassAction.org: HexClad settlement and FDA: authorized uses of PFAS in food contact applications.