Product reviewed: GreenPan Levels Hard Anodized Stackable Ceramic Nonstick Set, 11-Piece
As a professional recipe developer, I use pots and pans all day. I’m always on the hunt for the best, most reasonably priced cookware that can hold up to endless hours of cooking and regular trips through the wash every day — and that also won’t take up a ton of cupboard space. The Original GreenPan created this cookware set claiming to accommodate all these needs, so I was excited to check it out.
The GreenPan Levels Hard Anodized Stackable Ceramic Nonstick Set is an 11-piece set of stackable pots and pans. It contains a 10-inch frypan, 12.5-inch covered frypan, 11-inch round grill pan, 1.6-quart covered saucepan, 3.2-quart covered saucepan, 6-quart covered stockpot, stainless-steel foldable flower steamer and three protective sheets. The entire set, when stacked, is only 13.5 inches tall. The pots and pans are made of hard anodized aluminum with a diamond-infused ceramic nonstick coating that is metal-safe (scratch-resistant) and, according to the manufacturer, provides excellent heat transfer and is non-toxic. The entire set is dishwasher-safe, and the pots and pans are oven-safe up to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
I instantly fell in love with the durability of the pots and pans. They are strong, heavy-duty and made of high-quality materials, including the heat-safe handles. 
When I unpacked the box, I was happy to discover the large frypan and saucepans have easy pour lids, which is handy for straining excess liquids. I also was excited to see the three protective sheets — I wasn’t sure if they were to be used as hot pads or as dividers between the frypans during storage but figured I could use them either way.
I used the small frypan to make a breakfast scramble and fried eggs, the large frypan to make a pasta skillet, the grill pan to make salmon, the medium saucepan to hard-boil eggs and the large stockpot to make soup. I generally use cooking spray to make fried eggs, but the instructions said not to use it with this set. Instead, the manufacturer advises using butter or cooking oil. I used butter, and the eggs did not even remotely stick to the pan and tasted delicious. To pair with the eggs, I made a potato scramble with veggies using cooking oil; the potatoes turned out crispy on the outside and tender on the inside with no starchy residue stuck to the pan (this often happens with other cookware). I used oil on the grill pan to make skin-on salmon, which also didn’t stick. I loved that I could get the skin crisp on the stove, then throw it in the oven to finish cooking. I had no issues cooking soup in the stockpot, and I noticed right away that the handles didn’t get hot, so I could easily transfer the pot to another burner or the counter without needing hot pads. Lastly, I prepared hard-boiled eggs in the medium saucepan and was able to use the easy pour straining lid, which was super handy.
I enjoyed being able to use any of my cooking utensils, metal or silicone, to cook with these scratch-resistant pans. GreenPan claims this cookware conducts heat well, and it does. The pots and pans heat up quickly and are a bit more finnicky to control, but only because I’m used to using stainless-steel pots and pans and cast-iron tools. With practice, I am getting used to controlling the heat while cooking with this set.
I handwashed the larger pots and pans and put the smaller frypans and saucepans through the dishwasher with no issues. Because I do so many dishes throughout the day, I need pots and pans that are dishwasher-safe (even though the instructions suggest handwashing rather than dishwashing). They all were easy to clean because there was no food stuck to them.
Perhaps my favorite feature was how I could easily stack the entire set together and fit it in a small section of my cupboard. My other set of pots and pans requires a lid organizer and the pots and pans don’t fit nicely inside of each other. I also liked having the protective sheets to place in between the frypans and to use as a hot pad as needed.
While the perks outweigh the downfalls, there are still downfalls: Although the stockpot is a good size for making a pot of soup, I would miss having an even larger pot to cook spaghetti. I’m not sure the stockpot could accommodate a full box of spaghetti or other long pasta. In addition, I enjoyed cooking eggs in butter, but some people don’t want to cook with added fat and would prefer using cooking spray, which is not recommended with this set. Also, the price tag is pretty hefty ($520), but most high-quality sets of pots and pans come with a big price tag. Lastly, even though the pots and pans are very durable and sturdy, they are made of aluminum, which can’t be used on an induction cooktop or portable induction burner.
Overall, I’d absolutely recommend the GreenPan 11-Piece Levels Hard Anodized Stackable Ceramic Nonstick Set because the pots, pans and lids are highly durable, stackable (the biggest plus!), have heat-resistant handles and easy pour straining lids, are made with a non-toxic ceramic coating (not Teflon) that is scratch-resistant, and they’re dishwasher- and oven-safe.
