HexClad sells a hybrid cookware system: raised stainless-steel hexagons rising above recessed valleys filled with non-stick coating. The pitch is "you get stainless durability and non-stick convenience in the same pan." The marketing for years claimed the pan was "non-toxic" and "PFAS-free." A $2.5 million class-action settlement in February 2025 said otherwise.
The case: Cliburn v. HexClad Cookware LLC
Filed in 2023 in California Superior Court. The plaintiffs alleged that HexClad's marketing — across the brand's website, packaging, and Gordon Ramsay endorsement campaigns — claimed the cookware was "non-toxic," "PFAS-free," and free of "harmful chemicals," while the non-stick coating filling the recessed hexagons was actually PTFE (polytetrafluoroethylene). PTFE is a perfluoroalkyl substance — i.e., a PFAS — under California's regulatory definitions.
HexClad ultimately admitted in private Facebook messages, surfaced through Mamavation's reporting, that the recessed coating did contain PTFE.
The case settled in February 2025 for $2.5 million. HexClad agreed to modify marketing claims going forward.
The Gordon Ramsay endorsement
HexClad's most visible marketing has been Gordon Ramsay's paid endorsement. America's Test Kitchen and multiple independent reviewers have noted that Ramsay's testimonials are paid spokesperson agreements, not personal preference. ATK's own cookware testing ranked HexClad middling and noted poor non-stick longevity vs. dedicated PTFE pans and dedicated stainless pans separately. The Gordon Ramsay association has driven sales but has not survived independent benchmarking.
The "TerraBond" pivot
Following the settlement, HexClad introduced a new "TerraBond" ceramic line. Manufacturer-paid Light Labs testing reportedly returned non-detect for PFAS. We can't verdict the new line yet — there is no independent third-party verification, and the legacy hybrid line is still being sold alongside it. We'll re-test our verdict when independent confirmation arrives.
Our verdict
HexClad legacy hybrid line: Avoid. The settlement is documented; the marketing has been updated; the product is still on shelves. TerraBond: Caution until independent testing is available.
What this means for the broader category
"PFAS-free" is not a regulated term in cookware marketing. The FTC has not issued specific guidance on it. California's AB 1200 (the cookware labeling law that took effect January 1, 2024) requires manufacturers to disclose intentionally added chemicals — but enforcement has been thin and the law is labeling-only, not a sale ban. Every brand that uses PTFE and calls itself "PFAS-free" or "non-toxic" is making a claim that might or might not survive a class-action discovery process.
Reasonable test for a "non-toxic" cookware claim: did the manufacturer publish independent third-party testing on a 30+ panel of PFAS compounds (not just PFOA), with non-detect results, with the lab named?
- Caraway: yes — SGS and NSL Analytical reports posted publicly.
- Our Place: yes — Consumer Reports independent verification.
- Made In CeramiClad: yes — Light Labs Sept 2025.
- HexClad legacy: no — manufacturer denied while using PTFE.
- HexClad TerraBond: only manufacturer-paid testing.
- Gotham Steel / Granite Stone / Blue Diamond: no independent testing on file.