Blue Diamond Cookware Review

Blue Diamond is a ceramic non-stick frying pan that was made for TV. 

You’ve probably seen the commercials that tout its performance, durability, and the special coating which is “infused with millions of diamonds.” 

I spent hours analyzing owner feedback and product info to differentiate meaningful features from empty marketing claims for our Blue Diamond pan review.

In this article, I’ll explain how this product performs in most kitchens, and what questions you should be asking before making a purchase.

About Blue Diamond

Blue Diamond is a popular brand of ceramic non-stick cookware that you probably discovered via an infomercial on cable television. They offer several frying and saute pans, and a mishmash of other kitchen appliances, cookware and bakeware.

Their products are probably best known for their signature “diamond infused” Thermolon coating, which is touted to provide exceptional durability and nonstick performance.

The pans are manufactured in China by Anotech International and distributed globally by The Cookware Company. This is the same company that owns GreenPan, Green Chef, GreenLife, and other noted ceramic cookware brands. 

The Cookware Company certainly knows how to sell a pan, and the Blue Diamond line speaks directly to the convenience-oriented home chef across their marketing materials. 

Take a gander at several of the advertising claims,

• The non-stick coating lasts 10x longer than traditional nonstick frying pans.
• The pan is manufactured toxin free for safe cooking. 
• The cooksurface is covered by a layer of diamond-infused ceramic.
• Diamonds conduct heat 4x faster than copper.
• The pan base is “forged” for strength and to prevent warping.
• Super nonstick ability.
• It is oven-safe to 850°F.
• The pan is dishwasher and metal utensil safe.

We’ll examine the validity of these claims below.

Durability

In advertisements, Blue Diamond claims their signature Thermolon non-stick coating lasts 10x longer than traditional nonstick pans. Based on the owner feedback we analyzed, our conclusion was that this claim is greatly overstated.

Most owners reported that, with regular use, their frying pan lasted about a year. We also uncovered several cases where an owner’s pan needed replacement after only a few months.

Low durability is a common feature of non-stick cookware products. Ceramic nonstick pans, like Blue Diamond, typically last under 2 years. Traditional nonstick pans using PTFE (also known as Teflon) may last up to 5 years.

Owners report that the durability of the Blue Diamond pan is about average when compared to other ceramic nonstick alternatives. It certainly isn’t 10x more durable. For the price though, most owners simply accept the durability limitations.

Materials

Blue Diamond uses Thermolon ceramic to create a nonstick coating on the pan’s cook surface. It is free of PTFE, PFOA, lead, nickel and cadmium. 

The brand claims that the pan is manufactured toxin-free for safe cooking.

Ceramic coatings are widely seen as a healthy alternative to traditional PTFE nonstick, which has come under controversy in recent years.

We reached out to The Cookware Company and the Korean manufacturer of Thermolon coatings to confirm that Blue Diamond’s coating is totally free from fluoropolymers and other fluorinated materials such as PFAS.

They confirmed this point and emphasized that the coating contains no heavy metals or endocrine disrupting chemicals. The coating is compliant with US FDA guidelines and the Madrid Statement, in which scientists and experts outlined chemicals with negative environmental implications.

Non-Stick Surface

The brand claims their pan is coated with a thin layer of ceramic which has been infused with millions of diamonds, making it incredibly durable and an excellent conductor of heat.

The manufacturer of Thermolon ceramic confirmed with our team that diamonds are used in their coatings, though they wouldn’t disclose in what quantity or the specific supplier they use.

As we suspected, and Thermolon confirmed, these are not gem-grade stones being used in Blue Diamond cookware products. Rather, the material used is a type of lab-grown industrial grade diamond dust. 

You can actually buy this sort of diamond dust on Amazon for about $2 per gram, and an industrial group like Thermolon is assuredly getting much better pricing than you or I might find on a small bag retail item. 

All of that to say, diamond infusion is a fun marketing angle, but with this pan you should not expect to be cooking atop the Hope diamond. 

Heat Distribution

Owners say the Blue Diamond pan heats quickly and evenly on most cook surfaces. 

Like virtually all popular nonstick cookware available today, the Blue Diamond pan is built atop an aluminum base. Aluminum is an excellent conductor, so you can expect fast heating and even cooking atop a hot plate, gas, electric or halogen stove.

The brand claims that diamonds conduct heat 4x faster than copper, a material which is seen by many as the highest standard in heat conduction for cookware. Is the claim true?

While the claim is technically correct, it is also very misleading. 

Yes, diamonds are excellent conductors of heat. No, this doesn’t mean your pan will heat 4x faster than the best copper cookware. 

Diamond dust is infused into the ceramic cooksurface coating and may assist in conducting heat across that thin layer. This may be a marginal benefit, but this isn’t the main factor driving how quickly the pan heats up. 

Most of the pan material and weight comes from the solid aluminum base. Aluminum is slightly less responsive to changes in temperature when compared to copper, but it heats just as evenly.

Induction

Blue Diamond cookware does not work on an induction stove. The solid aluminum base provides excellent heat distribution, but lacks the magnetic qualities needed to activate the proper function of an induction stove.

If you plan on using an induction cooktop, then your pots and pans should be manufactured with a ferromagnetic metal such as cast iron or stainless steel in order to work effectively.

Induction compatible non-stick cookware is less common in North America, where few kitchens use an induction stove. Some brands do offer induction compatible upgrades. In most cases, the manufacturer will simply embed a steel plate into the aluminum base of a non-induction model. The materials addition is commonly reflected by a 30-50% price increase over the base model.

Warping

This is a low to medium heat pan, with an owner-verified track record of warping under high heat. It is also possible to warp the pan through a quick change in temperature, such as placing a hot pan in water.

The brand claims that the pan base is “forged” for strength to prevent warping.

In our view, this claim is totally reasonable so long as you have the expectation that nonstick pans should never be used under high heat conditions or cooled rapidly.

Some people love the sizzling sound of a hot pan entering cold water. Unfortunately, the pan doesn’t like it quite as much.

Dramatic changes in temperature will cause the aluminum pan base to expand or contract rapidly. When different areas of the pan shrink or stretch at different rates, this results in warping.

Rapid cooling may also cause nonstick enamel to pull apart from the aluminum base, as the two materials contract at different rates. This sort of damage is beyond repair.

Food Release

Owners gave mixed reviews on the performance of Blue Diamond’s non-stick coating. We would largely attribute the discrepancies in feedback, to differences in expectation.

The brand claims the pan has a “super nonstick ability.” 

While the advertisements make this pan’s non-stick performance look magical, you shouldn’t expect that level of performance in your kitchen. The pan’s care instructions specify that you should always use a high-heat cooking oil to unlock the best food release.

If you’re hoping for your eggs to slide out of the pan every time, without oil, then you’ll probably be disappointed.

Ceramic coated pans like Blue Diamond have a noticeable nonstick when compared with other popular cooking materials like stainless steel. Those convenient properties will fade with time and repeated use. 

Ceramic tends to provide slightly less food release than traditional nonstick cookware, which uses PTFE. Although PTFE is one of the slickest substances known to man, many kitchens opt for a ceramic alternative like Blue Diamond citing health concerns.

Oven-Safety

The Blue Diamond pan is rated oven safe up to 850°F, though the glass lids are only safe to 425 °F. 

These temperature ratings apply only to oven use, and are not suitable as a guideline for how the pan should be used on a stovetop. Most home-use ovens top out at 500°F, and on top of that most oven-to-stove recipes don’t reach that high anyway. 

The oven-rating on this pan is fine, though we struggle to think of a situation where most kitchens would want to use it at such high temperatures. I guess it’s there if you need it.

Dishwasher Safety

Although the brand’s advertisements claim the pan is dishwasher safe, the care instructions specify that owners should hand-wash the Blue Diamond pan.

Rapid fluctuations in temperature and exposure to harsh detergents in a dishwasher cycle can easily damage the pan’s construction, particularly the nonstick coating. As you might also expect, the constant clattering of dishes in an automatic dishwasher tends to scratch and chip ceramic cooking surfaces.

Let the pan cool before cleaning it, and use a soft towel to clean it quickly. In most cases soap and water is overkill. And don’t stack your pan when storing. Pan-on-pan friction may scratch, chip or dent the ceramic.

Utensils

Although the brand’s advertisements claim the pan is resistant to metal utensils, the manufacturers’ care instructions specify that owners should use wood or nylon utensils.

Nylon utensils are a great option for durability, ease of cleaning, and affordability. They are strong enough to get the job done, and soft enough not to damage a delicate nonstick cooksurface while in use.

As many owners vocalized, use of metal utensils was a sure-fire way to shorten the lifespan of their Blue Diamond pan. We’ve seen this sort of feedback consistently across all of the non-stick cookware products here. 

Full Set

Although we believe the best piece of any ceramic nonstick cookware collection is the frying pan, Blue Diamond also offers an affordably-priced full set. This may be a good fit if you’re looking to outfit a full kitchen quickly and on the cheap.

My Recommendation

Blue Diamond may be a good fit if you’re prioritizing affordability, convenience, and materials safety. If you purchase this pan solely based on sensational infomercial claims, you may be disappointed.

As with most television promotional products, the advertising claims are oversold. Owners say this product offers above average performance for a ceramic pan, at a very reasonable price. But it isn’t magic.

As we said at the top, Blue Diamond is a good entry-level pan if you’re on a budget and not concerned about durability. When purchased with realistic expectations most owners seem satisfied by the level of value they received.

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