Germany is known across the world for its incredible engineering, producing everything from cars to electronics. So it’s not surprising German cookware has the same stellar reputation. Nowadays, there are only a few cookware brands still made in Germany, but the quality is still evident.
In this article, I’m going to introduce you to the five cookware brands made in Germany in 2024 and highlight my favorite product from each one.
Our Top Picks
- Fissler- Fissler Original-Profi Stainless Steel Cookware Set
⬇ Jump to review - Woll- Woll Diamond Lite Induction Wok
⬇ Jump to review - Zwilling- Zwilling 3-pc Motion Hard Anodized Nonstick Frying Pan Set
⬇ Jump to review - Stoneline- Stoneline Nonstick Cookware Set
⬇ Jump to review - Velosan- Velosan Pebble Ceramic Nonstick Dutch Oven
⬇ Jump to review
What are the Best German Cookware Brands?
The best German cookware brands on the market are Fissler, Woll, Velosan, Zwilling, AMT Gastroguss, and Stoneline. These brands have extensive catalogs on their websites, but they also have products available on Amazon. As manufacturing has become so cheap overseas, these few cookware brands are the only ones that remain truly made in Germany.
If you live outside of the EU, getting your hands on some of these German-made pans can be very difficult. For example, AMT Gastroguss’ fry pan was named the “World’s Best Pan” by the German Chef Association – but it’s very hard to find if you live in the United States.
What Makes a Brand Truly Made in Germany?
In my eyes, for brands to qualify as made in Germany, all the parts need to be manufactured and constructed in Germany. The products from brands on my list are designed and manufactured from start to finish in Germany and are available for sale in the US.
Let’s take a closer look at these top brands.
Fissler
Fissler is a family-run brand started by tinsmith Carl Phillip in the Rhineland region. The company focuses on innovation and constantly developing new sustainable manufacturing techniques. They recently opened a new frying pan manufacturing facility in Neubrucke, reducing their CO2 emissions by 70%. The factory also uses solvent-free lacquers and has water and energy conservation measures in place.
The brand takes pride in remaining locally made and offers recycled aluminum ceramic, nonstick, and “green” sustainable stainless steel cookware.
For me, I think this set could do with a frying pan and a proper saute pan rather than having so many options for stock pots. That would make the set more versatile. Besides that, this set is very useful and will last you a lifetime! You can even use metal utensils on it without damaging the surface.
Quick Overview:
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Woll
This German brand was founded by chef Norbert Woll. His mission was to perfect the frying pan, but the brand has extended its range from these humble beginnings. Now, the brand offers its Diamond Lite and Diamond Lite Pro ranges with its signature PTFE-nonstick coating that is, as the name suggests, diamond-reinforced.
The Saarbrucken region is known for its food and wine, so it’s not surprising that there is also quality cookware coming out of that area. All of Woll’s cookware is made from heavy cast aluminum that has great heat retention.
The cast aluminum makes this wok heat really quickly, which is ideal for stir-frying. The diamond-reinforced nonstick makes it easy to toss around the ingredients without anything sticking and burning.
Customers have reported that the nonstick is very durable, but you should still avoid using metal utensils on it. Since this pan does have a PTFE coating – although reinforced with diamond dust – you’ll have to avoid using it on high heat.
Woll says that this pan is dishwasher safe, but, in my personal experience, this can degrade nonstick coatings quite rapidly, so I recommend hand washing. Luckily, the nonstick makes the clean-up process quick and painless.
Although it’s not available in the US yet, watch out for Woll’s QXR line of ceramic-coated pans, made in Germany with removable handles. These are totally PTFE-free with a coating made of quartzite.
See also our guide on the Best Hard Anodized Cookware.
Quick Overview:
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Zwilling
Zwilling was founded in the early 1700s by Peter Henckels, whose name is included in the corporation’s full name: Zwilling J.A. Henckels. The brand rose to prominence in the 1850s when it received prizes at multiple World Fairs.
Today, Zwilling is a large corporation with a wide range of high-quality cookware made in a variety of locations. It has a number of brands that fall under the Zwilling umbrella, but it also has its own name-branded cookware. The whole range is not made in Germany, but certain stainless steel and aluminum nonstick pans that are.
I think this set would be better as a set of two. The 8” is useful for smaller dishes, and the 12” is ideal for larger portions of frying and searing. For this reason, I think the 10” might get used much less, which is a waste.
Quick Overview:
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Stoneline
Stoneline is a cookware brand that puts sustainability at the forefront. Manuel Schneidhofer founded the company in the early 2000s when sustainability and carbon emissions were just coming to the forefront of public and political discussions. So, the brand has been focused on climate neutrality since the beginning.
It offers nonstick and ceramic aluminum pans with an attractive speckled appearance and Bakelite handles.
These pans are, however, very versatile on the stovetop. (And if you live in a region where they’re available, you can get the Stoneline Imagination line of products with removable handles.)
Stoneline emphasizes healthy cooking by promoting the use of less oil. Their nonstick promises to be effective, even with the tiniest drop of oil. This makes cooking and cleaning stress-free.
The company doesn’t reveal exactly what’s in the Stoneline nonstick coating. It appears to be a typical synthetic polymer (PTFE) nonstick coating that’s covered in a “stone” powder for better durability. Despite the name “Stone,” this brand does not appear to use ceramic (sol-gel) coatings.
Quick Overview:
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Velosan
Velosan started in the 1800s as a luxury cast iron company. But in modern times, it has pivoted to aluminum-core stainless steel cookware with a ceramic nonstick coating.
The founders wanted to embrace colorful cookware that is functional and adds to your kitchen decor at the same time. Their cookware is known for its distinctive, smooth, rounded sides. It was a very small range, but focused on making those carefully chosen pans really well.
This Dutch oven is coated with ILAG ceramic nonstick – the same coating used by brands Carote, Graintech, and Sensarte. It is PTFE-free.
Unfortunately, this pan has one major drawback: it’s not oven-safe. This is frustrating since Dutch ovens are intended for slow cooking in the oven. But it still manages stovetop stews and braises because of its tight-fitting lid. Since this pot is reserved for the stovetop, it also doubles as a great stock pot, which adds some value back in my eyes.
Quick Overview:
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Other German Brands
Some brands design their products in Germany but manufacture them elsewhere, so I did not feature them above.
Conclusion
The selection of German cookware brands may be limited, but I think they provide a decent range of products from different materials for you to choose from. The Fissler Stainless Steel cookware set is a great all-purpose set, but if you’re looking for one multi-use nonstick pan, I recommend the Zwilling Motion Hard Anodized Fry Pans.
If you have any more questions about German cookware, feel free to ask below, and I’ll get back to you.
