Circulon Premier Professional Review (Is the Bronze Set Still Worth It?)

Circulon Premier Professional is still sold, still bronze and still built around those raised circles. What changed is the set itself. The 13-piece box most old reviews link to is gone from Circulon’s own site.

So this review looks at what you can actually buy now, and whether it is the right Circulon for you.

The short version: Circulon Premier Professional is a good, durable nonstick set, and the one to buy is the Circulon Premier Professional 10-Piece Set. It is the current version, it works on induction, and it goes in the oven to 400°F. The coating is PTFE, so keep the heat at medium. If you use metal utensils, step up to Circulon’s A1 ScratchDefense set instead.

What Circulon Premier Professional Is Today

Premier Professional is Circulon’s bronze hard-anodized line. In September 2026, Circulon’s site listed two sets in it:

• 10-piece set, model 89330, $299.99, “Add to cart,” listed as induction suitable
• 12-piece set, model 89334, $299.99, available, listed as not induction compatible

Both sets share the same build. The body is hard-anodized aluminum, which Circulon says is twice as hard as stainless steel. The inside and outside are both nonstick. Handles are cast stainless steel with silicone grips, and the lids are tempered glass.

Circulon rates them oven safe to 400°F and dishwasher safe. Both carry a limited lifetime warranty against defects.

An 8-piece page still exists on Circulon’s site. But it showed no price and no buy button, and it was not in the Premier Professional collection. We left it out.

The old 13-piece bronze set with a stainless steel base is also missing from Circulon’s site. Many Amazon listings for it are still live. Treat those as old stock.

One more fact matters for some buyers. Circulon’s own product disclosure says the Premier Professional coating contains PTFE and related fluoropolymers, which count as PFAS. The coating meets FDA and EU food-contact rules, according to Circulon. Our guide to what nonstick cookware is explains what that means in the kitchen.

Our Picks at a Glance

• Best Premier Professional set: Circulon Premier Professional 10-Piece SetJump to review ↓
• Best for metal utensils: Circulon A1 Series ScratchDefense 10-Piece SetJump to review ↓
• Best stainless and nonstick hybrid: Circulon SteelShield Tri-Ply Clad 8.5” and 10” Frying Pan SetJump to review ↓
• Best value frying pans: Circulon Symmetry 10” and 12” Frying Pan SetJump to review ↓
• Best budget set: Circulon Radiance 10-Piece SetJump to review ↓

Here is how they line up. Prices are Circulon’s own listed prices when we checked, and they move often. Circulon was also running a spend-more-save-more promotion at the time.

Product	Build	Oven Safe	Induction	Dishwasher	Circulon Price
Premier Professional 10-Piece	Hard-anodized, bronze	400°F	Yes	Yes	$299.99
A1 ScratchDefense 10-Piece	Aluminum, ScratchDefense coating	400°F (lids 350°F)	Yes	Yes	$329.99
SteelShield Tri-Ply 2-Pan Set	Tri-ply clad stainless	500°F	Yes	Yes	$84.99
Symmetry 10” and 12” Pans	Hard-anodized	400°F	Yes	Yes	$89.99
Radiance 10-Piece	Hard-anodized, gray	400°F	No	Yes	$219.99

1. Circulon Premier Professional 10-Piece Set: Best Premier Professional Set

This is the Premier Professional set to buy in 2026. It is the one Circulon lists as induction suitable, and it showed “Add to cart” at $299.99.

The piece count is honest. Ten pieces means six pots and pans plus four lids, with no utensils padding the number. That covers the pots most kitchens use every week: two saucepans for rice and sauces, a stockpot for pasta, a sauté pan for braises and two skillets for eggs and searing.

Hard-anodized aluminum is aluminum that has been treated so its surface is much harder. The metal underneath still heats fast and evenly. The treated skin resists dents and scratches better than plain aluminum.

The raised circles are the Circulon trademark. They sit on the cooking surface in rings. Your spatula rides on the tops of the circles, so the coating in the grooves takes less wear. We explain the idea in full further down.

This set has a nonstick outside too. That makes drips and spills wipe off rather than bake on. For deeper cleaning, see our guide on how to clean hard anodized cookware.

Who should buy it: Anyone who wants the classic bronze Circulon look in a full set that works on every stovetop.

2. Circulon A1 Series ScratchDefense 10-Piece Set: Best for Metal Utensils

The A1 Series is Circulon’s newer, tougher line. Its selling point is the coating. Circulon calls it ScratchDefense and markets it for use with metal utensils.

That is the main reason to pick it over Premier Professional. If a metal fish spatula or a metal whisk lives in your utensil pot, Premier Professional is the wrong set. Circulon says to use wood, nylon or silicone on it. The A1 set is built for the tools you already have. Our picks for the best metal spatula set show the kind of tools this set is built to handle.

Circulon listed the 10-piece at $329.99 with “ADD TO CART.” It works on induction and in the oven to 400°F. The lids stop at 350°F, so take them off for hotter oven work.

It is $30 more than Premier Professional. You give up the bronze finish and the nonstick exterior. You gain a coating designed to take more abuse.

Who should buy it: Busy cooks who grab whatever utensil is closest and want a nonstick set that can take it.

3. Circulon SteelShield Tri-Ply Clad 8.5” and 10” Frying Pan Set: Best Stainless and Nonstick Hybrid

This set takes Circulon’s raised-circle idea and makes the circles out of steel. The pan body is tri-ply stainless: steel on the outside, aluminum in the middle, steel inside. Nonstick sits between raised steel rings.

The rings do the same job as the circles on Premier Professional, but harder. Metal utensils ride on steel instead of coating. Circulon lists the set as fully metal utensil safe.

Tri-ply clad stainless also brings a higher oven rating. Circulon lists 500°F, against 400°F for Premier Professional. That covers a hot oven finish on chicken thighs. If you want to know why cladding matters, our guide on what stainless steel cookware is explains the layers.

This idea is close to what HexClad sells, at a lower price. Our HexClad hybrid cookware review covers how hybrid pans release food compared with plain nonstick.

At $84.99 for two pans, it is a cheap way to try the idea before buying a full set.

Who should buy it: Anyone who wants nonstick convenience with the toughness and oven range of stainless steel.

4. Circulon Symmetry 10” and 12” Frying Pan Set: Best Value Frying Pans

Symmetry uses the same recipe as Premier Professional. The body is hard-anodized aluminum, the coating has raised circles, and the oven rating is 400°F. It just skips the bronze finish.

Circulon listed this two-pan set at $89.99 with “Add to cart.” It is induction suitable, which the Premier Professional 12-piece is not.

Frying pans usually wear out first in a set, because they see the most heat and the most scraping. That makes a pan-only set a smart buy. You can replace your two workhorse pans without buying a new stockpot you do not need. It also suits a small kitchen, where two good pans beat a box of ten. Our cookware sizes guide for cooking for one explains which pan sizes earn their space.

The 12-inch is big enough for a family omelet or four chicken thighs. The 10-inch handles everyday eggs and quick sautés. If pancakes are a weekend habit, also look at our best griddle pan for pancakes.

Who should buy it: Anyone whose old nonstick pans are done and who does not need a full new set.

5. Circulon Radiance 10-Piece Set: Best Budget Set

Radiance is the lowest-priced full Circulon set on this list. Circulon listed it at $219.99 with “Add to cart,” which is $80 less than Premier Professional.

You get the same hard-anodized body and the same 400°F oven rating. Circulon says the TOTAL nonstick system lasts 10 times longer than normal nonstick. We cannot check that claim, but it matches the marketing for its other lines.

The big limit is induction. Circulon lists Radiance as not induction suitable. On gas, electric coil or glass-top electric, that does not matter. If you are unsure what your stove needs, our guide to coil stove cookware covers what works on older electric ranges.

Who should buy it: Anyone cooking on gas or standard electric who wants Circulon quality for less.

How Circulon’s Raised Circles Work

Every nonstick pan wears the same way. Metal and hard edges scrape the coating, and scraped coating stops releasing food.

Circulon’s idea, which dates back to 1984, is to give the spatula something else to touch. The cooking surface has a pattern of raised rings. A spatula or turner rides on the tops of the rings. The coating in the valleys between them sees less contact.

Food still cooks on the whole surface. Liquid and fat flow into the grooves, so there is no dry gap under your eggs. The rings are low enough that a pancake or omelet sits flat.

The rings also tend to show wear before the valleys do. When the tops of the rings go dull, the coating is usually aging.

SteelShield takes this further by making the rings from stainless steel. That is why it can take metal utensils while Premier Professional cannot.

Is Circulon Premier Professional Safe?

For normal home cooking, yes. The coating is PTFE, the same family of material as Teflon. Circulon’s disclosure lists PTFE and related fluoropolymers, and says the coating meets FDA and EU food-contact rules.

PTFE is stable at normal cooking heat. The risk comes from overheating an empty pan, which can break the coating down and release fumes. So follow three simple rules:

1. Never preheat an empty pan on high.
2. Cook at low to medium heat.
3. Use a fan or range hood when cooking at the top of that range.

If you would rather avoid PTFE, ceramic nonstick is the usual alternative. Our best ceramic cookware set guide covers the trade: ceramic avoids PTFE, but its slickness usually fades faster. Or skip coatings entirely and read our stainless steel vs ceramic cookware comparison.

Premier Professional vs Other Circulon Lines

Circulon now sells several lines that look similar online. This table shows how they differ at a glance.

Line	Coating	Metal Utensils	Best Feature	Main Limit
Premier Professional	TOTAL nonstick with raised circles	Not recommended	Bronze look, nonstick exterior	PTFE, medium heat
A1 ScratchDefense	Triple-layer ScratchDefense	Marketed as safe	Tough coating	Lids to 350°F
SteelShield	Nonstick between steel rings	Safe	500°F oven rating	Pans only in cheaper sets
Symmetry	TOTAL nonstick with raised circles	Not recommended	Low price for pans	No bronze finish
Radiance	TOTAL nonstick	Not recommended	Lowest full-set price	No induction

The simple rule: Premier Professional for looks, A1 for metal tools, SteelShield for oven heat, Symmetry or Radiance to save money.

How Long Does Circulon Premier Professional Last?

Circulon says its Premier Professional nonstick lasts 10 times longer than ordinary nonstick. That is a marketing claim, and every coated pan still wears out in the end.

How fast depends on you. These habits make the biggest difference:

• Use wood, nylon or silicone tools.
• Keep the flame at low to medium.
• Skip aerosol cooking sprays, which leave a sticky film.
• Let pans cool before washing, so the base does not warp.
• Hand wash when you can, even though the set is dishwasher safe.

Watch for eggs starting to stick, dull patches in the center and any flaking. Flaking means it is time to replace the pan. A pan that rocks on the burner has a different problem. Our guide on how to fix a warped pan covers that. Odd noises can be a clue too, as our guide on what your cookware’s sounds are telling you explains.

Storage matters as much as cooking. Stacking pans without a liner chips the rims and scratches the coating. Our guide to storing pots and pans in a small kitchen covers racks and liners. For glass lids, see how to organize pot lids in a small kitchen.

Does Premier Professional Work on Induction?

It depends on which set you buy. This catches a lot of people out.

Induction heats the pan through a magnetic field. So the base must be magnetic. Plain aluminum is not. The Premier Professional 10-piece has a stainless steel base, and Circulon lists it as induction suitable. The 12-piece and 8-piece pages say it is not.

So on induction, buy the 10-piece, not the 12-piece. The fridge-magnet test settles it for any pan. If a magnet sticks firmly to the base, it will work. For more options, see our best cookware for induction cooktop picks. If you already own non-induction pans, our guide to using non-induction cookware on an induction cooktop explains interface discs.

Which One Should You Buy?

Want the real Premier Professional? Buy the 10-piece set. It is current, it works on induction, and it covers every everyday job.

Use metal utensils? Buy the A1 ScratchDefense 10-piece. It costs $30 more and is built for the tools you already own.

Want nonstick that can go into a 500°F oven? Buy the SteelShield two-pan set. It is the most flexible pan here for the money.

Only need new frying pans? Buy the Symmetry 10” and 12” set. You get the same cooking surface for $89.99.

On a budget with a gas or electric stove? Buy the Radiance 10-piece.

Still weighing Circulon against other brands? Our picks for the best cookware set under $200 and our best nonstick pans guide cover the wider field. And if you wonder whether a pricier set ever pays off, read is expensive cookware actually worth it.

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• Best Stackable Pots and Pans
• Best Sauté Pan With a Lid
• Best Stockpot With a Lid
• How to Stock a Small Kitchen for Solo Cooking

These are the Premier Professional set and four other current Circulon lines, each for a different kind of cook. Every one showed “Add to cart” on Circulon’s own site when we checked.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Circulon Premier Professional still made?

Yes. In September 2026, Circulon's own site sold a Premier Professional 10-piece set and a 12-piece set, both at $299.99 and both marked Add to cart. The older 13-piece bronze set that many reviews still link to was not on Circulon's site. So if you see it for sale, treat it as old stock rather than the current line.

Is Circulon Premier Professional induction compatible?

The 10-piece set is. Circulon's page for it, model 89330, lists it as induction suitable, and retailers describe a stainless steel base. The 12-piece and 8-piece Premier Professional pages say induction is not supported. Check the exact set on Circulon's site before you buy if you cook on induction, because the name alone does not tell you.

Is Circulon Premier Professional PFAS free?

No. Circulon's own product disclosure for Premier Professional says the coating contains fluoropolymers, including PTFE, which fall under the PFAS label. Circulon states the coating meets FDA and EU food-contact rules. PTFE is considered safe for normal cooking at low to medium heat. If you want to avoid PTFE altogether, look at ceramic or bare stainless steel instead.

Is Circulon Premier Professional dishwasher safe?

Circulon rates the Premier Professional sets dishwasher safe. Even so, hand washing is kinder to any nonstick coating, because dishwasher detergent is harsh and the heat cycles are long. A soft sponge and warm soapy water usually clean these pans in under a minute. Save the dishwasher for busy nights.

What is the difference between Circulon Premier Professional and Symmetry?

Both are hard-anodized aluminum with Circulon's raised-circle nonstick and a 400°F oven rating. Premier Professional has a bronze finish, a nonstick exterior and cast stainless handles with silicone. Symmetry is sold in black or chocolate. On Circulon's site, the Symmetry 10- and 12-inch frying pan set is induction suitable and costs $89.99, which makes it the cheaper way into the same cooking surface.