Gordon Ramsay Co-Owns This Controversial Cookware Brand

HexClad cookware doesn't come cheap, but for a while, it seemed worth every penny. When Gordon Ramsay partnered with HexClad in 2021, the chef wasn't just lending his name. He became part of the brand's identity. Its sleek hexagon pattern and stainless-meets-nonstick design promised the best of both worlds, earning it a devoted following among home cooks and professionals alike. Ramsay praised the pans' versatility and performance, featuring them on "Next Level Chef," in his cookbook "Ramsay in 10," and even at his London cooking academy. By 2023, HexClad had reached "unicorn status" with a valuation over $1 billion, and Ramsay doubled down the next year, expanding his ownership through a $100 million deal with Studio Ramsay Global and FOX Entertainment. It was a clear sign he saw the brand as the future of premium cookware. 

The cookware brand Ramsay swears by had officially become a billion-dollar powerhouse. But that confidence would soon be tested. In 2023, HexClad faced a class-action lawsuit accusing the company of falsely advertising its pans as "non-toxic" and "PFAS-free." Though Ramsay himself was not named in the case, the controversy cast new light on his prized partnership. It was a rare misstep for a cookware giant that had seemed untouchable — until its own marketing claims boiled over.

The controversy surrounding HexClad came to a head in 2023, when a class-action lawsuit accused the company of misleading customers with claims that its pans were "non-toxic," "PFOA-free," and "PFAS-free." The suit argued that despite those assurances, HexClad products did, in fact, contain PTFE, or polytetrafluoroethylene, a type of chemical often associated with traditional nonstick coatings and even referred to as "forever chemicals" due to their persistence in the environment and the human body. The company denied any wrongdoing but agreed to a $2.5 million settlement that would compensate eligible customers who purchased products between February 1, 2022, and March 31, 2024.

The settlement terms also require HexClad to stop using certain marketing phrases about toxicity and chemical content. A final fairness hearing was scheduled for September 15, 2025, with claims due by November 14, 2025 — dates that mark the slow unwind of one of the cookware world's more surprising legal battles. HexClad's spotless image suddenly looked a little smudged. Ramsay's cookware partner had just been crowned a billion-dollar "hybrid" success story, only to face scrutiny over the very traits it promoted most. It is ironic to think that just a few months earlier, Pete Davidson in jest dissed Gordon Ramsay in a HexClad Super Bowl commercial that jokingly claimed the pans were made with advanced alien technology — which feels a little on the nose now, considering the brand's biggest burn was not in the pan.