Our review of Our Place's Perfect Pot and Always Pan
At House & Garden we are always keen to hear about new pieces of cookware. Hosting dinner parties, cooking for friends and family and hunting for stylish kitchenware are some of the things that bring us the most joy. So, as you can imagine, when we first heard about the American-born cookware company ‘Our Place', a company hailed as 'Le Creuset for millennials', we were extremely excited.
What is Our Place?
Founded by Shiza Shahid, co-founder and former CEO of the Malala Fund, and run by a diverse team of extraordinary people, Our Place is making easy-going cookware for everyone from chefs to complete novices. Over in the states, the brand has garnered a cult-like following and loyal fans with their now iconic pastel colour palette and exceedingly good products. Their star product, the Always pan, has sold out over 10 times and at one point had a 50,000 person strong waiting list.
Even better, in little over a year of trading, Our Place has reached carbon neutrality, having pledged to create non-toxic products, sent in sustainable packaging, made in eco-minded factories.
What is the Our Place Always Pan?
Aimed at those who don't necessarily have the kitchen cupboard space to store multiple pots and pans, or those who simply prefer a more efficient way of cooking, the Always Pan was designed to revolutionise the way we cook. The closest descriptor we can find for the Always Pan is a nonstick pan, or frying pan, but to call it that would be doing it a disservice. Nicknamed the "kitchen magician" by Oprah Winfrey, it promises to make your other pans redundant, doing the job of a frying pan, sauté pan, steamer, skillet, saucepan, spatula and spoon rest simultaneously. You can braise, steam, boil and sear to your heart's content, all with one trusty cast iron pan. Available in eight colourways, from ‘steam’, an off-white hue, to ‘heat’, a deep red, and ‘zest’, a zingy yellow, there is something to suit most kitchens. Trust us when we say that having a complementary colour does matter, because you’ll want to have this pan on display.
Is the Always Pan worth the money? Our Always Pan Review
As you may have guessed by now, the Always Pan is on the expensive side, retailing at £125. However, as it means you won’t need to buy multiple other pieces, we think that is a rather reasonable price.
Our first impression was that this pan has been designed with ergonomics in mind. It comes with a removable steamer basket (which doubles as a colander) pour spouts and a nesting beechwood spatula that fixes onto the pan handle (this rather smartly keeps mess off your worktops and prevents you from having to do any extra washing up). The pan feels solid and durable, heavy enough to last through years of thorough use, but light enough that you can whip it from table to oven without too much duress. The pan is packaged in cleverly designed layers that are put together in a tetris-like fashion to reduce excess cardboard, a credit to the company's eco endeavours.
Once opened, we tried making multiple meals in the pan, from pasta dishes to curries for two to steamed vegetables, to get an idea of whether this pan can actually replace all the utensils it says it will. Spoiler: it can. It has the bottom of a frying pan, meaning the Always Pan is able to fry onions, garlic, or satisfy your general mirepoix needs. We found that the non-stick coating is truly non-stick, despite some of the other reviews we've read. It distributes heat from the stovetop well under the bottom of the pan, meaning food cooks evenly and washing up is a breeze.
What makes this pan unique, though, is that the sides are higher than a traditional pan, meaning that you can toss and stir your dish without anything going overboard. We used this pan to make a pasta dish for four people and the pan handled the amount of food with ease. The following night we tried making a curry and found the ingredients were cooked through in no time, even though the pan was full to the brim. The steam basket fits inside the pan neatly, producing crunchy, brightly hued vegetables in minimal time. For people who want to make bao buns or dumplings, there is a bamboo steamer available too. It sits smartly on top of the pan, meaning there’s no fixing or fuss.
All in all? We really do recommend this nifty little pan. It looks fantastic, does a wonderful job and is genuinely a joy to cook with.
Is the Perfect Pot worth the money? Our Perfect Pot Review
Having tested the Always Pan and enjoyed it, we were pleased if not somewhat baffled to hear about the pan’s new colourful cousin, the Perfect Pot. After all, the Always Pan was supposed to replace so many things it seemed a little odd that a new product, titled ‘perfect’ was going to be better. Just like the Always Pan, the Perfect Pot aims to replace up to eight kitchen implements, including your “stockpot, Dutch oven, saucepot, roasting rack, steamer, strainer, braiser, and spoon rest.” At £140, the Perfect Pot is on the pricier side of things, so you’ll need to weigh up whether you will maximise this pot’s functionality, or simply use it to fulfil one need. If it’s the latter there are cheaper pieces on that market but, if it’s the former, this pot is well worth it’s price tag.
Aesthetically, the pot looks wonderful and is available in a range of colours, so whether you prefer pastels or lean towards neutrals, there will be a pot to suit. Inside the box, you’ll find a beechwood spoon crafted to sit neatly along the pot’s handles, a rack made for steaming and roasting that nestles inside in the pot when in use or for storage and, of course, the pot itself.
From a practical perspective, this pot can hold a lot of ingredients and a lot of liquid inside it. You can easily fit enough food in it for a dinner party or family of eight without constantly throwing food overboard. It can poach, blanche, boil pasta, make soups, stews and stocks easily. It has a solid aluminium construction and a non-stick lining (the same lining as the Always Pan), whilst being surprisingly lightweight.
The main takeaway is that it is a space saving wonder and if you’re looking for a multifunctional pot to fit in a small or limited storage kitchen then you needn’t look any further. It looks lovely sitting on the stove and can be brought to the table as a serving pot without being an eyesore. Beyond that, the steaming tray is a great feature – possibly the best – which adds a lot of capability from such a tiny piece of equipment.
On the other hand, the absolute maximum temperature for this pot is 425 degrees, making it too low for some recipes that require a Dutch oven. If you often make breads or stews, this may not be hot enough, so check before purchasing if you have something specific in mind. One other point of contention is that the handles and lid get extraordinarily hot, so you need to be careful when lifting the pot off the stove. Even if you’re just boiling water inside for a few minutes, the handles will be too hot to touch with bare hands.
Having tried both the pan and the pot, we’ve drawn the conclusion that whilst you might not always want to use the Always Pan and the pot might not be completely ‘perfect’, a combination of the two would stand you in good stead and cover most basic cooking needs. One, or both if you’re feeling generous, would make a wonderful Christmas gift, or housewarming present for someone building their kitchen equipment from scratch.
What to buy from Our Place
Whilst the Always Pan and Perfect Pot are the star of the show, don't overlook the other dinnerware and prep sets in the cast. Their colourful glasses, plate sets and bowls are all lovely pieces, available in the Black Friday deals that can be mixed and matched depending on your preferences. Move quickly though as last year Our Place sold out on the first day of their Black Friday sale.
Our Place's Black Friday sale starts on November 8 and ends on November 29.
Our Place
1/10Always Pan, heat, £140 from Our Place.
2/10Everyday Chef's Knife, £60 from Our Place.
3/10Drinking Glasses, multicolour, £45 from Our Place.
4/10Fully Prepared Bundle, £245 from Our Place.
5/10Main Plates, spice, £45 for four from Our Place.
6/10Perfect Pot, £140 from Our Place.
7/10Side Bowls, char, £40 from Our Place.
8/10Side Plates, steam, £35 from Our Place.
9/10Spruce Steamer, £25 from Our Place.
10/10Walnut Cutting Board, £90 from Our Place.
Now £40 for Black Friday
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