Our Place Always Pan review – why I think this lighter alternative is a match for Le Creuset pans

The Always Pan by Our Place is a multi-functional piece of cookware that's stormed the market in recent years. Despite only launching a few years ago, female-founded American cookware brand Our Place has dominated the homeware sphere after going viral back in March 2019.

Dubbed the "kitchen magician" by Oprah Winfrey herself, the Always Pan clocked up a 50,000 waiting list after its US launch and was met with similar enthusiasm when the brand made its UK debut in July 2021.

"Our Place began with a promise to bring the world brilliant, multifunctional cookware that enables you to do more with less, says Shiza Shahid, co-founder of Our Place.

To determine whether the Always Pan is worthy of its reputation, we tested the Our Place Always Pan over a week cooking different dishes in it every night, to assess its cooking performance, design, different functions, and value for money.

Soon we'll be testing the new Our Place Wonder Oven, so watch this space for a review coming soon.

First impressions of the Our Place Always Pan

Upon unboxing the Our Place Always Pan, we realised that it really is just as chic and stylish as it looks online. With a sturdy aluminium body it felt cold to the touch but smooth. And while the pan itself is a little on the heavier side (but not anywhere near the weight of some premium pans), the lid was pleasingly lightweight, as were the extra tools it came with.

The Always Pan includes a handy beechwood spatula, a nesting steam basket, and colander, as well as a gentle sponge that is designed to help you clean the pan but not harm it. 

We were very impressed with the built-in resting station for the spatula (no more messy countertops!) and pleased with how everything fit together easily for storage purposes. And, we were happy to note that the Always Pan was without doubt good-looking enough to use to serve food, making it (in our eyes) a dinner party essential. 

What is the Our Place Always Pan like to cook with?

The Always Pan was a dream to cook with, just as the best cookware should be. First, we cooked eggs in the pan, as a test of its purported non-stick abilities. We tested the dish with oil first, but quickly found that there really was no need, given how easily the egg slid off of the base of the pan without oil on our second try. And it worked for other ingredients too, namely, a steak, halloumi, and vegetables. This pan is a great option for those looking to employ a little bit of healthier cooking in their lives.

One huge plus of the pan is that it's induction-compatible (making it one of our best induction pan picks) and we found it came up to heat quickly on both an electric ceramic hob and an induction hob. Once the pan was ready to go, our food didn't take long to cook – though it's worth noting that food can leave some black burn marks on the bottom of it. However, these were easy enough to clean up with warm water and soap, the burn marks practically slid right off.

Generally, we'd say the pan is good enough to rival some of the classic cookware brands out there, such as Le Creuset – providing a product that definitely competes with the French brand on style, cooking experience, and clean-up.

The Stay Cool handle worked perfectly during testing, staying (you guessed it) incredibly cool to touch as we prepped our meal. One of the main drawbacks of this product though is how hot the rest of the outside of the pan got. 

The Always Pan has a little rectangular handle on the other side of the pan, which suggests you can pick it up from both ends as you manoeuvre around your kitchen. However, it soon became clear this wasn't possible, as everything apart from the Stay Cool handle got incredibly hot during cooking. It's a small price to pay for such a smart pan, but we did question why the brand can't extend their cool handle technology to all outside edges of the pan.

The newly improved pan is also now now oven safe up to 230°C, but of course we wouldn't attempt to handle the pan straight from the oven without protective gloves.

When it comes to the extras, the steamer basket worked perfectly for making dumplings, and as mentioned the lightweight lid made checking the temperature a dream. The handle on the lid (unlike other cookware brands) didn't get hot whatsoever, so there was no need to whip out the dishcloth to protect our hands.

What is the Our Place Always pan made of?

The body of the pan is largely made from aluminIum, which is known for being lightweight and excellent at distributing heat. The durable, ultra-conductive aluminium core is now made from 100% certified post-consumer waste. And this was showcased during testing when our cubes of halloumi were cooked evenly across the pan without an evident concentration of heat in the middle. 

As for the inside, made with the latest and greatest technology has to offer the Always Pan is made of non-toxic, non-stick ceramic coating, which Our Place reassures comes without PFOAs, PTFEs, other PFAs, lead, cadmium, toxic metals, and nanoparticles – It’s primarily comprised of sand derivative, water, and alcohol.

There has been much discussion in recent years over the safety of non-stick cookware with many doubting how healthy it was when set against very high temperatures. But being PFOA means the pan is perfectly safe to use – basically made without toxins found in the majority of nonstick cookware.

What did we not like about the Always Pan?

As mentioned, we didn't love how hot the outer edges of the pan got whilst cooking – especially the outer handle which initially appears to be safe to touch. 

During testing, it also became apparent why the brand supply you with a wooden spatula alongside the pan. The ceramic coating doesn't work well with plastic or metal utensils, the former of which will melt if they have too long a contact with the pan, and the latter of which can scratch and damage the base of the pan. 

This isn't necessarily a con, as the brand does forewarn you of this on their website. However, it's worth noting that you should probably have at least two wooden utensils (be they another spatula or a wooden spoon), to go along with this pan as it's really the only thing you can use with it.

What colours is the Always Pan available in?

The Our Place Always pan comes in 6 different core colours year round, with limited edition seasonal colours added throughout the year. The range of colours is a great plus to the pan given that it means there's an option for everyone – including for any kind of kitchen decor. The best-selling shade here in the UK is Sage.

Is the Always Pan worth it?

The Always Pan is undoubtedly pricey, with an RRP of £115, it's certainly more expensive than many single pans on the market at the moment. But it's important to look at the pan's multi-functionality before assessing the value-for-money it offers. It definitely offers more versatility than your ordinary brand, given that you can bake, braise, sear, steam, strain, saute, fry, boil and serve your food in it, with the addition of the steamer basket and colander. Given that it essentially offers 10 cooking options in one, we'd say it offers pretty good value-for-money for the price. In fact, we've rarely needed to use another pan since we started testing it—except when cooking multiple things at once. 

And when it comes to sheer usefulness in the kitchen, we can also honestly that we believe the Always Pan is worth it. Not only does it look good, but it also makes preparing meals incredibly easy and provides an even cook to any dish. Its non-stick capabilities are where it really shines (which is why it's one of our best non-stick pans, too), which makes cleaning the pan so very simple—something that doesn't apply to all pans.

What do online shoppers think?

The Our Place Always Pan has continued to receive rave reviews since it hit the (virtual) shelves. Most shoppers have noted how easy it is to clean, while others have explained how happy they are that they can use it to cook pretty much everything.

One said, "Looks great. Easy to clean. I use it a lot...it just may be the best pan I own."

While another agreed, writing, "We absolutely love our pan! So versatile, easy to clean, functional, and pretty! Makes for great gifts, too!"

However, some have warned how easy the material can be to scratch, which is one of our main bugbears too.

What is ordering and delivery like?

Worldwide, ordering the Our Place Always Pan couldn't be simpler. Simply choose your colour and add it to your basket, for payment. In the UK, it will take around 1-2 business days before your item is processed and on the way to you. The free shipping option means that your item should be with you between 1-6 days from the time that it leaves the Our Place warehouse. 

The order will be delivered via Hermes, so you'll be able to track your order and be notified on when it should be arriving, too.