Our Place Always Pan review—why our homes editor thinks this lighter alternative is a match for Le Creuset pans

In this Our Place Always Pan review, our Homes editor tests the pan of the moment to find out whether there's more to this cookware than its super-stylish design

Our Place Always pan on pattern background
(Image credit: Future/Our Place)
Woman & Home Verdict

The Our Place Always Pan has sold out 10 times and often accrues wait-lists of over 50,000 people. And we've found that this lovely-looking piece of cookware actually lives up to the hype—providing both easy cooking and clean-up experience.

Reasons to buy
  • +

    Chic and on-trend design

  • +

    Multi-functional—you can braise, sear, strain, boil and more

  • +

    Works with induction hobs

  • +

    No oil required

  • +

    30-day trial

Reasons to avoid
  • -

    Rim can get very hot

  • -

    Cannot use metal or plastic utensils with it

Why you can trust Woman & Home Our expert reviewers spend hours testing and comparing products and services so you can choose the best for you. Find out more about how we test.

The Always Pan by Our Place is a multi-functional piece of cookware that's stormed the market in the US and the UK. Despite only launching a few years ago, female-founded American cookware brand Our Place has dominated the homeware sphere on Instagram and TikTok after going viral back in March 2020—and the Always Pan is the star of the show. 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. In short, any self-respecting homes editor needs to test it out. And in our Always Pan review, we'll explain why there's more to this stylish pan than Instagram hype. 

In order to figure out whether the Always Pan is worth its reputation, we tested the Our Place Always Pan over the course of a week. We cooked different dishes in it every night, in order to assess its cooking performance, design, different functions, and value-for-money. And if you've already been convinced to buy the pan (or are convinced by the end of the review!) you'll be delighted to know what it's currently 30% off for Black Friday! While some of the Le Creuset Black Friday deals are certainly tempting, if you're planning on buying any cookware during the shopping event, this is the piece we'd advise.


Always Pan: $145 $99 (save $46)/£125 £85 (save £40) | Our Place

Always Pan: <a href="https://our-place.pxf.io/c/221109/1679350/19449?subId1=hawk-custom-tracking&sharedId=hawk&u=https%3A%2F%2Ffromourplace.com%2Fproducts%2Falways-essential-cooking-pan" data-link-merchant="fromourplace.com"" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">$145 $99 (save $46)/<a href="https://go.redirectingat.com/?id=92X1623315&xcust=hawk-custom-tracking&xs=1&url=https%3A%2F%2Ffromourplace.co.uk%2Fproducts%2Falways-essential-cooking-pan&sref" data-link-merchant="SkimLinks - fromourplace.co.uk"" data-link-merchant="fromourplace.com"" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">£125 £85 (save £40) | Our Place

During the Black Friday weekend, Our Place has slashed the price of the Always Pan for a limited time only, with a 30% discount on the <a href="https://www.womanandhome.com/kitchen/the-ultimate-kitchen-essentials-list-items/" data-link-merchant="womanandhome.com"" data-link-merchant="SkimLinks - fromourplace.co.uk"" data-link-merchant="fromourplace.com"">kitchen essential in both the US and the UK. In the US, that's a huge saving of $46 and in the UK, a £40 saving, making the pan a much more affordable option—and a great pick for <a href="https://www.womanandhome.com/life/gifts/15-christmas-gifts-for-friends-new-and-old/" data-link-merchant="womanandhome.com"" data-link-merchant="womanandhome.com"" data-link-merchant="SkimLinks - fromourplace.co.uk"" data-link-merchant="fromourplace.com"">Christmas gifts for friends or family! 

First impressions of the Our Place Always Pan

Upon unboxing the Our Place Always Pan, we realized that it really is just as chic and stylish as it looks online. With a sturdy aluminum 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?

Our Place Always Pan

(Image credit: Our Place)

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.

SPECIFICATIONS

RRP: $145/£125

Colors: Nine options, including sage green, blue salt, spice pink, and lavender

Induction compatible? Yes

Dimensions: 25.4 cm diameter, 6.86 cm depth, 2.46 L capacity

Trial: 30-day trial and free returns

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 maneuver 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.

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?

Our Place Always Pan—including saucepan, lid, spatula and colander

(Image credit: Our Place)

The body of the pan is largely made from aluminum, which is known for being lightweight and excellent at distributing heat. 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, 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. 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. 

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 colors is the Always Pan available in?

The Our Place Always pan comes in 10 different colors, which is a great plus to the pan given that it means there's an option for everyone—including for any kind of kitchen decor. 

Image

Our Place Always Pan in Spice

Image

Our Place Always Pan in Steam

Image

Our Place Always Pan in Sage

Image

Our Place Always Pan in Terracotta

Image

Our Place Always Pan in Zest

Image

Our Place Always Pan in Lavender

Image

Our Place Always Pan in Heat

Image

Our Place Always Pan in Blanch

Image

Our Place Always Pan in Blue Salt

Image

Our Place Always Pan in Char

Is the Always Pan worth it?

The Always Pan is undoubtedly pricey—with an RRP of £125, 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 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 around seven 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. Going to buy one for each of my kids for Christmas."

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.


Our Place Perfect Pot: $165 $125 (save $40)/ £140 £110 (save £30)

Our Place Perfect Pot: <a href="https://our-place.pxf.io/c/221109/1679350/19449?subId1=hawk-custom-tracking&sharedId=hawk&u=https%3A%2F%2Ffromourplace.com%2Fproducts%2Fperfect-pot" data-link-merchant="fromourplace.com"" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">$165 $125 (save $40)/ <a href="https://go.redirectingat.com/?id=92X1623315&xcust=hawk-custom-tracking&xs=1&url=https%3A%2F%2Ffromourplace.co.uk%2Fproducts%2Fperfect-pot&sref" data-link-merchant="SkimLinks - fromourplace.co.uk"" data-link-merchant="fromourplace.com"" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">£140 £110 (save £30)

If you're after another brilliant Our Place deal for Black Friday, then you can also find a fantastic discount on another popular product of theirs—the Perfect Pot. Bigger and rounder in size than the Always Pan, this cookware item is also multi-functional, allowing you to boil, bake and steam to your heart's content. It helps that it also looks super pretty too—and it's got $40/£30 off for a limited time only.

What is ordering and delivery like?

Worldwide, ordering the Our Place Always Pan couldn't be simpler. Simply choose your color and add it to your basket, for payment.

In the US, all orders take between 3-5 days to be shipped to your address at this time of year. Our Place has different shipping options too, available at different prices, depending on your needs. These are: 

  • Quicker: Generally 2-5 business days.
  • Quick: Generally 5-7 business days.
  • Ground: Generally 8-14 business days.

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. 

Amy Hunt

Amy Hunt is an experienced digital journalist specialising in homes, interiors and hobbies. She began her career working as the features assistant at woman&home magazine, before moving over to the digital side of the brand where she eventually became the Lifestyle Editor up until January 2022. Amy won the Digital Journalist of the Year award at the AOP Awards in 2019 for her work on womanandhome.com.