Ever since Our Place launched the Always Pan cookware in 2019, billed as a versatile pan that can replace eight (!) pieces of cookware, it hasn't been able to go unnoticed. The pan has more than 200,000 reviews online and has become popular on TikTok for its chic design and dreamy color scheme. This simple monochromatic pan in soothing colors like blue salt, spices, and sage is in nearly every influencer’s kitchen, countless TikTok comments, and Instagram ads that have followed me for years See. Oprah praised the Always Pan product, saying it can be used as a griddle, steamer, frying pan, and even as a "kitchen magician." Our Place has even teamed up with Selena Gomez to launch a new set of bold hues, including rose and blue.
But since its launch, the Always Pan has gained loyal fans (again...Oprah) as well as haters who say this picturesque piece isn't worth the $145 price tag, and no, it doesn't really replace the Maybe Has become a classic cookware. In your kitchen.
Of course, I'm curious whether this head-turning design lives up to the hype when cooking at home, especially in a small kitchen with limited space. Read on to find out how the Always Pan performed after a month of testing.
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quick overview
Price: $145
Best for: Non-stick cooking and steaming
Rating: 3/5
Brand: Our Place
What we like: Beautiful, easy to clean, eco-friendly production, lightweight
What we don’t like: Can’t actually replace many kitchen items, can’t be used in the oven, handles are uncomfortable
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What is always panning?
Los Angeles-based company Our Place's Always Pan is an Insta-famous pan that promises to "stew, fry, steam, strain, sauté, pan-fry, boil, serve and store" food, saying it Can replace up to 8 foods. Cookware, including griddles, woks, steamers, griddles, sauce pans, saucepans, nonstick pans, spatulas and spoon rests. It's actually a 10-inch nonstick pan with a ceramic coating. Our Place says it's made without "potentially toxic materials such as PFOA, PTFE, other PFAs, lead, cadmium, toxic metals and nanoparticles." The Always Pan comes with a lid that can release or lock in vapor, a custom Stainless steel steamer basket and a beechwood spatula that can be mounted on the pot handle as a spoon holder. All in all, it weighs 3 pounds.
How does always pan work?
The Always Pan is supposed to be a versatile kitchen tool designed to replace eight different items you may already own, thanks to its ceramic nonstick coating, steamer basket, notches for the spoon holder, and 2.7-inch depth. However, there are a lot of things the Always Pan can't do, especially moving from stovetop to oven. (The Always Pan is not oven-safe, unlike other pans that can perform similar tasks, especially cast iron pans that become nonstick over time.)
science
The biggest complaints home cooks have about nonstick pans are environmental impact and health risks. Nonstick coatings are typically made from the synthetic polymer PTFE, but have been produced for years using PFOA, a chemical that can be harmful to the environment and a possible carcinogen, especially when pans are used with high temperatures or when metal scrapes Utensils that fall off the surface of the pot. Our Place's website says the Always Pan is PFOA and PTFE-free and is instead made with a ceramic coating. Ceramic nonstick pans are popular because they are made using a sol-gel process that does not use PFOA or PTFE. But the nonstick coating on most pans only lasts a few years. (It's also worth noting that in many parts of the United States, it's difficult to recycle pots and pans if you decide to throw them away after losing their nonstick coating.)
The design
The Always Pan's design looks sweet and simple on your stovetop, and thanks to its 13 different colors, it can match any type of home decor you have. It comes with a modular lid that releases and captures steam, a beechwood spatula (designed to nest into the indentations in the pan's keep-cool handle), a steamer basket that fits the domed pan, which has a flat bottom The pot has two spouts for easy pouring, as well as a second assist handle to keep it cool as well. The button on top of the lid also keeps it cool while cooking, so you can lift it without getting burned. But the main handle has a bulky shape with hard corners that make it a little uncomfortable to hold.
For nonstick pans, the best practice is to use non-metallic utensils—a wooden spoon or silicone spatula is best to avoid scratching the nonstick surface and damaging the pan. So it's confusing that the steamer basket is made of metal, including the little legs that sit inside the pot. (Our place does offer a bamboo steamer that goes inside the pot for an additional $30.) When steaming and storing the steamer inside the pot, especially when trying to remove the steamer from the pot while it's still hot Sometimes, I worry about scratching the surface.
However, there's no denying that the pan is adorable and can easily be transferred from stovetop to table as an elegant piece of tableware.
first impression
As a non-stick pan, the Always Pan performs extremely well, frying scrambled eggs, pancakes, and fried tofu cubes with ease. While testing, I found that this pan did a great job at stir-frying, simmering sauces, and steaming vegetables. But when I do things like caramelized onions, I don't get the same depth of flavor as when I perform the task in a cast iron or nonstick pan. (No nonstick pan will do this.)
result
As I continued to use the Always Pan, I found that there were a lot of cooking tasks that couldn't be accomplished with this amazing pan (sorry, Oprah). I could never get a nice browning on a piece of meat meant for braising, and since nonstick frying pans are supposed to avoid high temperatures, getting crispy fish skin was impossible. Searing steak is a no-no for the same reason. And it's not deep enough to do things like boil eggs without filling the entire pot with water, which seems wasteful.
I've been trying to think of things I'd love to cook with the Always Pan and would take advantage of its fresh nonstick coating, but I keep coming back to the fact that the pan isn't oven-safe, which means finishing dishes like this one Stuffing an omelette or filling a frying pan with shakshuka is out of the question. (I will say, though, that the omelet comes out perfect every time, as does the thick soup and the pot of tomato sauce that simmers for hours.)
competitors
While the Always Pan is the best-known all-purpose cookware on IG, other products like the Caraway Wok ($145), Greenpan Wok and Frying Pan ($60-230), and Phantom Chef Deep Fry Pan ($60) are designed to serve different purposes accomplishes the same task for the same price.
Is Forever Pan worth it?
A little bit! The Always Pan can be a workhorse in the kitchen, and if you care for it the right way—no high heat for long periods of time, wash gently, remove stains immediately, avoid washing in the dishwasher—it's likely to stay in pristine condition. But I will point out that I tested the Always Pan for about a month, during which time I used it every day and had no issues with the nonstick coating. Online reviewers and reviewers are quick to say that with continued, regular use, pans tend to lose their nonstick coating in about six months or less. Rotating it with other pans for cooking may extend its life.
At the $145 price point, I wouldn't recommend the Always Pan to a seasoned, seasoned cook looking for a piece of cookware that can do just about anything. This is simply impossible. But for certain types of home cooks, this pan is a great purchase (more on that below).
final verdict
Here are the types of people who might like the Always Pan: Beginner cooks with small kitchens, non-cooking-type owners who love aesthetics, and chefs who need a nice big nonstick pan.
Beginner cooks with small kitchens (such as recent college graduates or people moving into their first apartment on their own) will find that the Always Pan can complete many simple tasks and feed as many people as possible. Their small tables can take on the duties of a few different cookware items. However, they may still need a few other items, such as a Dutch oven, cast iron skillet, or sauce pan, to complete their cookware collection, especially if they plan on cooking meals that require two pots or pans, such as boiling pasta and making a Grow the sauce.
Homeowners who aren't great at cooking will love having this status statement piece on the stovetop and using it to perform simple emergency tasks like reheating leftovers, steaming, flipping French toast, or scrambling eggs.
I fall into the third category, a seasoned average home cook who enjoys serving meals to guests in the kitchen and probably needs a nice big nonstick pan. I keep the Always Pan when I need to fry a dozen eggs at a time for a hearty brunch (again... great omelette maker!), steam a bunch of frozen pot stickers, or make a quick stir-fry. But there’s no way I’m going to give up on my stainless steel or cast iron pans just yet.
