Our Place Always Pan Review

Sharing a full Always Pan Review to help make ditching your conventional cookware for a better option so much easier. 

For many, switching to a non toxic cookware option can be intimidating. Whether it be cast iron or stainless steel there is a learning curve when you start to use them in your kitchen. Thankfully, I have found the answer to this.

**Please note this review is on the Always Pan 2.0 – if you have the older version, not everything will pertain to yours**

*Affiliate Disclosure: I do have affiliate links in this blog post. If you purchase something from my link, I will receive a small commission from the sale.  This comes at no cost to you, but is paid by the company.  I do not take becoming an affiliate with any company lightly.  If I am, it’s because I believe in the company and their product. 

The Story Behind Our Place

Our Place was founded in 2019 by Shiza Shahid and Amir Tehrani, who had envisioned a kitchenware brand that was able to blend functionality with style. The brand’s flagship product, the Always Pan, stands as a testament to their commitment to simplifying the entire cooking experience.

The Always Pan is more than just a piece of cookware, rather it represents a culinary philosophy. Crafted with versatility in mind, it is able to replace an array of traditional kitchen items, from fry pans to saucepans and so much more (10 to be exact!). When the cooking process becomes easier, we are all more likely to cook at home. And when we cook at home, we not only have total control over what is in our meals, but we can gather with our families around the kitchen table!

What sets Our Place apart goes beyond innovation – it’s a commitment to sustainability and ethical practices. The Always Pan features a non-toxic ceramic coating, and the brand prioritizes responsible materials in its production, reflecting a dedication to both the culinary arts and the planet.

Related Content: Best Non Toxic Cookware (Ultimate Guide)

What exactly is the Always Pan?

In order to know why the Always Pan is so unique you need to know exactly what it is. It is one pan that is meant to replace multiple other pieces of cookware and simplify the cooking process.

Key Features

The Always Pan comes in three sizes. I have the Standard size for reference when I discuss features as well as how I use mine.

Mini Size

• 16.9 in. length, 8.5 in. diameter, 2.3 in. depth, 4.8 in. height with lid
• 1.2 qt. capacity
• Lightweight construction (2 lb. body)

Standard Size

• 19.9 in. length, 10.5 in. diameter, 2.8 in. depth, 5.7 in. height with lid
• 2.6 qt. capacity
• Lightweight construction (3 lb. body)

Large Size

• 21.5 in. length, 12.5 in. diameter, 3 in. depth, 6.2 in. height with lid
• 4 qt. capacity
• Lightweight construction (3.3 lb. body)

All Sizes

• An aluminum body that allows for fast, even heat with a ceramic nonstick coating for ease of use.
• Compatible with all cooktops
• Comes with a beechwood spatula
• Comes with a modular, steam-release lid
• The standard size only comes with a steamer basket and colander

Non Toxic Materials

The Always Pan showcases Thermakind™, which is Our Place’s exclusive and highly advanced ceramic nonstick coating that lasts 50% longer. This means it is made without the inclusion of potentially harmful materials such as PFAS (including PTFEs and PFOAs), lead, and cadmium.

Per the Our Place website, the ceramic coating “is mainly comprised of sand derivative, water, and alcohol, you won’t find harmful chemicals hiding in the nonstick coating.”

While that sounds great and all, I knew I needed to reach out and get some more information from Our Place on the exact ingredients. Here is the response I received when I inquired:

Our cookware is made with a sol-gel ceramic nonstick interior coating that is primarily silicon dioxide. The coating is made without potentially toxic materials such as PFOA, PTFE, and other PFAS. Our products go through rigorous testing to ensure they are safe for you and your home!

Thermakind™ is our proprietary, exclusive advanced sol gel technology. It is thicker, longer-lasting, and toxin-free! Unfortunately, we cannot provide our exact formulation.

I love testing to ensure safety, so I wanted to get my hands on their testing results. When I requested the results, this is the response I received:

We do not release our testing reporting as they do contain proprietary information. You may however get more information here California AB1200 Disclosure

You may also be familiar with some talking about The Always Pan having lead. When I first heard about this, I looked into it further and read Lead Safe Mama’s full review on The Always Pan and how she had found traces of lead and several other heavy metals in it.  You can read about her findings here. 

But, it also must be noted that she wasn’t able to determine if the trace amounts were in the actual coating of the pan or if they were in the substrate of the pan.  Meaning, once the coating wear’s off you are left with the substrate.  Although they were in the safe range and technically at very low levels, she still had detected lead. 

All this to be said, I think this is important for people to know and be aware of these things when making the best decision for them and their family- whether that includes the Always Pan or not.

Related Content: Best Non Toxic, Non Stick Cookware

Longevity and Durability

Durability and longevity is definitely a concern for some when looking to purchase any type of ceramic coated pot or pan. I have to say that I have been impressed with how well the Always Pan has held up as far as the surface area. 

I have tried other nontoxic cookware similar to the Always Pan that is coated but found that it chipped fairly quickly.  The Always Pan has only chipped on me a little in one spot on it’s surface area and it’s barely any and that was after a year of using it several times a day.  Keep in mind I am a family of six and we cook all the meals in our home, so we use it all the time. 

Customer Reviews

Interestingly, the Our Place website boasts 35,000+ five star reviews for the Always Pan. Of course, I needed to dig into these and see what others were saying.

As with any product, there are both pros and cons to the Always Pan. Use these to help you decide if this pan would be a worthwhile purchase for you.

Here are a few reviews of the Always Pan that represent when I read many customers saying:

This pan is amazing! It’s lightweight and everything that cooks in it, turns out perfect in every way!

Wow, clean up couldn’t be easier, cooking is a dream with this pan!

Love that it’s pretty enough to leave out all the time and versatile enough to cool most anything! It’s our second one. First started to lose its non-stick after 1.5 years of every day use.

Of course while most loved their Always Pan purchase, there were definitely some negative reviews also:

Nice pots but they chip and for the money we pay not sure how long they will last !

I returned the my 6 pans I had ordered. It didn’t do well in induction. It took more than double to even warm water. Everything was really sticking to the pan. The oarmeal color is not a cool tone as pictures is very warm and dark, really ugly color.

After just one week of use, eggs are already starting to stick to it. And yes, I’ve followed all directions for use and care. I should note that it started having problems immediately after deep frying something in it at medium heat. Deep frying is specifically mentioned as one of the 10 uses of the pan in advertising. I shudder to think what would happen if you actually put this pan in the oven even though it says it’s “oven safe”...Thus far this pan has been a whole lot of hype and marketing but kinda below average performance. I cook a lot and I don’t think it’s going to last long. I wouldn’t buy another and I wouldn’t suggest buying one to anyone unless they catch a really good sale. Just another mediocre pan but this one has a whole lot of marketing and pretty advertising behind it.

I definitely recommend digging into the reviews if you are on the fence about purchasing an Always Pan.

Related Content: Best Ceramic Cookware Sets

Proper Care of the Always Pan

To ensure longevity and proper performance of your Always Pan, you will want to follow the use and care suggestions from Our Place. Here are a few tips they share:

• Avoid use of scours and abrasive cleaning products.
• To maintain the ceramic non-stick coating you will want to use low to medium heat only. Also, never heat up an empty pan.
• Wash by hand once the pan has fully cooled- do not use a dishwasher.
• Always use high smoke point oils and do avoid aerosol spray oils.
• No metal utensils should be used.
• The Always Pan is oven safe up to  450°F

Storage is also important to avoid any scratches, dents or other damage to your pan. Here are a few tips:

• Avoid stacking other heavy cookware or utensils on top of the Always Pan.
• If you do need to stack, use pan protectors or soft towels between stacked pans to provide a protective barrier.
• Consider storing the pan and its lid separately if you have appropriate room. This will minimize the risk of the lid slipping and causing damage. I will say that I do store mine with the lid on and haven’t had an issue.

Always Pan Pros & Cons

Pros

• Ease of use due to non stick features
• Aesthetically pleasing- currently offered in 6 colors with an additional 5 limited edition colors for the standard size and 2 limited edition colors for the mini size
• Replaces so many other pans- 10 functions in just 1 pan
  • braises, sears, steams, strains, sautes, fries, boils, bakes, serves, stores
• Built in strainer in the lid
• Built in spatula holder
• Easy to clean
• No teflon or other toxic materials
• Not super heavy
• Offered in different sizes- small (8.5”), standard (10.5”), and large (12.5”)
• You can bundle your purchase and save on other Always Place products

Cons

• Price
• Longevity- the non stick feature that we all love will eventually wear away unfortunately.
• Lid handle does get hot
• Need to use with lower heat
• Due to proprietary information, the exact formulation of the ceramic coating isn’t 100% known. Due to this the ‘rigorous’ safety testing isn’t able to be shared either. Definitely a better option than Teflon coated pans, but I do prefer total transparency.

Related Content: Xtrema Review (100% Pure Ceramic Cookware)

Always Pan FAQ’s

Is the non-stick coating safe for cooking at high temperatures?

The Always Pan should be used with low-medium heat only.

Can it be used with induction stovetops?

According to Our Place, The Always Pan CAN be used on induction stove tops and actually is compatible with all stovetops.

What is the warranty on the Our Place Always Pan?

Our Place offers a 1 year limited warranty on the large Always Pan. If you follow their easy care and use instructions they will help out if there are any issues 1 year from the purchase date.

Can the Always Pan go in the oven?

According to Our Place, the Always Pan 2.0 is oven safe up to 450 degrees.

Conclusion: Is The Always Pan Worth It?

Yes, the Always Pan is 100% worth it. It makes transitioning to non toxic cookware so easy, it replaces other pieces of cookware and did I mention its one of the prettiest pieces of cookware I own! It is a little spendy, but you can bundle to get multiple products and save at the same time. With proper care it will last you for years to come. 

Have you tried out the Always Pan? Share your thoughts below!

If you liked this post, check out these posts below:

• 360 Cookware Review
• Best Non Toxic Bakeware
• Best Stainless Steel Baking Sheets