Always Pan Review: Is It Worth It?

Whenever a shiny new promise of kitchen minimalism is dangled in front of me, I’m tempted to take the bait. Such was the case with the Always Pan by Our Place, which is a nontoxic, nonstick pan boasting multiple cooking functions. It also happens to be incredibly beautiful, making it total kitchen eye candy. We decided to give it a spin, and today we’re sharing our full review.

Who: Our Place is an LA-based company making cookware and dinnerware with the mission of helping people connect over home cooking.

What: The Always Pan is designed to replace 8 traditional pieces of cookware: a fry pan, sauté pan, steamer, skillet, saucier, saucepan, nonstick pan, spatula, and spoon rest. It allows you to braise, sear, steam, strain, sauce, fry, boil, serve, and store.

How: Our Place invests in ethical factories that provide supportive environments and compensation to their teams. They make products with thoughtful and responsible materials as often as possible.

Cost: $145 USD

Selling points

• Exclusive high-performance ceramic nonstick surface
• No PFOAs or PTFEs
• Replaces 8 pieces of cookware
• 2 easy-pour spouts
• Custom steamer basket and colander
• “Stay cool” lid and pan handle
• Beechwood spatula and built-in spoon rest
• Modular lid to release and trap steam

Note: This review is not sponsored. We purchased the Always Pan, did not contact the company about doing so, and reviewed it an unbiased manner. We do, however, have an affiliate link that provides a small commission when used for purchase.

We purchased the Always Pan in August 2020 and have been using it almost every day to put it to the test.

Is it too soon to say we’re totally in love? We have zero complaints so far. Though it was an investment, the Always Pan seems to be high quality, deliver on its promises, and is extremely versatile in the kitchen. It’s not perfect (it’s not oven safe) but the list of pros far outweighs the cons.

Pros

• It’s beautifully designed and comes in many colors (we have our eyes on the lilac shade next)
• It’s lightweight (4 lbs. including the lid)
• It’s SO easy to clean (and dishwasher safe – though we recommend hand washing)
• It really is nonstick
• It heats quickly and evenly
• It doesn’t require much (or any) oil when cooking (great for those cooking with less or no oil)
• It’s well designed with a custom steam basket and nesting spatula
• The company is doing its best to do business ethically and sustainably

Cons

• It’s expensive — $145 USD (but considering it’s multi-functional, it does save money if replacing other cookware)
• It’s not oven-safe (cast iron still has a leg up here)
• It’s not deep enough to boil a substantial amount of ingredients in my opinion

Is The Always Pan Safe?

One of the main questions I received when sharing I’d purchased the Always Pan was “Is it safe?” According to all the information available on their website and information they provided when contacted directly, I would say yes.

The Always Pan features an “exclusive non-toxic, nonstick ceramic coating made without potentially toxic materials like PFOAs, PTFEs, other PFAs, lead, cadmium, toxic metals, and nanoparticals.”

Also from the company:

“Our product is free of lead and heavy metals both for the interior and exterior of the Always Pan. We’re working on some testing that will be available on our site for all our customers (new and old!) to be as transparent as possible.”

As far as cooking goes, it’s kind of a dream. We love the steamer basket that allows for a sizable quantity of ingredients.

And the handles on the sides make it easy to lift out once done cooking. (Note: Always be careful when handling a hot pan.)

It also sautés incredibly well and requires very little to no oil thanks to the nonstick surface. I’ve tested it with oil, a light amount of oil, no oil, and water for sautéing and each worked well.

This is one of my favorite features as it means I can cook with little to no oil but not sacrifice on flavor or texture.

The ultimate test? Frying an egg. It cooks eggs beautifully and is totally nonstick.

It even passed “the swirl test” once the egg was cooked (it easily swirls around the pan).

We also love the depth of the pan, which allows for sautéing and stir frying a sizable portion of ingredients without spillage.

And when adding a sauce, there’s no sticking in sight (one of my main complaints with cast iron and especially stainless steel).

Can we also talk about aesthetics? It’s incredibly beautiful and the color range is stunning. We have the color “spice,” but also eyed “lavender.” “Sage” is also a stunner. And minimalists will delight in the colors “char” and “steam.”

The pan is also great for serving as it’s lightweight and even looks pretty when plopped down on the table for serving.

Perhaps the best part about the Always Pan? CLEANING. It’s SO easy to clean.

Food and stains rinse away almost entirely with water alone and the rest comes away easily with a soft sponge in seconds (literally).

While it’s technically dishwasher safe, the dishwasher is inevitably tough on cookware, so I’d recommend sticking to hand washing to preserve the non-stick longterm.

More Thoughts

Several readers reached out to us and either praised the pan as the ultimate kitchen companion or said the nonstick coating wore off in a matter of weeks. We were skeptical, but so far we’re on the side of “ultimate kitchen companion.”

So far I haven’t noticed any abnormal wear or damage despite daily use. Perhaps the nonstick coating wore off over time because:

1. It’s not intended to be used over high heat for sustained periods of time
2. It likely wears best when hand washed
3. It should not be used with metal cooking tools (like spatulas or whisks) or cleaned with abrasive sponges (like steel wool).

If it’s well cared for, I think it will hold up quite well. Will it last forever? We’ll see. I’ll add any updates here as I have them. But so far, we’re quite impressed.

Do We Recommend The Always Pan?

100% yes. It surprised me with how quickly it’s become our go-to pan.

My favorite features are that it’s incredibly lightweight, actually nonstick (and nontoxic), heats quickly, cooks evenly, allows for oil-free and reduced-oil cooking, and cleans so easily. Did I mention it’s beautiful?

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Tell us: Have you tried the Always Pan? What has your experience been? Do you have other questions about the Always Pan? Leave your comments below!

Note: This review is not sponsored. We purchased the Always Pan, did not contact the company about doing so, and reviewed it an unbiased manner. We do, however, have an affiliate link that provides a small commission when used for purchase.