Our Comprehensive Our Place Always Pan Review (and More!)
If you‘re like most home cooks, your kitchen is filled with a menagerie of pots and pans in different shapes, sizes, and colors. It can be a pain to store them all and frustrating to dig through the pile to find the one you need. Imagine if you could replace a huge chunk of that cookware with a single, good-looking pan that could braise, sear, steam, strain, saute, fry, and more. That‘s the promise of the Always Pan from Our Place, a direct-to-consumer kitchen and dining company.
Our Place has generated a lot of buzz for sleek, thoughtful products meant to streamline and beautify your meals. I spent several weeks putting the Always Pan and the company‘s dinnerware through their paces. In this Our Place review, I‘ll share my honest thoughts on how well the products performed, how they look and feel, the brand‘s customer service and policies, and whether I think Our Place is worth your hard-earned cash. Let‘s dig in!
What is Our Place?
Founded in 2018 by Shiza Shahid, Our Place is a cookware and dinnerware brand centered around connection and social impact. Shahid, who immigrated to the U.S. from Pakistan, wanted to create products to help friends and family gather joyfully around the table and celebrate their cultural traditions.
Thoughtful design is at the heart of Our Place‘s offerings. Their signature product, the Always Pan, is meant to replace eight traditional pieces of cookware, minimizing clutter and noticeably simplifying your cooking. The dinnerware showcases a modern yet timeless aesthetic in a natural color palette. Everything is ethically and sustainably made, without harmful materials.
Our Place partners with the Los Angeles Food Policy Council to enhance local food equity and access. The company‘s products are manufactured in a female-owned factory in China, providing stable opportunities for skilled artisans. A portion of proceeds supports The Malala Fund, a girls‘ education nonprofit.
Our Place Always Pan Review
Retailing for $145, the Always Pan is Our Place‘s crown jewel. Designed to replace your fry pan, saute pan, steamer, skillet, saucepan, non-stick pan, spatula, and spoon rest, this baby can braise, sear, steam, strain, saute, fry, serve, and store. It‘s compatible with all cooktops and comes with a modular lid, a nesting steamer/colander basket, a beechwood spatula, and a built-in spoon rest.
The body of the Always Pan is made from sturdy aluminum with an exclusive non-toxic, nonstick ceramic coating free of PFOAs, PTFEs, lead, and other harmful substances. It comes in seven lovely matte hues: Spice (a dusty pink), Blue Salt (pale blue-grey), Steam (a creamy off-white), Char (inky gray), Sage (soft green), Lavender (muted purple), and Heat (bright red).
I tested the Always Pan in Char over several weeks, using it to saute veggies, shallow fry tofu, steam dumplings, boil pasta, and make quick sauces. It consistently delivered great results with easy cleanup. The nonstick coating meant I could use less oil overall and nothing stuck to the surface. The pan heated quickly and evenly, yielding perfect browning and crisping. And it was deep and wide enough to cook generous portions with room to stir and flip.
At 2.7 quarts, the Always Pan won‘t replace a stockpot or Dutch oven for big-batch cooking. It also isn‘t meant to go in the oven. But for most other everyday stovetop needs, it truly shines. The thoughtful design details made cooking a pleasure, from the stay-cool handle to the integrated spoon rest and pour spouts. Even the steamer basket doubled nicely as a colander for draining pasta. Looks-wise, this pan is a real stunner – it made me happy just to see it on my stovetop!
Cleaning the Always Pan was a breeze thanks to the slick nonstick surface. It‘s also deceptively lightweight at just 3 pounds, so it was easy on my wrists to lift and carry.
My only real complaint about the Always Pan was that the nonstick coating did seem to lose a bit of its slipperiness after about a month of frequent use. As with all nonstick, it will inevitably wear out over time, but I hope to get at least a year or two of use before needing a replacement.
Our Place Dinnerware Review
In addition to the Always Pan, I also tried out several pieces from Our Place‘s dinnerware collection: the Drinking Glasses, Side Bowls, and Main Plates.
Our Place Drinking Glasses Review
Available in Clear, Dawn (soft pink), Dusk (smoky grey), and Sunset (amber), the Drinking Glasses are hand-blown and stackable. The 12-ounce size felt comfortable to hold and substantial without being clunky. I loved the organic, gently curving silhouette.
The glasses are made from a mix of sand and glass, colored only with natural elements. They‘re microwave and dishwasher safe for ease of use. While durable for everyday sipping, they do seem prone to breaking if dropped (as I accidentally discovered). Thankfully, they‘re fully recyclable. A set of 4 glasses costs $50 while 8 will run you $85.
Our Place Side Bowls Review
I‘m a big fan of bowls for everyday eating, so I was excited to try the Side Bowls. Again available in Char, Steam, and Spice, these hand-painted porcelain bowls are deceptively deep at 2.75 inches and wide with a 6-inch diameter – great for generous portions of soups, stews, salads, grain bowls, and more.
The Side Bowls nest nicely to maximize cabinet space. They‘re freezer, microwave, dishwasher, and even oven-safe (up to 400 degrees Fahrenheit). A set of 4 bowls retails for $45, or score 8 for $85.
Our Place Main Plates Review
Rounding out the dinnerware trifecta, the 9.75-inch Main Plates also come in Char, Steam, and Spice. These stackable porcelain plates are lightweight but sturdy, with a matte base and a subtly speckled, glossy finish on top. The rim also features a handy lip to keep your food in place.
The Main Plates can handle the microwave, dishwasher, and oven. Like the Side Bowls, a 4-piece set costs $45 while 8 plates will set you back $85.
Overview of Our Place Dinnerware
Overall, I was impressed with the quality, versatility, and beauty of Our Place‘s dinnerware. The pieces feel special enough to use for entertaining but practical enough for everyday meals. I like that I can buy what I need a la carte but the curated sets offer additional savings and take the guesswork out of building a collection.
Aesthetically, the dinnerware has a modern-yet-timeless sensibility and the nature-inspired hues pair well together while still feeling distinctive. Small design touches like the stackable profiles and plate rims were both attractive and functional.
My main hesitation around the Our Place dinnerware is the price. $45-$50 for a 4-piece place setting isn‘t outrageous but it is an investment, especially if you‘re outfitting a whole household. I appreciate the quality construction and thoughtful design but some budget-conscious buyers may want to wait for a sale.
What Else Does Our Place Make?
Besides the signature Always Pan and dinnerware, Our Place also offers:
Spruce Steamer
Designed to nestle perfectly into the Always Pan, the Spruce Steamer is a must for dumplings, veggies, tamales, fish, and more. The handwoven spruce wood basket fits into an aluminum base tray and comes with 25 paper liners and a set of bamboo cooking chopsticks. It costs $30.
Flipping Platter
A clever reversible cutting board and serving platter in one, the Flipping Platter is made of FSC-certified walnut wood. Use the flat side for chopping and carving, then flip to the grooved side for mess-free serving. It‘s $95.
Dinner for 4 Bundle
To outfit your whole table in one fell swoop, spring for the Dinner for 4 set. It includes the Always Pan, 4 each of the Main Plates, Side Bowls, and Drinking Glasses, plus the Spruce Steamer. Bundled together, it costs $250 (a $45 savings).
Our Place Reviews: What Are Customers Saying?
Our Place has amassed thousands of glowing reviews online, with the Always Pan alone garnering a 4.9 average from over 28,000 reviews. Customers rave about the pan‘s versatility, even heating, and ease of cleaning. Several call it the "perfect" or "holy grail" everyday pan. On the dinnerware front, buyers appreciate the generous sizing, sturdy feel, and simple but striking look of the pieces.
The most common complaints center on issues with the Always Pan‘s nonstick coating wearing out prematurely. Some reviewers also felt the pan was overhyped and couldn‘t truly replace 8 other pieces of cookware. A few cited disappointments with customer service and long shipping times.
Overall though, the vast majority of reviews are positive, with many customers saying Our Place‘s products are well worth the price for the quality, convenience, and beautiful design. The company‘s ethical and environmentally-conscious practices also earned praise.
Is Our Place Worth It?
So, is Our Place worth your money? After putting several of their pieces through their paces, my answer is a qualified yes:
The Always Pan is a true all-star that makes everyday cooking faster, easier, and more fun. No, it probably won‘t replace every other pot and pan you own. But it can significantly cut down on clutter and cover a ton of functions beautifully. Just know that it can‘t go in the oven and the nonstick coating will wear out eventually with frequent use.
Our Place‘s dinnerware is pricey but lovely, striking a great balance between special occasion-worthy and everyday durable. If you like the modern, organic aesthetic and appreciate little details like the plate lips and stackable designs, I think you‘ll enjoy these pieces for years to come.
I love that Our Place products are ethically made without any harmful materials. The company‘s social impact initiatives and female leadership are also huge plusses in my book.
Ultimately, I didn‘t feel like I was sacrificing any performance to get gorgeous, streamlined products that make my kitchen work better and bring me more joy. To me, that‘s always money well spent! I‘m definitely keeping my eye on Our Place for future launches.
Our Place Promotions & Discounts
While Our Place‘s products are certainly an investment, the brand runs sales frequently. You can often score 10-20% off sitewide, and they occasionally offer deeper discounts on major shopping holidays like Black Friday. Bundles like the Dinner for 4 set already have built-in savings. Our Place also provides free shipping on all orders over $99.
Students, teachers, medical professionals, first responders, and military members are eligible for 10% off their first Our Place purchase. They also offer a 20% discount if you host an Our Place Ambassador event to share their products with friends and family.
Where to Buy Our Place
Currently, Our Place is only sold through their official website, FromOurPlace.com, and on Amazon. The 30-day trial and free shipping on larger orders only applies to purchases made on their site.
FAQ
Does the Always Pan work on an induction stove?
Yes, the Always Pan is fully compatible with all cooktops, including induction.
Is the Always Pan oven-safe?
No, the Always Pan is designed for stovetop use only and should not go in the oven. The dinnerware is oven-safe up to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
How do I clean my Our Place dinnerware?
Our Place‘s plates, bowls, and glasses are all dishwasher-safe. You can also easily wash them by hand in warm, soapy water. Avoid abrasive sponges or cleaners.
What is the Our Place return policy?
Our Place accepts returns within 30 days of delivery for a full refund, minus shipping. You‘re responsible for return shipping costs. Email them at [email protected] to initiate a return.
Where are Our Place products made?
Our Place partners with factories in Thailand, China, and Mexico to produce their pieces. The factories are regularly audited for labor standards and the company has a zero-tolerance policy against child or forced labor.
The Final Verdict on Our Place
Innovative, beautifully designed, and effortless to use, Our Place will delight anyone who appreciates hardworking, great-looking kitchen gear. The Always Pan is a true standout that I‘ll reach for constantly. And while pricey, their dinnerware is stylish and versatile enough to earn its place at my table for the long haul.
Backed by a risk-free trial period and a mission to empower, Our Place has earned my respect and a spot on my shortlist of exciting young kitchen brands to watch. I can‘t wait to see what else they cook up!
