Here at New York Post Shopping, we’re all about saving you time and money. So naturally, we love multi-use products, like Vitamix’s 5200 Blender, that can chop whole foods and even heat up soup.
When we discovered Our Place’s Always Pan picking up steam on social media, we simply had to put the pan that can replace eight pieces of traditional cookware to the test.
Aside from its versatility, the much-clamored-about pan has an Instagram-worthy bodice that comes in a beautiful palette — including its popular spice hue, a bold and tangy ‘lemon zest’ color and a modern-looking pewter shade.
Ahead, find our Always Pan review, along with our first impressions and thoughts on Our Place’s Walnut Cutting Board, its premier knives and the sold-separately Spruce Steamer (though there’s an included stainless steamer with an Always Pan purchase) that’ll inspire you to whip up dumplings and vegetables from the comfort of your stovetop.
What the Always Pan can do
Let’s first talk about the “do-it-all wonder” and the magic it claims to bring to your cooking game. The Always Pan is an alleged cult favorite for its ability to replace your fry pan, nonstick pan, saucier, saucepan, saute pan, skillet, spatula, spoon rest and steamer.
Plus, the ceramic-coated burner BFF checks yes to boiling, braising, frying, sauteing, searing, steaming and straining all on its fabulous lonesome. Not to mention, you can take the pan from stovetop to table to serve your delicious meal, or straight to the refrigerator to store leftovers.
Hence, it’s a plan you won’t use often, but “always.”
Our Place Always Pan, $145
With a pan as versatile as this one, you’ll want to buy one for yourself ASAP.
The pan is exclusively designed with a nonstick coating that’s void of PFOAs, PTFEs, PFAs, cadmium, lead, nanoparticles and toxic metals — things you learn about in science class that don’t pair well with morning scrambled hash or dinnertime ravioli and veggies.
What’s more, the Always Pan is compatible with all cooktops — even induction! — and a modular lid to let steam escape or to lock it in when preferred. Oh, and did we talk about the included nesting steamer basket and colander?
Yes, it’s a two-in-one product in an eight-in-one product. Mind blown!
What we liked about the Always Pan
We’re getting into the nitty-gritty, starting with the unboxing of the Always Pan and other cooking tools all the way to the final rinse and clean.
Its sustainable packing: When FedEx rang my doorbell with the Our Place box, the excitement made me do it, meaning I practically ripped it open and set it on my cooktop to admire the Instagram-turned-reality beaut.
Inside the cardboard boxes were a carefully packaged pan, cutting board, knives and bamboo steamer, all encased with more cardboard strips that said bye-bye to any and all plastic wrapping — a win for the sustainable-minded pan-user.
Also included is a miniature sponge that comes with cleaning instructions professionally attached (with a chic gold paperclip, no less). It’s advised to give the pan a nice wash before its first use.
Its versatility: This basically goes without saying, but the ability for it to do eight different things — and yes, we tried them all — is unmatched. I live with my parents who have a million and one pans, pots and lids that somehow all fit in our kitchen cabinets, and this completely replaces the need for about 80% of them.
It’s really nonstick: Starting off with one of the most simple dishes to hash out in the Always Pan: — grilled cheese. With a splash of oil, my lunch break creation turned out exquisite and I was impressed by how it’s the poster pan for nonstick. I didn’t vigilantly coat the sides of the pan and only focused on the base, and there was no sticky residue or embedded oil.
Its spill-preventative high structure: Something that’s much less hyped about is its thickness. When on your burner, the Always Pan has a base that goes higher than most frying and saute pans, which means it’s nearly impossible for liquids to splatter or ingredients to spill out. And even though the pan comes with a sturdy lid that doesn’t budge, it’s a bonus feature that adds less stress to the cooking experience.
Its capacity: After my tomato and cheese-packed sandwich, I wanted to cook a dinner dish in the Always Pan that had a sauce-like broth and would allow me to fill up most of the pan, just to see how it measured up. I have much larger pans that I cook with, so I was a bit skeptical about how many additions would comfortably fit in the pan.
Of course, I had to make an Italian-style Chicken Stir Fry with Vegetables from the one and only Laura Vitale, which was absolutely delectable. And, you best bet I used a bottle of Brightland olive oil to kick off the cooking party.
With a little over a pound of chicken breast and a garden of onions, peppers and mushrooms, everything sat nicely in the pan. And, when I had to cook everything with the lid partially off, it perfectly nestled off to the pan’s side.
Its built-in spoon rest: When cooking, it’s so convenient to have a place to drop your spoon in between stirs. While I have a spoon rest right next to my burner, I don’t particularly love the look of it — not to mention, they aren’t practical for smaller apartment-like kitchens.
With the Always Pan, you can place the spoon rest horizontally (pan-facing) or you can render it vertically if you’re cooking with the lid on. It’s genius, and I’m obsessed.
The cooking essentials from Our Place: Pairing nicely with the pan are the brand’s Everyday Chef’s Knife, Serrated Slicing Knife and Precise Paring Knife. When I made filet mignon during a Sur La Table cooking class, my boyfriend and I couldn’t get over how swiftly another brand’s chef knife cut. But, when we used Our Place’s Everyday Chef’s Knife and compared them side by side, Our Place’s was much sharper, less prone to accidentally cut you (thanks to its proprietary grooved handle that glides your hand) and looks super sleek.
What’s more, the brand’s Walnut Cutting Board is a dream to slice and dice. Its American black walnut wood is designed to maintain the sharpness of your knives. Its border trench captures juices and tend-to-spillover ingredients, too, so you won’t have a massacre on your countertop.
Not to mention, it doubles as a beautiful charcuterie board.
It’s easy to clean: Whether you use the included sponge or not, the Always Pan is easy to clean. I didn’t have to use a soap pad and scrub for hours. A quick rinse with hot water and dish soap is all you need.
What we didn’t like about the Always Pan
While the buzzy pan is beloved by many, we noticed some shortfalls worth mentioning:
It’s not oven-safe: Though it’s true to its word of replacing eight pieces of cookware, the Always Pan isn’t oven-safe. I was going to make a recipe that was stovetop to oven and, sadly, was unable to use my new kitchen toy.
Our Place notes the pan isn’t oven-safe on its website so it’s not a sudden, covert flaw. However, it’s worth considering before splurging on a normally priced $145 pan.
It’s a bit heavy: With a three-pound weight, it doesn’t seem all too large. But, if you’re taking it by the handle to serve on your table — with food, no less — it’s noticeably heavier than most pans. So, we don’t recommend it for people with wrist injuries or weaker wrists.
It’s not practical for everything: While it’s always displayed on my stovetop, the Always Pan isn’t a true “always” product. Yes, you can scramble eggs in it, but it makes more sense (at least for me) to whip up a quick breakfast in my smaller, light-as-a-feather frying pan I’ve had for years — and, if you have a favorite wok or uniquely shaped pan, you’d likely resort to one of those.
But, we do love its ability to interchange between a saucepan and a skillet, a spoon rest and a steamer and more.
Is the Always Pan worth it?
Yes, we stand by the Always Pan after testing. For a full deal, you can pick up the new Perfect Pot, too, but the pan is an optimal piece of cookware to add to your collection.
Or, dare we say collection, meaning the Always Pan replaces eight pieces of cookware?
Whether you’re moving into a new place and looking to cut down the costs of dozens of pans or you’re a seasoned cook who aims for convenience amid a busy schedule, the Always Pan is a reliable, quality and aesthetically pleasing buy.
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