Our Place’s cookware gets a lot of hype, but how does it actually perform? Here’s my unbiased review.
If you’ve browsed Instagram for more than five minutes anytime in the last year, then you’re probably already familiar with Our Place’s trendy cookware.
These sleek, elegant pans and pots are all over social media, so there’s a good chance you’ve seen an ad or sponsored post even if you don’t regularly search for kitchen wares.
But when a brand or product explodes on social media, it’s hard to tell how much of that is due to the quality of the product and how much is just due to marketing. That’s especially true with Our Place — the brand has received its fair share of criticism, claiming its products are subpar and overpriced.
Thankfully, you don’t have to drop a few hundred on a full cookware set to find out if Our Place is worth it — I’ll be giving you my honest thoughts in this review.
(Disclaimer: Our Place provided me with these items for a previous article, but this is not a sponsored review, and I’m not being paid by Our Place).
Our Place: The Brand
Our Place was founded in 2019 by three entrepreneurs with one shared vision: to simplify cooking. The brand recognized how difficult it was to shop for cookware and wanted to create a solution that wouldn’t involve having to invest in a huge 20-piece set.
In late 2019, Our Place launched the Always Pan, a nonstick pan designed to do everything from sautéing to steaming. The pan developed a cult following seemingly overnight and received tons of glowing reviews. It went so viral that it quickly became known as the Instagram pan.
However, the first version of the Always Pan had a couple of glaring flaws: it wasn’t oven-safe, and the nonstick coating wore out fairly quickly.
These issues — along with the barrage of influencer campaigns that everyone was getting bombarded with — created a contingency of Our Place naysayers who insisted the brand’s cookware wasn’t worth the money.
In 2023, Our Place addressed these issues with the Always Pan 2.0, which is the version the brand currently offers. Unlike the first version, the Always Pan 2.0 is oven-safe up to 450˚ and features a new nonstick coating that Our Place claims is 50% longer lasting than the original.
But Our Place is no one-trick pony. It quickly expanded its lineup to include pots, countertop ovens, knives, dinnerware, and much more.
There’s no denying that Our Place’s offerings are aesthetically pleasing, but how do they actually hold up to daily use?
I had that same question myself, so I was very interested to see how these products would perform.
My Review
Over the past few months, my girlfriend and I tested out Our Place’s cookware in a normal home setting (in other words, we’re not trained chefs).
As a disclaimer, I’m vegan, so these wares saw zero meat, eggs, fish, or dairy. But I did try a wide range of meals and ingredients — just nothing with animal products.
Here’s everything I reviewed:
Our Place Always Pan 2.0 Review
First up is the Always Pan 2.0 in the limited edition Tierra color. Out of the box, I was immediately impressed at the feel and overall build quality, and the deep, bronzy color looks even better in person.
So, does this pan live up to all the hype? Surprisingly, it pretty much does. The star of the show is undoubtedly the nonstick coating, which is an absolute game-changer (especially if you’re coming from stainless steel).
It makes both cooking and cleaning up a breeze, and that, in turn, reduces the time spent in the kitchen. Plus, the built-in spoon rest really comes in handy.
In the few months since I received the Always Pan 2.0, I haven’t noticed any reduction in the quality or effectiveness of the nonstick coating. This 10.5-inch pan has effortlessly handled everything from mushrooms and garlic to stir-fry dishes and plant-based proteins.
Overall, the Always Pan 2.0 does exactly what Our Place set out to do: it makes cooking easier. Having a nonstick pan that heats evenly (and retains that heat well) makes it easy to come back from work and quickly cook a meal without having to exert tons of effort.
Our Place Perfect Pot Review
I picked up the Home Cook Duo set, which includes the Always Pan 2.0 and the Perfect Pot. The pan was the first item I tested out, so I was curious to see how Our Place’s technology would translate to a pot format.
Overall, the Perfect Pot is a fine pot, but it’s definitely not perfect. Like its pan counterpart, the Perfect Pot is made well and heats evenly.
However, Our Place recommends going no hotter than medium heat, which means quick boiling is out of the question.
The Perfect Pot shines when making more involved dishes like soups and stews.
Thanks to Our Place’s trademark nonstick coating, you can easily use this pot for both sautéing and simmering.
The flip side is that it’s overkill to pull out this pot just to make a quick cup of mac and cheese. At 5.5 quarts, the Perfect Pot is one hefty boy, and while that volume is useful for bigger portions, it also means that it’s harder to cook smaller servings.
Our Place Fully Prepped Bundle Review
The third item I reviewed was the Fully Prepped Bundle in sage. This set includes three knives — one 8-inch chef’s knife, one 9-inch serrated knife, and one 4-inch paring knife — and a black walnut cutting board.
Surprisingly, this bundle took the number one spot out of everything I reviewed. The knives are extremely sharp and feel nice and substantial in the hand. And speaking about the feeling, I also have to applaud the proprietary grips that allow for an ergonomic, no-slip cutting experience.
These knives are a major step up from the Victorinox blades I was using previously.
And, of course, the cutting board is as handsome as it looks in pictures. The deep and rich black walnut will instantly elevate any countertop, and it takes wear and tear well.
This board weighs in at a hefty 5.6 pounds, so even though it doesn’t have anything grippy on its base, it never moves around when in use.
Our Place Shear Genius Review
Last but not least, I reviewed the Shear Genius kitchen shears. This might not be as exciting of an item as the Always Pan, but it’s extremely practical.
Like many people, I’m guilty of having a few old pairs of scissors in various kitchen drawers for multipurpose kitchen cutting. Of course, the problem with this approach is that those scissors get dull and dirty very quickly.
The Shear Genius not only solves that problem but also provides additional functionality. This 5-in-1 tool includes the shears, a serrated blade, two herb strippers, a stem clipper, and even a box opener (which I didn’t even notice until I wrote this review).
The shears themselves are extremely sharp and cut through just about anything with ease. I’m also a fan of the big and soft handles, which are much better and more comfortable than standard scissor handles.
Our Place Review: Is This Hyped Brand Worth It?
Overall, I think Our Place is worth the money if you’re someone who struggles with cooking. This kitchen gear won’t magically make your food delicious, but it will simplify the cooking process and remove a couple of headaches.
A lot of the negative reviews of Our Place’s cookware fundamentally misunderstand who these products are for. If you’re a chef who’s used to working with premium stainless steel or cast iron pots and pans, then of course you’ll be underwhelmed by Our Place.
But if you’re just someone who wants to make cooking a little easier after a long day at work, you’ll find a lot to love here.
Our Place’s cookware is also competitively priced, considering its specs. Of course, there are better options out there, but many of them are much more expensive — and not as easy to use.
TL;DR: Our Place is a great brand for people who want to step up from microwaved meals without emptying their wallets.
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