Hi guys, I’m back on the blog with another product that I just reviewed on my YouTube channel – the Always Pan by Our Place.
Jump to my 6-month update and final verdict of the Always Pan
Rather watch a video review? Check it out below:
At this point I think we’ve all seen the ads for this magical pan that is designed to replace eight traditional pieces of cookware. Supposedly, you can fry, sauté, braise, steam, and even boil things in it. It’s really easy to clean and 100% nonstick.
I’ve always been really curious about this pan, so I decided to test it for a week and give you my honest opinion on whether it’s worth the $145 price tag.
DISCLAIMER: I received the Always Pan complimentary for review purposes, but neither my video, nor this post are sponsored by the company. This is my 100% honest experience and thoughts.
FIRST IMPRESSIONS
So, first things first – just based on the description of the product online, I really like the fact that the non-stick coating is made without potentially toxic materials like PFOAs, PTFEs, other PFAs, lead, cadmium, toxic metals, and nanoparticles (not that I know what every single thing on this list is, but it somehow makes me feel better that it’s not used in the making of this pan).
The pan also comes with a wooden spatula and a steaming basket in addition to the lid which I thought are really cool additions.
The Always Pan is technically dishwasher-safe, but it’s best to wash it by hand so it can keep its pristine condition for as long as possible (they also send you a natural sponge for cleaning the pan). And of course, don’t ever use metal utensils or anything that can scratch the surface.
It kind of reminds me of a cast iron pan in terms of design but it’s way lighter which is a plus in my book. I like my cast iron pan, but it never became my favorite to be honest and its weight was part of the reason why.
The color I chose for my Always Pan is spice which is a light, pastelly terracotta color – that’s the color you’d mostly see online when searching for the product. They have a few additional [and very pretty] options: lavender (light purple), sage (light green), char (dark gray, charcoal color), and steam which is like an eggshell color.
MY WEEK USING THE ALWAYS PAN
So, my goal was to use the pan for the majority of my meals this week and I stared on Tuesday with scrambled eggs.
I always use an oil spray when I cook my eggs to give them a little bit more flavor and healthy fats, so that’s how I cooked my eggs that first morning. I also tried frying an egg without any oil to really test the nonstick coating which I will discuss later in this post.
The pan did a very good job with my scrambled eggs. The biggest difference compared to my regular pan was the nonstick coating, it definitely felt superior – my eggs were pretty much gliding on the surface.
It was also really easy to clean – I just rinsed it off with warm water and wiped it off, and it was like new. That was my go to method for the majority of my meals, unless I had used more oil, in which case I fully washed it with dish soap.
On the next day, I decided to make an avocado toast and, as I mentioned earlier, I fried my egg without any oil. It worked as advertised– my egg didn’t stick at all. It was fried really evenly and was super easy to take out of the pan.
For dinner on Tuesday I decided to have something like a rice bowl with brussels sprouts and chicken thighs. I first made the chicken in the pan and was really impressed with how evenly and how fast it cooked. I might be imagining things, but I feel like it performed better than my regular pan. It also browned my brussels sprouts really nicely, just the way I like them.
The next meal that I made in the Always Pan was another breakfast meal – something like a low-carb version of a breakfast sandwich or a breakfast wrap. It has scrambled eggs that are fried like an omelette and cheese, covered with a [low-carb] tortilla. You flip it when the egg side is cooked and add some sandwich meat – I used turkey and ham, then you shape it like a roll and voila! I’m always kind of scared when I flip it because omelettes tend to stick to my pans sometimes, but I had zero issues with the Always Pan. It flipped extremely easily, and the end result looked really great.
For my next meal in the Always Pan I decided to make spaghetti and I made the mistake of using edamame spaghetti (because I’m weird). Needless to say, they weren’t great and my husband pretty much refused to eat them, so we ended up making mac and cheese instead. The Always Pan was definitely deep enough to use as a pot and I was happy with how the cooking process went.
Now, another thing that I wanted to make was steamed vegetables, so I got some green beans. You just a need a little bit of water to cover the bottom of the pan – when it starts boiling, pop the steaming basket on top of it, the veggies in the basket and cover with the lid. Wait 5 minutes (or maybe more for things like broccoli) and you have beautiful steamed vegetables.
FINAL THOUGHTS
Okay guys, here are my final thoughts: I LOVE this pan! That’s all that I can say.
The first time when I saw it online, I was iffy about the price. I’ve never spent that much on a pan in my life, but after trying it, I think I would. The Always Pan is really multifunctional and I can see myself using it every day. It does everything that claims to do and it does it really well.
I think this pan is perfect for people who have small kitchens/not much storage, or they just don’t want to own a million pots and pans for a million different things.
It’s also really aesthetically pleasing in everything from design to colors, to just the overall vibe of the product.
I can say that the Always Pan is one of my favorite products that I’ve ever tested on my YouTube channel and it will definitely be my go-to pan from now on.
It’s also important to mention that Our Place uses ethical labor: all of their factories are paid above-living wages, have benefits, and are treated with respect. They validate this through regular rigorous factory visits, interviews with teams, and 3rd party audits such as BSCI, SA8000, Sedex, and ISO. That inevitably impacts the price of their products, but it’s something we can feel good about as consumers.
They are also committed to investing in products made from thoughtful and responsible materials. Their glasses are made from a portion of recycled glass and natural sand, and are also naturally dyed. The Always Pan is made from a portion of recycled materials as well. The packaging is 100% free of plastics, is fully recyclable and biodegradable, and innovatively designed to eliminate the need for a shipper box. Their products are also intended to streamline your kitchen, and reduce the number of items you need to buy.
If you decide to go with this pan I think you’ll be really happy with your purchase. Of course, with any pan I think it’s important to test it over time and see how it performs in six months or a year. I’m planning on updating this post as time goes by to let you know if I still like it as much as I do now.
3-MONTH UPDATE
I use it every day and the nonstick coating is still as good as new. The only sign of wear is at the bottom of the pan where it touches the flame of my stove – there is some visible discoloration.
6-MONTH UPDATE
Disclosure: Links included in this post might be affiliate links. If you use these links to purchase a product/service, I may receive a small commission with no additional charge to you.
Avocado on Everything 