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Our Place Always Pan 2.0 (10.5-inch Ceramic Nonstick) Review: Is It Worth It?
The Instagram-viral pan that replaces a fry pan, sauté pan, saucier, steamer, skillet, saucepan, spatula, spoon rest and colander — in gorgeous ceramic-coated colors.
Illustrative image — see Amazon for the actual product.
Our verdict
The Our Place Always Pan is the pretty, well-made, one-pan solution it advertises — for the right kitchen. Small apartments, minimalist setups, and design-conscious buyers should absolutely consider it. Larger households and heavy cooks need more than one pan and should look at a Caraway set instead. Treat the ceramic coating gently and it repays you for years.
The short version
The Always Pan built its viral reputation on a smart idea: one deep, curved pan that genuinely does the job of eight kitchen tools. The 2.0 version is heavier-bottomed than the original, uses a nontoxic ceramic nonstick coating (PFOA/PTFE-free), comes with a nesting steamer basket and a beechwood spatula, and lives on the stovetop in one of a dozen gorgeous colors. It's not indestructible cast iron — the ceramic coating will wear down eventually — but for everyday sautéing, one-pan dinners, small pasta or eggs, it's a real quality-of-life upgrade over a mismatched cheap set.
Pros & cons
Pros
- Deep 10.5-inch design covers frying, sautéing, simmering, steaming, boiling
- Ceramic nonstick coating is PFOA-, PTFE-, PFAS-, and lead-free
- Comes with a nesting steamer basket and matching wooden spatula
- Beautiful design and 12+ colors — countertop-worthy
- Lid included, oven-safe to 425°F
- Better weight and stability than the 1.0 version
Cons
- Ceramic nonstick wears down over 12-24 months of daily use (needs replacing eventually)
- Not induction compatible in the base version (buy the induction model separately)
- Premium price for a single pan — full cookware sets are cheaper per piece
Why people love it
One pan, many jobs
The deep curved shape means it can boil pasta water, sauté vegetables, sear a steak, simmer a sauce, steam broccoli, and fry eggs — replacing a small mix of separate pans.
Nontoxic ceramic coating
A sand-derived ceramic nonstick surface means eggs slide and cleanup is fast — with no PFOA, PTFE, PFAS, or lead-based chemicals in the coating.
Steam, sauté, serve
The included nesting steamer basket turns the pan into a steamer for veg or dumplings, the matching beechwood spatula stores on the handle, and the pan looks good enough to leave on the stove.
Who it's for
- Small-kitchen apartment dwellers
- New homeowners and wedding-registry buyers
- Anyone downsizing from a chaotic cookware collection
- Those avoiding PTFE (Teflon-family) coatings for health reasons
Our Place Always Pan 2.0 review: is the viral pan actually worth it?
The Always Pan went viral on social media in 2020 and stayed there for a reason: it's genuinely a smart product for a specific person. That person is someone with a small kitchen (studio apartment, first apartment after college, small older kitchen with little storage), who cooks mostly single-pan dinners for one or two, and who values design as much as function. For them, replacing three or four pans with one gorgeous 10.5-inch deep sauté pan is a real quality-of-life upgrade — less clutter, easier cleanup, prettier stovetop.
Where the hype is oversold is for larger households and heavy cooks. A 10.5-inch pan holds two chicken breasts, four eggs, or a modest stir-fry — not a full family dinner for four. Serious cooks will still want a cast iron for searing, a stainless steel for browning, and a large stockpot for pasta water. The Always Pan doesn't replace those; it replaces a small cheap nonstick and a cheap sauté pan. If your kitchen already has good cookware, the value proposition is design-driven, not functional. For someone starting fresh in a small kitchen — including as a wedding registry gift for a first apartment — it's an easy recommendation.
Our Place vs Caraway vs GreenPan: which nontoxic ceramic cookware should you buy?
Three legit brands compete in the modern ceramic-cookware category. Our Place is the design-first brand — most beautiful colors, best individual-pan experience, coordinating dinnerware, magazine-ready. Priced highest per piece. Caraway is the value-set brand — the four-piece cookware set costs about the same as one Always Pan and gives you a saucepan, sauté pan, fry pan and Dutch oven. Slightly less polished aesthetics but similar ceramic performance. GreenPan is the widest lineup — cheaper individual pieces, sold everywhere, ranges from budget to premium.
For a wedding registry or setting up a new kitchen from scratch, Caraway's set is the smartest value pick. For a small kitchen that mostly needs one great pan, Our Place is the design-winner. For replacing individual pans one at a time on a tighter budget, GreenPan's individual pieces at Target or Amazon are fine. Ceramic cookware from all three lasts 1-3 years before recoating is needed — none last decades like cast iron. Plan for that.
How to actually keep a ceramic nonstick pan working for years
Ceramic nonstick failure is almost never the pan — it's how you use it. Five habits triple pan life. First: cook only on medium or medium-low heat. Ceramic degrades quickly above 400°F/200°C, which happens fast on high burners. Second: use only wooden, silicone or bamboo utensils — even 'nylon-safe' spatulas will scratch ceramic with pressure. Third: never use aerosol cooking spray. The propellants leave a residue that permanently ruins ceramic; use a small dab of butter, oil from a bottle, or a Misto pump sprayer instead.
Fourth: hand-wash only, with a soft sponge and dish soap. Dishwashers degrade ceramic coatings through heat and harsh detergents. Never use steel wool or Comet-type abrasives. Fifth: re-season occasionally. When food starts to stick more than it used to (usually around month 12-18), rub a thin layer of neutral oil (grapeseed or canola) over the cooled clean pan surface with a paper towel, heat it on medium for 2-3 minutes, wipe off excess, and cool. This restores the slick surface for a few more months. Do all five and a $150 Always Pan can last 3-4 years of daily use rather than 12 months.
See Our Place Always Pan on Amazon
Check the latest price, photos and buyer reviews on Amazon.
Check Price on Amazon →Sold and shipped by AmazonFrequently asked questions
Our Place Always Pan vs a regular ceramic sauté pan from GreenPan or Caraway: is it worth the premium?
The Always Pan is best-in-class for design and quality-of-life extras (nesting steamer, wooden spatula, spoon-rest handle, gorgeous colors) — it's the reason it went viral. Underlying nonstick performance is roughly equivalent to Caraway's ceramic pan and slightly better than GreenPan's cheaper lines. If you want the best-designed one-pan solution and love the aesthetic, Our Place is worth the ~$150. If you want maximum cookware for the money, buy a Caraway 4-pan set for less per piece.
Is the ceramic coating actually safe? What about PFAS?
Yes. The Always Pan uses a sol-gel ceramic coating (sand-derived silica compound) with no PFOA, PTFE, PFAS or lead. That's a real health upgrade over classic Teflon (PTFE) pans, especially if you cook at high temperatures or scratch pans regularly. The tradeoff: ceramic coatings wear out faster than PTFE — expect 12-24 months of great performance before eggs start sticking, and 2-4 years of usable life. You're trading long-term durability for a safer surface.
Is the Always Pan induction compatible?
The standard Always Pan 2.0 is NOT induction compatible — it works on gas, electric coil, and glass-ceramic stovetops but not induction. Our Place sells a separate 'Always Pan 2.0 for Induction' with a magnetic base — buy that model if you have an induction cooktop. Verify at checkout — both are on Amazon and the packaging looks similar.
How do I extend the life of the ceramic nonstick coating?
The ceramic coating is the whole game — treat it well and it lasts 3-4x longer. Cook on medium or medium-low heat (ceramic degrades faster on high). Never use metal utensils; the beechwood spatula that comes with it or silicone utensils only. Hand-wash with a soft sponge and gentle soap — no dishwasher, no abrasive scrubbers, no cooking spray (aerosol propellants leave residue that ruins the coating). Season occasionally with a thin layer of neutral oil rubbed in with a paper towel. Do these five things and you'll double the pan's life.
Can I put the Always Pan in the oven?
Yes, up to 425°F. That covers most oven finishing (frittatas, cornbread, seared-then-baked chicken thighs, roasted vegetables). Do not use under the broiler or above 425°F — the handle uses materials that degrade at higher heat, and the ceramic coating can fail. Use potholders — the handle gets hot in the oven and is not stay-cool during oven use.
Is the Our Place Always Pan actually better than a $30 cheap ceramic pan on Amazon?
For daily performance, marginally — a $30 ceramic pan from a decent brand cooks eggs and sautés vegetables just fine. Where Our Place wins is (1) design integration — the nesting steamer, matching spatula, and spoon-rest handle are genuinely useful daily; (2) the aesthetic — it lives on your countertop looking like art, which cheap pans do not; (3) build quality — the 2.0 is heavier and warps less than $30 pans; and (4) the perch on the handle for a resting spatula. For the person who just wants a functional ceramic pan, cheap works. For someone building a curated modern kitchen, Our Place is worth the price.
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