My colleague WIRED Reviewers are some of the smartest people I know. Ask a Gear team member a question, whether it’s about the quality of the zipper, the feel, the durability of the material, or whether a shade of blue is actually greener, and they’ll have an informed opinion (and resources to back it up). When my late grandmother gave me the Our Place Always Pan a few years ago, I was a little nervous. WIRED contributor Joe Ray gave it 3 out of 10.
But I loved my grandma, who was really excited to get me something trendy and useful, and the pan looked cool. So I cooked on it. And since then I have cooked 99 percent of my meals with it.
Our Place has heard feedback from customers and reviewers. Ray wasn’t the only person on the Internet who was upset about the first version of the Always Pan. The one I received and is now for sale is the revised Our Place Always Pan 2.0. It is available in three sizes. I have always used the standard size which measures 10.5 inches. And I love it to bits.
Photo: Louryn Strampe
Second chance
The negative feedback on the first iteration of the pan was justified. There were quality control issues, such as: E.g. an uneven surface on the bottom, inconsistent cooking surfaces from pan to pan and inconsistent paint finishes. It wasn’t oven safe either. But I’m happy to report that in my experience with two separate Always Pan 2.0 models (the one I received as a gift and another one I called in to compare), this pan is now near perfect. And that’s before you consider the countless accessories available to complement it. It comes in many colors and each pan includes a lid, a steamer basket (which doubles as a strainer), and a spatula.
I reached out to the company to see what had changed from the original pan to the Always Pan 2.0. The newer pan features improved nonstick performance, better stain resistance, and an induction-friendly, oven-safe design. Some changes have also been made to the shape, such as a more spacious assist handle and improvements to the curvature. The company hasn’t officially addressed the convex cooking surfaces or peeling paint that Joe Ray complained about, but my cooking surfaces (on two pans) were fine and the paint on both pans looks great (even up close).
Photo: Louryn Strampe
