I Always Reach for My Always Pan

My fellow WIRED reviewers are some of the smartest people I know. Ask a Gear team member any question, whether it’s about zipper quality, knob feel, material durability, or whether a shade of blue is actually more green, and they’ll have an informed opinion (and resources to back it up). So a few years ago, when my late grandmother gifted me the Our Place Always Pan, I was a little nervous. WIRED contributor Joe Ray had given it a 3 out of 10.

But I loved my grandma, who was very excited about gifting me something trendy and useful, and the pan looked cool. So I cooked on it. And I’ve cooked 99 percent of my meals on it ever since.

Our Place heard customer and reviewer feedback. Ray wasn’t the only person on the internet who’d taken issue with the first iteration of the Always Pan. The one I received, and the one that’s for sale now, is the revamped Our Place Always Pan 2.0. It’s available in three sizes. I’ve always used the standard size, which measures 10.5 inches. And I love it to pieces.

Photograph: Louryn Strampe

Second Chance

The negative feedback on the first iteration of the pan was valid. It had quality-control issues, like an uneven surface on the bottom, inconsistent cooking surfaces from pan to pan, and inconsistent paint jobs. It also wasn’t oven-safe. But I’m happy to report that in my experience with two separate Always Pan 2.0 models (the gift I received and another I called in to compare), this pan is now nearly perfect. And that’s before you account for any of the myriad accessories available to complement it. It’s available in a bunch of colors, and every pan includes a lid, a steamer basket (that doubles as a colander), and a nesting 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 has improved nonstick performance, better stain resistance, and an induction-friendly, oven-safe design. The form also got some changes, like a roomier helper handle and curvature improvements. The company didn’t officially address the convex cooking surfaces or chipping paint that Joe Ray took issue with, but my cooking surfaces (on two pans) have been fine, and the paint on both pans looks great (even up close).