Our place always Pan 2.0 Review: My favorite piece of kitchen

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

But I loved my grandmother, who was very excited to give me something fashionable and useful, and the pan looked cool. So I baked on it. And I’ve cooked 99 percent of my meals since then.

Our location has listened to customer and reviewer feedback. Ray wasn’t the only person on the internet who had a problem with the first iteration of Always Pan. The one I received, and the one that’s on sale now, is the revamped Our Place Always Pan 2.0. It is available in three sizes. I always use the standard size, which measures 10.5 inches. And I love it to pieces.

Photography: Louryn Strampe

Second Chance

The negative feedback on the first iteration of the bread was valid. It had quality control issues such as an uneven surface on the bottom, inconsistent cooking surfaces from pan to pan, and inconsistent paint jobs. It wasn’t even oven safe. But I am happy to report that in my experience with two separate models of Always Pan 2.0 (the gift I received and another called for comparison), this pan is now almost perfect. And that’s before counting any of the countless accessories available to complement it. It’s available in a bunch of colors, and each pan includes a lid, a steamer basket (which doubles as a colander), and a nesting spatula.

I reached out to the company to see what had changed from the original pan to Pane semper 2.0. The newest pan has improved non-stick performance, better stain resistance, and an induction-friendly, oven-safe design. The shape also has some changes, such as a roomier help handle and curvature improvements. The company hasn’t officially addressed the convex cooking surfaces or chipping paint that Joe Ray took issue with, but my cooking surfaces (in two pans) have been fine, and the paint on both pans looks great (even nearby).

Photography: Louryn Strampe