Is the Always Pan 2.0 worth the price? We tried it to find out

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This year, I have consciously tried to cook more at home. I need to keep things in the kitchen simple, from my recipes to how I prepare them. I don’t like digging through my cabinets to use a lot of pots and pans to get a meal on my table.

So, I jumped at the chance to try out the Always Pan 2.0, a versatile piece of cookware from Our Place that promises an “all-in-one” cooking experience. I connected with a representative from Our Place, the manufacturer of the Always Pan 2.0 and was able to put the pan to the test.

$150 at Our Place

What Is The Always Pan 2.0?

If you haven’t heard of the Always Pan 2.0, let’s get you acquainted with this popular pan. Made and sold by Our Place, the Always Pan 2.0 is designed as a “10-in-1” cookware system. The $150 standard-sized pan (10.5-inches), comes in six regular colors and six limited-edition colors and promises to tackle all of these cooking tasks:

• Bake
• Boil
• Braise
• Fry
• Roast
• Sauté
• Sear
• Steam
• Strain
• Serve

The goal is to “save money and cabinet space with products designed to do everything and more,” according to the Always Pan 2.0 description.

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Why is it called the Always Pan 2.0? This pan can be used in a 450-degree oven, which is an updated feature to the original Always Pan. The Always Pan 2.0 is made with 100 percent post-consumer recycled aluminum and features Thermakind, the company’s exclusive ceramic nonstick coating, to ease cooking and cleaning.

It’s also suitable for all cooktop stoves, including electric, gas and even induction.

What’s Included With The Always Pan 2.0?

When my pan arrived I was eager to unbox it, so I brought it to the kitchen to check it out. Inside the box, I found the complete set, which included:

• The 10.5-inch pan
• A domed, steam-release lid
• A nesting beechwood spatula
• A nesting steamer basket/colander

They were all packed securely inside the box to ensure safe travels to my home without any damage.

Always Pan 2.0 Care Instructions

Also tucked inside the box was a card with some care instructions for the pan, which are important to follow so you don’t ruin your investment.

Here’s what you need to know about caring for the Always Pan 2.0:

• Only hand wash the Always Pan 2.0. It is not dishwasher safe.
• Do not use abrasive cleansers or sponges. They will destroy the pan’s nonstick coating.
• Avoid aerosol spray oils and oils with a low smoke point. Your best bets are avocado, peanut, coconut or extra virgin olive oil. If you use vegetable oil or butter, make sure not to cook on high heat, to avoid smoke — which can cause staining and affect the nonstick coating.
• Do not use metal utensils, as they will scratch the nonstick coating.
• Do not use in an oven heated to over 450-degrees Fahrenheit.

Now that we have the care instructions down, let’s talk about how the Always Pan 2.0 performed during a week of cooking in the average person’s house!

Our Overall Thoughts About The Always Pan 2.0

Pros

The Always Pan 2.0 is lightweight, versatile and an attractive addition to my kitchen. The ceramic coating prevented food from sticking to the pan and made cleanup incredibly simple. The pan also held more food than I anticipated, both when I cooked on the stovetop and in the oven. I was surprised by how much I liked the look of the pan. The nesting spatula that rests on the pan handle is a nice bonus, too.

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Cons

Because the Always Pan 2.0 has a nonstick coating, I felt like I couldn’t be as casual with my cooking as usual. The included wooden spatula was helpful for stirring, but it did not help with delicate items such as pancakes and eggs. And, even though the Always Pan 2.o is versatile, you can only use one cooking function at a time. In other words, you will still need to use additional pans to cook a full meal, unless you plan to clean the pan in-between food preparation.

Performance

I prepared a number of meals with the Always Pan 2.0 during my weeklong trial. My goal was to put the pan through its paces and try out as many of the features as possible. I didn’t get to all of them on the list, but here’s a rundown of how I used the Always Pan 2.0 for the week.

Frying/Sautéing/Braising

I did not deep fry any items with the Always Pan 2.0. I simply don’t cook using that technique. However, I did use the pan for frying, sautéing and braising for meals during the week.

In the mornings, I prepared my daily protein pancake, which uses a store-bought mix, some cocoa powder and an egg. Ordinarily, I have to spray the pan well to ensure it doesn’t stick. Not with the Always Pan 2.0.

I had to use a rubber spatula (my normal one is metal), so that made the pancake a bit tricky to flip. However, not one piece of this pancake stuck to the pan. In fact, you could barely tell I cooked anything in the pan when I was finished.

As for braising/sautéing, I prepared chili in the pan early one afternoon to be ready when I came home from running errands. I cooked up the lean ground beef with no oil at all, just to see how it would do. There was just enough fat in the meat to allow it to braise and then start to brown. Then, I added in the rest of my ingredients and let it simmer for a long while.

I was concerned that the tomatoes and seasonings would stick or stain the pan, especially after cooking for an extended period of time. Again, the pan performed beautifully and cleaned up without a trace of staining.

Finally, I fried up some pierogi as a side dish one evening. Since I don’t deep fry in oil, I used just a little bit of butter to get them browned up nicely. I followed the care directions and did not cook on high heat, to prevent smoking and burning the pan.

They were crispy and perfectly cooked.

Roasting

I pushed the limits of the Always Pan 2.0 by attempting to roast a 7-pound whole chicken. It just fit into the pan, and the lid covered it! Other than rubbing the chicken with a little oil and seasoning, I added no other liquid or oil to the pan.

The result? A beautiful looking bird!

After I moved the bird to a cutting board to rest, I placed the pan on the stovetop to use the delicious drippings as the base for a light gravy. The meal was delicious and I was pleasantly surprised at how well the pan stood up to the larger than expected poultry.

I did not use the steamer or the strainer during the week because whenever I was cooking, I used the Always Pan 2.0 primarily for the main entree and not the side dishes. This meant I couldn’t use the steamer or strainer for the pasta or vegetables I chose to prepare.

Which leads me to the pan’s design pros and cons.

Design

There are many things about the Always Pan 2.0 design that like. While I’m not usually one who cares what my cookware looks like, I’ll admit I like how this pan looks. I love the pop of color it adds to my kitchen.

I appreciated that the wooden spatula can sit on the handle while cooking, to reduce the mess on my stove or counters between stirring. The vented lid makes it possible to even put the spatula down while the pan is covered. Depending on how you set it on the pan, it can either retain or vent steam, which is a handy feature.

The nonstick coating held up well and the pan looked good as new after the first week of use. I have seen reviews noting that the coating wears down after extended use, but that is true with other pans, too. Based on my use, I have to say it performed brilliantly. The only downside to the nonstick coating is having to be overly careful with what utensils I use, and to not mistakenly use my normal sponge to clean the pan when doing the dishes.

As for the structural design, I find the long handle to be helpful when using the pan in the oven. The longer handle means I don’t have to reach as far into the oven. However, the long handle can be a little awkward when using the pan on the stovetop.

The handle makes it difficult to use adjacent burners on the stovetop. And, even when I turned the handle to face away from the adjacent burners, the handle took up counter space on the other side.

I compared the Always Pan 2.0 handle with some of my other pans. They measure almost the same lengthwise, my current pans’ handles are a little narrower.

Why is this a big deal? Because while the Always Pan 2.0 is designed to take the place of up to 10 pieces of cookware, you can’t do every cooking function at the same time. This means you often have to use other pots or pans while prepping a meal. An oversized handle like the one on the Always Pan 2.0 can make that a challenge on smaller cooktops.

Is The Always Pan 2.0 Worth It?

So, what’s the verdict on the Always Pan 2.0?

If you’re looking for a pan that can perform a variety of cooking functions and is easy to clean, the Always Pan 2.0 can be a good investment. You need to know that the multifunctional convenience solves a storage issue as opposed to a time issue when cooking. But, if you have minimal storage space and want a piece of cookware that is easy to clean, will cook almost anything and add some color to your kitchen, the Always Pan 2.0 is worth the price tag.