Our Place Always Pan 2.0 Review: My Favorite Piece of Cookware

My fellow WIRED Reviewers are some of the smartest people I know. Ask a member of the Gear team any question, whether it’s about zipper quality, knob feel, material durability, or whether a shade of blue is actually greener, and they’ll know something -an opinion (and resources to support it). 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 gave it a 3 out of 10.

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

Our Place listens to customer and reviewer feedback. Ray wasn’t the only person on the internet to take issue with the first iteration of Constant Bread. The one I received, and the one for sale today, 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.

Side view of Our Place Always Pan 2.0 a beige baking pan with a dark blue exterior and matching lid

Second Chance

The negative feedback on the first iteration of the pan is valid. It has quality control issues, such as uneven bottom surfaces, uneven cooking surfaces from pan to pan, and uneven paint jobs. It is also not 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 to compare), this pan is now near perfect. And that’s before you account for any of the many accessories available to complete it. It’s available in several colors, and each pan has a lid, a steamer basket (which doubles as a colander), and a nesting spatula.

I contacted the company to see what has changed from the original pan to Always Pan 2.0. The newer pan has improved nonstick performance, better stain resistance, and an induction-friendly, oven-safe design. The shape has also received some changes, such as a larger helper to manage and improve the curvature. The company has not officially addressed the convex cooktops or chipping paint that Joe Ray has issued, but my cooktops (on both pans) are fine, and the paint on both pans is nice. look (even up close).