Mini Always Pan and Mini Perfect Pot review
Our Place just launched minis—and we're obsessed
Credit:
Reviewed / Danielle DeSiato
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Our Place Mini Always Pan + Mini Perfect Pot Bundle
Pros
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Convenient size
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Great non-stick surfaces
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Easy to clean
Cons
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Helper handles get hot
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Can't flip foods in pan
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The popular and colorful Always Pan and Perfect Pot from Our Place somehow just got even cuter: With minis.
The viral cookware brand launched a Mini Always Pan and Mini Perfect Pot—made of the same nontoxic, nonstick ceramic coating as their larger counterparts—to further extend everyday usage in the kitchen.
These are great for smaller kitchen spaces, like dorm rooms or mobile homes, and of course as supplemental cookware for side dishes or grains while your main course simmers in a full-sized Always Pan or Perfect Pot.
We tried them out to see if these mini editions lived up to the hype of the OG Our Place cookware, and whether they're worth adding to your cookware collection.
About the Mini Always Pan and Perfect Pot
The Mini Always Pan (bottom right) and Mini Perfect Pot (left) are conveniently smaller than their larger counterpart (top right).
After receiving several suggestions from consumers for a smaller version of Our Place's ever-popular cookware, the brand obliged.
The Mini Always Pan is almost two inches smaller in diameter than the original cookware, with 1.2-quart capacity and a lightweight build of less than two pounds.
The Mini Perfect Pot is the same size as the mini pan in diameter, but with a 2.5-quart capacity that's great for cooking pasta or grains for two (with extra room for leftovers).
Both pans are made of nonstick ceramic material that's free of common toxins that are often present in other nonstick cookware. They both also include modular lids, pour spouts, and Beechwood spoons and spatulas, just like their larger counterparts.
What we like about Our Place's mini cookware
They're conveniently sized
Sticky breakfast foods like eggs, pancakes, and oatmeal were no match for this mini cookware.
Sometimes you don't want to lug out a full-sized pan for something like a fried egg—especially if you're cooking in a small space or over a portable burner.
Having cookware options in varying sizes is always convenient, but being able to match everything to your favorite signature Our Place color makes that experience even better.
And these are the perfect size. The Mini Always Pan is small but not too small; we were able to scramble four eggs, cook two small pancakes at once, and stir-fry a full block of cubed tofu without cramming for space. Similarly, the Mini Perfect Pot is roomy enough to make four servings of oatmeal or rice with room to spare. And the modular lid is great for releasing steam during cooking and draining surplus water without dropping any grains.
They're lightweight and easy to clean
Since Our Place's full-sized cookware is already lightweight, you can only imagine how easy it is to maneuver these little guys around the kitchen.
Shaking foods while sauteing and single-handedly transferring pans across the room was an easy feat. And even though these aren't dishwasher safe, their impressively nonstick surfaces and lightweight makeup means a quick scrub in the sink is painless.
They're super nonstick
Our Place's unique nonstick surfaces deliver just as well in its minis.
Just like Our Place's traditional cookware, these vessels have some seriously effective nonstick coating.
Pancake batter slid right off of the Mini Always Pan during testing, and cleaning after a batch of scrambled eggs was a breeze (it hardly looked like the pan was used!). Even when rice got slightly overcooked in the Mini Perfect Pot, it was easy to remove every single grain with the provided Beechwood Spoon.
We didn't use much oil or butter with this cookware (as suggested by the provided booklet). A little drop of oil went a long way with the batch of tofu—which typically gets stuck during pan frying.
Butter was also added sparingly during the pancake test, and results were satisfying: Any batter that got stuck to the sides during cooking was wiped right off with little effort. And the resulting pancakes had an even, crispy browning that was much more alluring than the pancakes we made with another pan.
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What we don't like
The helper handles get extremely hot
Tossing and flipping pan-fried tofu in the Mini Always Pan wasn't as easy as anticipated.
Just like in the original Always Pan, the helper handle on these pans gets extremely hot after a short amount of time. It was disappointing to see that this hazard hadn't been addressed in the new model, but given that this cookware is light enough to lift with one hand, you shouldn't find yourself at risk of burning your hand too often.
The pan's vertical sides make it difficult to flip
On a similar note, the lightweight makeup of the Mini Always Pan meant that I had an urge to flip foods while sauteing. And unfortunately, the vertical edges of the pan made that difficult to achieve.
While pan-frying tofu, I typically shake the pan to flip the cubes on their sides, but the build of the pan meant that they got stuck and, consequently, made a mess of oil on my stovetop during my attempt.
The vertical sides are ideal for fitting the pan's modular lid, though, so its functionality gets made up for elsewhere.
Is Our Place's mini cookware worth it?
Yes!
We wouldn't hesitate to add these adorable pieces to our cabinets.
Whether you're trying to save space in your tiny apartment kitchen, or just looking for a smaller companion to your larger Always Pan and Perfect Pot, our Kitchen team recommends these mini pieces.
They're conveniently sized and multifunctional: Great for sauteing, searing, frying, boiling, and more. Plus: with a nonstick surface that's seriously effective and safe from toxic materials like PFAs, lead, and nanoparticles, you can whip up dinner for yourself (and a friend) completely carefree.
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Prices were accurate at the time this article was published but may change over time.