Our Place's Perfect Pot: Is it as great as the Always Pan?
We tested to find out if the Perfect Pot lives up to its name.
Credit:
Reviewed / Valerie Li
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The do-it-all mantra is integral to the Our Place ethos, so we weren’t surprised when we first heard about the Perfect Pot. The brand claims that like the best-selling Always Pan, this addition to their lineup is just as versatile as it is nice to look at. It's meant to replace several pots and pans, as it can stew, sauté, steam, and even bake bread.
Intrigued, we conducted a Perfect Pot review by cooking a range of weeknight meals I’d typically cook for my husband and I, including Cantonese clay pot rice, a pot-adaptation of this meat and potato skillet gratin, and deep-fried chicken tenders. I chose these recipes to see how evenly the pot distributes heat, how quickly it heats up water, and how well it works on induction stoves.
About the Our Place Perfect Pot
Following the massive success of the Always Pan, Our Place launched the Perfect Pot, which combines a stockpot, Dutch oven, sauce pot, and more into one. Unlike its predecessor the Always Pan, the Perfect Pot is oven-safe up to 425°F.
The pot measures 11 inches in diameter by 5.5 inches deep (the website says it’s 10 inches wide, but I found otherwise). It boasts a capacity of 5.5 quarts, which is on par with the best Dutch oven we’ve tested.
Its construction is similar to the Always Pan with a nontoxic ceramic coating on the interior and painted exterior finish offered in colors such as Steam (gray), Blue Salt (blue), Spice (pink), and Char (black).
The Perfect Pot comes with two accessories: a beechwood spoon that’s designed to nest two-ways on your pot, and a roasting rack that doubles as a steamer. It’s compatible with all cooktops, including induction. The lid has steam vents built on the sides. But it also doubles as a built in strainer for when you cook pasta in the pot.
What I like
I was amazed by how crispy the bottom of the rice turned out after cooking.
It produced deliciously crispy rice
I left this pot on the stove for a few minutes too long when cooking rice during testing and I thought I might’ve ruined the rice. To my surprise, the bottom of the rice crisped up evenly, imparting an umami-infused toasted rice flavor, even though I didn’t grease the bottom of the pot beforehand.
It’s sensitive to temperature changes
During testing, the Perfect Pot was quick to react when I adjusted the temperature on the stove. This is a great advantage when cooking certain quick dishes.
For instance, I had to constantly monitor and adjust the cooking temperature to achieve the crispy-but-not-burnt texture for the clay pot rice dish, and the Perfect Pot did a great job at keeping up. However, in the deep frying test, its sensitivity to temperature adjustment meant low heat retention, which made the cooking process a bit more challenging.
Cleaning the Perfect Pot is a breeze
Thanks to its lightweight build and nonstick coating, cleaning the Perfect Pot is exceptionally easy. I normally just gave it a quick rinse and a light scrubbing using sponge and soap.
The additional accessories make the pot extra versatile
The roasting rack expands the versatility of the pot because it's possible to steam vegetables, a whole chicken, or dumplings, easily inside the pot. The legs of the rack have removable rubber covers to prevent scratching.
It’s compatible with the Our Place steamers
Out of curiosity, I tried using the Our Place Spruce Steamer and the metal steamer basket that came with my Always Pan to cook in the Perfect Pot—they both worked! The modular lid still fits nicely on top with the spruce steamer in place, creating a tight seal for steaming.
It’s induction-friendly
The Perfect Pot is compatible with induction cooktops, which use electromagnetic energy to heat pots and pans directly. In comparison, gas and electric cooktops heat indirectly, using a burner or heating element, and passing radiant energy onto your food.
Not all pans will work with induction cooktops, but there's a super easy way to test—grab a refrigerator magnet and see if it sticks to your cookware. If it does, you're in luck! If not, you'll need to purchase new pots and pans (like the Perfect Pot) to use on your induction cooktop.
What I don’t like
The domed lid makes the Perfect Pot (left) stand taller than the Staub Dutch oven (right), which is our favorite.
It’s not storage-friendly
This gorgeous pot may deserve a permanent spot on your stovetop, but if you do need to store it, you might have a hard time finding a spot that accommodates its height, especially with its domed lid. The lid adds an extra few inches, making the whole thing about 8.5 inches tall. (Of course, you could flip the lid over while storing, but the pot still remains decently tall.)
The handles and lid knob can get really hot
Generally speaking, I always wear a pair of oven mitts when handling a hot Dutch oven. But the Perfect Pot was extra hot during cooking, even when on the stovetop. This is an issue we had with the Always Pan handle during testing, too, so use the Perfect Pot with caution to avoid burning yourself.
Should you buy the Perfect Pot?
It's nice to have a pot that's compatible with induction cooking.
Yes, especially if you’re interested in high-performing, multi-tasking cookware that’ll look good stored on your stovetop. The Perfect Pot was designed with your comfort in mind, which is why there are additional user-friendly features, such as the pouring spout and built-in straining system.
However, if you already have a Dutch oven that you love, then you may want to skip this one. And while it’s much lighter than any cast iron Dutch oven we’ve tested, the Perfect Pot may be superfluous for you in terms of its performance and function.
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