In playful millennial-friendly colours like terracotta pink and calming sage green, the aesthetic allure of the Our Place Perfect Pot – AKA the pot that promises to “replace your stockpot, Dutch oven, saucepot, roasting rack, steamer, strainer and braiser” is undeniable. But with a cupboard full of all of the above, I felt a tad guilty about introducing another pot into the mix, despite the many Instagram ads telling me otherwise. Still — when the opportunity to review the Perfect Pot came up, I simply couldn’t resist.
Read on for everything you need to know about the pot that just won’t leave your Instagram feed.
Our Place Perfect Pot, fromourplace.ca, $220.
The Basics
Following the viral success of the Our Place Always Pan, Our Place launched the Perfect Pot, which combines all of your essential kitchen pots into one. Most notably, unlike the Always Pan, the Perfect Pot is oven-safe, but only up to 425°F (more on that later). It measures in at 10”x5.5” and has a 5.2 litre capacity, on par with most standard Dutch ovens, but weighing significantly less at just 2 kilograms. With a nonstick, non-toxic ceramic coating interior and painted exterior, it also comes with a Beechwood Spoon (designed to nest on the pot handles) and a roasting rack that does double duty as a steamer.
The Our Place Perfect Pot comes with a custom-designed Beechwood Spoon and roasting rack.
The Good
A Delightfully Pourable Spout
The wide pour spout quickly became my favourite feature on the pot. Soup season is upon us, and I can’t count the number of times I’ve attempted to pour a pot of soup into my Vitamix for blending or into a bowl for dinner, only to have it spill all over the counter in a big chunky mess. This is not the case with the Perfect Pot – its generous spout and slick nonstick coating means that everything from broths to chowders glides effortlessly into your vessel of choice, with no mess to be found.
The Super Light Weight
While I adore my classic Dutch oven, sometimes just the thought of lugging all 7 kilograms of it out of my cupboard is enough to turn me off using it. At just 2 kilograms, the Perfect Pot feels like a feather in comparison, and even full to the brim of thick soup or boiling pasta, it’s manageable to carry. This feature is especially useful when pouring hot liquid into the aforementioned Vitamix.
Related: Top 5 Kitchen Knives Every Home Cook Should Own
A Clever Spoon Rest
I’ll admit – the spoon rest aspect of the handle and specially designed wooden Beechwood Spoon felt a bit gimmicky to me at first. That said, it quickly became one of my favourite features. The wooden grooves on the back of the specially made spoon lock into the pot’s handles in two different ways, so you don’t have to worry about dirtying a spoon rest or searching the kitchen for wherever you last placed your spoon.
The custom-designed Beechwood Spoon resting over the Our Place Perfect Pot.The Slick Nonstick Coating
Apart from making the cooking process easier, the super nonstick interior of the Perfect Pot also means it’s much easier to clean. A gentle scrub with the provided Our Place sponge is enough to wipe this surface clean, no overnight soaking required. Another added bonus of the super nonstick surface is that you can use significantly less oil to coat the Perfect Pot’s entire surface.
It’s *So* Pretty
We eat with our eyes first, and cooking up something delicious in this gorgeous pot feels extra special. The delightful aesthetics also mean that if you’re entertaining, you can serve straight out of the pot and still impress your guests. Whether your kitchen is minimalist white or full of quirky colour, this pot makes for a chic accessory and comes in seven different trending colours including Lavender, Sage and Blue Salt.
Related: Time-Saving Kitchen Gadgets and Must-Haves for Foodies
The Bad
The Metal Handles Get Hot (Like, Really Hot)
Despite two clear stickers warning me that the handles on this pot could get hot, my natural impulse to touch them won out while cooking. Although Dutch oven handles get hot too, these handles seemed to get particularly hot even while cooking over medium-low temperatures, so they need to be handled with oven mitts at all times. While not necessarily a deal-breaker, it’s definitely an adjustment you need to make in the cooking process when using this pot.
Careful – those handles are hot!It’s Awkward to Store
The gorgeous aesthetics of the domed pot lid come at a price – the pot measures in at 8.5 inches tall with the lid on, and unless you have a lot of extra cupboard space, that means it’s hard to store. Since the pot also has a delicate nonstick coating, it also means you have to be a bit more careful to avoid piling your other smaller pots inside it, too. That said, leaving my pot on my stovetop at all times has been my easy solution.
That Slick Nonstick Coating Comes With a Price
While the nonstick coating has many perks like cleaning and pouring, it’s also quite delicate. The company recommends only using wooden utensils on its surface, and even following all of the instructions, I still managed to make a deep scratch in the bottom of my pot while being careful. It’s also important to recognize that sometimes, sticking is a good thing: For many braised recipes, deglazing the bottom of the pot can be essential in incorporating caramelized flavours into your dish to give it depth.
It Has a Low-Temperature Limit
One of the best features of a Dutch oven is that it can be used seamlessly between stovetop and oven, a feature that’s endlessly useful when cooking roasts or other braised delights. It’s also a go-to for beginner breadmaking (which so many of us got into in 2020). The Perfect Pot misses the mark slightly on this one – with a max temperature of 425°F, you may have to turn down your temperature slightly to use it for that roast you had planned. Depending on the type of bread you’re making (many recipes call for a range of 450–500°), you’re probably better off opting for your trusty Dutch oven.
The Our Place Perfect Pot at home in my kitchen.The Verdict
While I’m in no rush to get rid of the eight pieces of cookware that the Perfect Pot claims to replace, it has become a staple in my kitchen. Something delicious simmering away in my Perfect Pot sparks more joy than my trusty old stainless steel pots ever could, and thoughtful little details like the wide spout and nonstick coating make a lot of aspects of cooking (and cleaning) genuinely better. At $220 CAD, it’s certainly a more expensive option than a lot of its competitors, but makes for a particularly lovely present to add to your wish list (just in time for the holidays!) or to gift your favourite foodie, especially if they’re just starting out their cookware collection. If, like me, you already have a well-stocked cookware collection, the Perfect Pot is probably a luxury you don’t need, but it’s one you’ll absolutely enjoy.
Looking for more foodie gifting ideas? See our best foodie gifts from small Canadian businesses.