Life
Selena Gomez Is Obsessed With This Cookware So I Had To Try It Myself
We only recommend products we love and that we think you will, too. We may receive a portion of sales from products purchased from this article, which was written by our Branded team.
I wouldn’t call myself a natural-born cook — although it’s not like I don’t like getting in the kitchen or can’t follow a recipe. In fact, one of my proudest accomplishments is the time I whipped up an entire Thanksgiving spread (turkey, mashed potatoes, gravy, mac ‘n’ cheese, green beans, and coconut cream pie) solo when my husband and I were living in Australia. And although I often fantasize about recreating some of our favorite dishes from traveling around the world, cooking gourmet fare just isn’t part of my daily life. Oftentimes, the idea of getting in the kitchen seems sort of daunting.
So you might be surprised to learn that I follow a lot of food bloggers and chefs on social media. It’s mainly about surrounding myself (virtually) with people who bring joy to making and eating food. I guess you could say the ability to have fun in the kitchen without worrying about messing things up is sort of the key ingredient missing from my culinary endeavors.
Enter Our Place. The brand you already know for making aesthetically pleasing cookware has a new partnership with Selena Gomez, actress, singer, beauty girl boss, and someone who genuinely seems to enjoy cooking.
After stumbling across their Gomez collab on Instagram, I felt inspired to take a page from her book, and get myself a fabulous non-toxic non-stick pan and some professional-grade knives and go into the kitchen without fear of failure and just make something that really speaks to my soul.
Why Our Place
When my Our Place package arrived, I excitedly ripped open the box to reveal the chicest piece of cookware I’ve ever seen IRL: the cult-favorite bestselling Always Pan in a striking shade of Azul, plus matching blue knives and glasses. Upon first glance, Selena Gomez did not lead me astray. But Our Place cookware has plenty of other famous attributes, too (besides just Gomez’s coveted stamp of approval):
1. Our Place Minimizes Clutter
Given that we have limited storage in our home, the fact that the Always Pan can replace eight traditional pieces of cookware was super enticing. Yes, since this baby can infamously braise, sear, steam, strain, sauté, fry, boil, serve, and store whatever you’re whipping up, it can actually replace your fry pan, sauté pan, steamer, skillet, saucier, saucepan, non-stick pan, and even spoon rest. Hellooo, extra cabinet space.
2. The Brand Is Non-Toxic
The more I read about PFOAs, PTFEs, other PFAs, lead, cadmium, and nanoparticles, the more I want to keep them far away from my family. Fortunately, there’s none of those potentially harmful materials used in Our Place cookware. Instead, Our Place uses an exclusive non-toxic ceramic coating to keep food from sticking.
3. Products Feature Brilliant (Home-Chef-Friendly) Details
As I’ve said, I’m no pro, so anything that can simplify the process of cooking, I’m all for — and Our Place products are chock-full of these little details. Functionally, the lightweight construction of the Always Pan (the body weighs in at only three pounds) makes it easier to maneuver and use. There’s also a built-in spoon rest on the handle of the pan that the included beechwood spatula fits right into, and spouts so you can pour without the mess. A modular lid to trap and release steam and a custom stainless steel steamer basket further add to the Alway Pan’s impressive features.
The Our Place Knife Trio didn’t disappoint either. My husband will be the first to tell you that my knife skills leave something to be desired, but with the smooth handles and sharp blades of the Our Place knives, I swear my skills were sharper (sorry, couldn’t resist) than ever.
4. It’s All So Darn Pretty
OK, so I know I mentioned it already — but OMG, is this cookware stunning. The Always Pan comes in 11 classic colors, as well as two additional colors exclusive to the Selena Gomez Collection: that vibrant Azul and Rose (a beautiful, rich berry). All of the hues are gorgeous in their own right, and it’s no wonder you see this cookware at work all over your Instagram feed. You can mix and match colors or create a monochromatic cookware moment with coordinating Always Pans, Always Pots, drinking glass, knives, serveware, and more.
Putting It To The Test
For me, the most memorable meals are those that I’ve eaten with my husband on our travels. So I wanted to create something that transported us somewhere special, which is how I landed on undeniably delicious pad Thai. And while the dish is packed with complex flavors, the recipe itself relies on just a handful ingredients that are pretty readily available.
Before starting to cook the pad Thai, I need to whip up a little something for our baby. He loves steamed broccoli, so the pan’s steamer function was a huge selling point for me, especially since I’ve been trying to be better about using the microwave less. Needless to say, the stainless steel steamer basket did its job and is my kitchen bestie.
OK, next up: the main event. It was finally time to make pad Thai. All the ingredients cooked evenly and nothing stuck to the pan (which made cleanup a breeze). The integrated spoon rest for the beechwood spatula is truly genius — so thank you to whoever thought of that. And, as someone who has been known to get distracted by the cuteness of my kid and forget the handle of the pan is hot, I so appreciate the pan’s stay-cool handle.
The Verdict
As everything was simmering together, I set the table with the beautiful blue glasses. Looking at my little makeshift tablescape, which also included fresh-cut flowers and a few votive candles, I felt a sense of pride. Hopefully, the pad Thai would be equally as successful.
The end result was really yummy and I felt joyful about having created something I was proud to serve my family. Was it on par with what we had at the night markets in Chiang Mai? Not quite. But it did bring me back to a time and place that was really special. Plus, the way I see it is that this just means there will be plenty more evenings of me standing over my new go-to Our Place pan trying different pad Thai recipes and deriving a surprising amount of pleasure from the experience.
Am I a bonafide kitchen goddess? Not quite yet. But at least I have fabulous cookware and knives that make me look the part.
