I Tested the Non-Toxic Our Place 11-Piece Essentials Cookware Set and Loved the 30% Faster Cooks, Even Heating and 30-Second Cleanup

Since testing the excellent non-stick, non-toxic Our Place 11-Piece Essentials Cookware Set, I have been entirely converted to its heirloom quality, faster cooking, and easy cleanup.

Not only does this high-performance set include everything you need for everyday home cooking, but its carefully thought-out inclusions and varied sizes make it possible to produce meals for guests or bigger families. And aside from the faster cook times, each item takes less than 30 seconds to clean by hand. Plus, the provided matte organizers banish the stacked-pot hassle.

As an avid cook on a budget, I've always made do with the cookware I could afford and replaced them every couple of years as they began to flake, but I'll admit, I'll now forever be investing in the best non-toxic cookware, as these are built to last, look beautiful on display, and make cooking truly joyful.

Specifications: Our Place 11-Piece Essentials Cookware Set

Design and First Impression: Our Place 11-Piece Essentials Cookware Set

Image 1 of 3

The packaging was all cardboard and recyclable, without any plastic to worry about, which makes it easy to remain sustainable at home when shopping online with Our Place.

Opening it up honestly felt like all my birthdays had come at once. It was definitely joyful as an avid home cook to experience unpacking it all. Every item was meticulously and securely packed, so there was no risk of the glass lid or recycled plastic organizer breaking in transit. Delivery was fast, too, arriving within 48 hours of the order.

A few things struck me as I got everything out and inspected this set: It's extremely high quality and quite heavy, though lighter than I was expecting, and beautiful.

Additionally, the storage organizer took less than two minutes to slot together, and the sturdy construction and matte finish resulted in me organizing my kitchen for spring, just to keep this 11-piece stunning set on display.

I opted for the Terracotta, but it's also available in Cream, Blue Salt, and Char. Each one looks and feels deliciously expensive and is also available in an 8-piece, 17-piece, and 21-piece set. All variations come with the matte cream organizer.

I was very excited to try it all out and sat down and wrote a month-long meal plan to enable me to use every element multiple times in my day-to-day cooking, and to include our set tests (jump to my test results).

Over the years, I have used various sets of copper pans, affordable non-stick pans, and mid-range sets such as Scoville's Neverstick collection. I have always been an avid fan of non-stick for its ease of cooking and the minimal need for oil, so I was keen to see how a premium set compares.

The Our Place 11-Piece Essentials Cookware Set came with a color booklet on care guidance, which was easy to understand. All I had to do to get cooking was take off the easy-peel stickers inside the pans and on the lids and hand-wash before use.

There was no smell from the pans, lids, or silicone elements, even before their first clean.

Performance: Our Place 11-Piece Essentials Cookware Set

I've been cooking with these pans daily for over a month, and as I eat a hot lunch and dinner on an intermittent fasting food plan, and sometimes cook separately for my nine-year-old daughter, I have gotten plenty of testing experience across 75 meals with this 11-piece Our Place set.

As I am disabled and in chronic pain, my husband helped with testing by being my hands and feet when I was unable to do so. It's worth noting that the weight of the set felt like a slight barrier at first, but I quickly got used to it.

As a reminder, this set includes:

• 10in. Fry Pan (4lbs with lid)
• 2 qt Saucepan (3.5lbs with lid)
• 4 qt Saute Pan (4.7 lbs with lid)
• 7 qt Stock Pot (4.9lbs with lid)

To get an in-depth idea of the performance of the premium Our Place 11-Piece Essentials Cookware Set, I used it over the course of 75 cooking sessions, including my usual mix of western, Mediterranean, Persian, and Far Eastern dishes, plus our four standard tests, below.

Remarkably, everything cooked at least 30% faster, was always evenly finished, and even the messiest cook took no more than 30 seconds to clean by hand. The lids connected all the way around the food, which was never dry, and I did not experience any over-bubbling and messy sides.

I was immediately obsessed, so to protect the Thermakind® coating over the longer term, I upgraded to a 22-piece silicone cooking utensil set from Amazon (and threw out my old ones that were a mix of plastic and metal).

The strainer was fabulous for washing any volume of fresh produce, but I was unable to rinse my rice as I usually do in my plastic strainer, which has long, thin gaps, rather than this strainer's round ones.

Here's how the pans set fared against our tests:

Test 1: Frying Onions

There was no sticking, and onions were easy to fry with only a few pieces overcooked, and I'll admit that was my fault for setting the heat too high to start. When I caramelized some onions on a low heat, expecting them to take the usual 45-60 minutes, they were done by around 35 minutes and only needed the initial splash of olive oil. They caramelized without sticking, colored nicely without scorching, and despite my regular use of saffron and turmeric for aromatics, the pans never stained. Washing the pan after these tasks took around 15 seconds.

Test 2: Cooking a Sauce

It took 10 minutes for the sauce to start simmering in the center on a medium heat, and by 20 minutes, the entire sauce was evenly simmering, despite the stove ring being about two-thirds of the pot diameter. None of the sauce stuck to the pan, and the liquid residue rinsed out immediately. It took a few swipes of a soapy, soft dish sponge to clean it fully.

Test 3: Seared Chicken Breast

The chicken breast pieces seared nicely in the frying pan, and had a little bit of that delicious seared texture on the outside, whilst maintaining the tenderness inside. I did find that even my largest stove ring was smaller than the frying pan, so I had to move the pan a bit for the last few minutes to get the lower segment of the chicken equally seared. The same result can be achieved by regularly tossing the contents in the last 10 minutes.

I worried that the fond (the golden residue from the searing) that appeared stuck to the plate might be hard to wash off by hand, but actually, it lifted quickly with warm soapy water and the soft side of my sponge.

Another time that I added a sauce to the seared chicken, the mixing in of the liquid lifted that fond before I got to washing up.

Test 4: Fried Eggs

The middle of the frying pan feels slightly raised, so my cracked egg slid a little bit on the oil and made a spread-out shape, rather than the roundness I would have liked. In later cooks, when I used less oil, it stayed in place.

I worried for a moment midway through frying the egg that it was going to stick to the pan despite the oil I had used. But once the egg was ready and had lovely light crispy edges, it unstuck itself, and I was able to slide it off the pan without it folding or breaking.

I found the egg cooked faster than I was used to on medium heat, so the yolk was a little overcooked for my taste the first time. After that, I found that four minutes was adequate for a crispy-edged, runny-yolk fried egg.

Test 5: The Gamut of My Persian and Other Homecooked Dishes

Image 1 of 7

I cook a range of cuisines, but particularly enjoy my family's complex Persian recipes, which include steaming, frying, boiling, par-boiling, and sauteing.

While you may never cook Middle Eastern food, this type of rice and meat with vegetable stew-based cuisine really puts pots and pans through the gamut of its functionality, and I think it's important to share these insights, as they reveal the excellent, consistent performance of the Our Place 11-Piece Essentials Cookware Set.

• Rice: This carbohydrate underpins 90% of Persian meals and therefore, we have high standards for cooking it, and the deliberately crispy 'tahdig' (which translates to the 'bottom of the pan' from Farsi). Nailing that crispy bit is a skill hard-earned over time, but the exceptionally even and fast cooking of the Our Place Stock Pot makes tahdig creations incredibly easy. In previous pans, the tahdig is not entirely even in color and often darker (and sometimes edging on burned in the center if you're not careful). The Our Place Stock Pot delivered a crisp, even, perfect tahdig without any hint of a hot spot mark, and fluffy, separated, ideal rice. I didn't need to use as much oil either for the tahdig, and the firm 100% closure with the lid makes it ideal for the steaming element of the process. My husband and daughter told me I made my 'best ever tahdig' in these pans.
• Red meat: Once again, even and fast cooking, fabulous fond, and in 75 meals, nothing burned. That will have an element of user skill, of course, but I genuinely found it hard to burn anything.
• Herbs and vegetables: Persian stews are usually made with red meat such as lamb or beef, and an abundance of one vegetable that is fried, steamed, simmered, or both. I cooked stews with mince and diced lamb or beef, and vegetables such as celery or aubergines, as well as dishes with mixed fresh green herbs (fenugreek, parsley, cilantro) that were put in a food processor first, in the frying pan, saute pot and stock pot, depending on the volume I needed for an evening meal, or for larger batch cooking. I found the set to saute, fry, steam, and simmer very evenly. I twice forgot to stir two stews over a longer cook, and it was all evenly cooked through without anything stuck to the bottom of the pot/pan. It also handled denser and harder to cook greens such as rainbow chard brilliantly, with the tight lid connection keeping in all the steam and moisture.
• Dried fruits: Barberries, dried apricots, raisins, and sultanas are present in my Persian meals, especially in addas polo (aromatic beef mince and green lentils with cardamon and cinnamon rice, topped with sautéed saffron fruity jewels). The way the lids keep all the moisture in made the dried fruit feel fresh and juicy. It was impressive.
• Pancakes: Our Saturday morning pans were a breeze to make, and I found cooking on a medium heat for a little bit longer than in my previous pans gave a more even cook than my usual medium-high setting. The pancakes, in fact, showed the evenness of the heat dispersion in concentric ring marks and golden finish. They slid off the pan with no sticking.
• Flatbread: My usual quick homemade quarter-inch thick flat bread made with flour, baking powder, salt, and Greek yoghurt proved difficult to cook in this pan without burning, as the recipe calls for no oil. I found the charred bits were edible, but reducing the thickness of my flatbread by half meant it got cooked through without any unpalatable charring. These pans have instructions to always use oil or butter when cooking, so the pan is not dry, so be aware.
• Pasta: A 30% faster boil meant a quicker-fed hangry child, which was a big win in my house. I also found that parboiling my rice ahead of the Persian tahdig and steam process pictured in the gallery above took just five minutes instead of the usual eight. If you treat yourself to an Our Place set, do titrate your cook times down or keep a close eye on the first few times you use this set, as it's likely to be ready before you expect it to be.

Overall, my cooking experience with the Our Place 11-Piece Essentials Cookware Set was excellent, and even though I'd never cooked with pans of this weight previously, I quickly grew used to it.

During stovetop use, the long pan handles never got hot enough to be an issue (just don't touch the metal between the round silicone marker and pan, but during oven use, and when the stockpot with the short handles was on the stove for 40 minutes, both the handles on the side and on the lid were hot enough to need oven gloves.

A set of oven gloves is all you need. I prefer silicone oven mitts from Amazon that are machine-washable and have a non-slip texture for secure handling, rather than traditional fabric ones that can feel uncomfortable and slippery if you're dealing with anything heavy.

Cleaning and Storage: Our Place 11-Piece Essentials Cookware Set

One of my favorite things about these pans is that, despite the 75 dishes I cooked, only one required anything more than a quick rinse and wipe-down with soapy warm water and a soft sponge.

Cleaning all 11 parts of the set was exceptionally easy, negating the need for it to be dishwasher-safe (it is not).

Every usage resulted in a sub-30-second clean before it was back looking as good as new. I tend to dry mine immediately after use with a dishcloth. I love the machine-washable Icon Heart Jacquard Dishclothes from Anthropology, which are beautiful enough to leave out on display.

Of the one time I had a persistent mark on one of the pans (from charring the flatbread), I popped a sprinkle of baking soda on (that's sodium bicarbonate, available at Walmart in a resealable tub, and NOT soda crystals, which are too abrasive), and the mark cleared with a little elbow grease in under a minute.

The instructions advise against cooking without oil in these plans, so that explains the harder clean post-flatbread, which is meant to be cooked in a dry pan.

As for the storage, the organizers that come with the set, which are made from recycled plastic and have a lovely cream matte finish, are a perfect fit and stable. They come in two sets, one for the pans and one for the lids. The stock pot won't fit in it, but the strainer stacks inside it under the lid, so it is self-contained.

I found the entire set and storage organizer to be so beautiful, I rearranged my kitchen to keep it all on display. Having the set on top of my IKEA KALLAX storage unit also makes access to these heavier pans easier as I have weak wrists, as well as hip, back, and neck pain. For me, lifting these heavier pans out of a low kitchen cabinet would be prohibitive in the long term, so where you will keep yours may be a consideration.

However, these are lighter than, say, the best cast-iron cookware or Dutch ovens, but around two to three times heavier than average, more affordable non-stick pans.

I did quickly get used to the weight, but when washing, I had to have a clear sink to place it on the bottom, and clean it on a solid base, rather than holding it up and cleaning in the air as you might a lighter dish or pan.

How the Our Place 11-Piece Essentials Cookware Set Compares

Whilst I haven't personally yet tested other non-toxic and PFAS-free heritage pots such as Caraway's Ceramic Coated sets, or the cult-classic Our Place Always Titanium pan our chef reviewed and loves, I have spent a lifetime cooking in non-stick pans with brands from the US, UK, and the Middle East.

Our Place 11-Piece Essentials Cookware Set is, by far, the heaviest, fastest, most evenly-cooking, and easiest-cleaning I've used.

They are so good, in fact, that I spent a weekend with my husband and daughter, decluttering all of our kitchen cabinets, and reorganizing everything in our kitchen layout to keep our Our Place set on display and accessible at all times.

If you would like to invest in a premium set but are put off by Our Place's weight, or perhaps if you have a weak grip or painful wrists, I recommend the lighter Our Place Stainless Clad Frying Pan, which is 2.25 lbs, and offers a premium cooking experience. Our in-house chef, Lydia Hayman, tested it and rated it our best overall non-toxic cookware choice.

What Shoppers Say About the Our Place 11-Piece Essentials Cookware Set

On the brand's site, this set has 23 verified customer reviews at the time of writing, averaging 4.6/5 stars.

The themes of comments include how much users love' them, find them to be of 'great' quality, 'easy to cook with', 'wash up beautifully.

Many note that the included organizing system is so easy to use and maintain, and that their relatives now want their own set. I agree with all of the above, and have so far had a relative purchase this set after seeing the performance in mine.

One of the four-star reviewers on the Our Place site noted that they'd docked a star only because they'd not used one item in the set, whilst another noted this was an upgrade from their first set of Always Pans and Perfect Pots. They noticed the superior technology in this set but missed the compatible wooden utensil sets and the non-metal handle of their previous set.

The two low reviews remarked that these pans were delicate and scratched easily. They did not note what kind of utensils were being used during their cooking sessions, but I can confirm that using silicone ones, as recommended by the brand itself, has left mine looking as good as new after 75 uses.

I will update this review after six months and a year to report how the surface has held up over time.

Who the Our Place 11-Piece Essentials Cookware Set Would Suit

The set currently retails at around $350, though if you bought the items in this bundle separately, it would set you back more than $550. Because of the price point, this is unlikely to be a first-cookware purchase for those going off to college or to live with friends.

It would, however, make a wonderful wedding gift, or if shopping for yourself, for avid home cooks who will commit to cleaning it by hand and enjoy it for years to come.

If you have a healthy gifting budget, this would make an impressive present for a style- and health-conscious loved one, as even the unpacking of this PFA- and PFOAs-free non-toxic cookware set feels like a luxurious treat. Think of the friend who has already invested in one of the best non-toxic air fryers or non-toxic coffee makers: This is likely very much up their street.

If, however, your budget is tight, you can't commit to handwashing, don't like heavier pans, or don't have any interest in opting for an overtly stylish selection, you may prefer a lightweight, affordable non-stick set. They won't often last as long, and may contain some forever chemicals, so be aware of PFAs and PFOAs in materials lists and other labels that our experts warn to watch out for in cookware.

It's worth noting that the extra weight of sets like this one usually means more complex and advanced technology, even heating, and more durable cookware.

How We Test Cookware

Our robust methodology for testing cookware at Homes & Gardens allows us to compare performance, materials, ergonomics, heat distribution, ease of cleaning, longevity, aesthetics, and, of course, value.

We vet these items across our test kitchen, or in our homes, for a number of weeks, so we can cook a variety of ingredients, meals, and protein types to enable a rounded assessment.

This includes sticky foods such as fried eggs, to see how the non-stick materials or coatings perform on everyday foods, as well as different methods, including searing, frying, sautéing, braising, and oven-baking (where applicable).

More to Shop

If you're interested in similar sets with different items included, or accessories to keep your high-end pots and pans in great shape, and make their use the easiest it can be, I have curated a non-toxic selection for you.

All prices were correct at the time of publishing.

Once you have made your investment, be sure to brush up on the mistakes to avoid when cleaning kitchenware to protect your set in the long term.

To further your non-toxic kitchen journey, explore our best non-toxic coffee makers and our vetted selection of cast-iron pans and Dutch ovens.

Love the latest product news and helpful shopping advice? Sign up for our newsletter and get the latest features delivered straight to your inbox.