Great Jones is known for its bold, colorful cookware with a focus on high-performance, traditional materials like enameled cast iron and stainless steel. In contrast, Our Place champions a minimalist, multifunctional approach, most famously with its Always Pan, using lightweight materials and soft, muted aesthetics to simplify the modern kitchen.
Let's break down everything you need to know to choose the right cookware brand for your kitchen and cooking style.
Great Jones: The Bold, Modern Cookware Choice
Great Jones has quickly become a favorite among home cooks who crave professional-grade quality without the prohibitive cost. The brand is celebrated for its vibrant collection of pots and pans that are designed to be both workhorses in the kitchen and statement pieces on the stovetop. It appeals directly to a design-conscious audience that sees cookware as an extension of their home's decor.
- Product mix: A focused selection of essentials including enameled cast iron Dutch ovens, fully-clad stainless steel skillets and saucepans, non-stick pans, and cookware sets.
- Style/vibe: Bold and retro-modern. They use eye-catching colors like "Broccoli" green and "Mustard" yellow, combined with sleek, minimalist shapes that look great on display.
- Price point: Mid-range, with individual pieces typically costing between $50 and $150. Their popular Dutchess Dutch oven is a key product.
- Quality: Excellent durability with a focus on classic materials. Their enameled cast iron offers superb heat retention, while their stainless steel provides even, responsive cooking. Many products come with a lifetime warranty.
- Sustainability: The company focuses on responsible sourcing and ships its products in eco-friendly, 100% plastic-free packaging.
- Return policy: Offers returns on unused products within 30 days.
Great Jones is the perfect fit for cooks who appreciate traditional cookware construction, want pieces that will last a lifetime, and love a pop of color in their kitchen.
Shop Great Jones: greatjones.co
Our Place: The Multifunctional Kitchen Simplifier
Our Place built its reputation on the idea of doing more with less. The brand’s philosophy centers on creating versatile, thoughtfully designed products that replace kitchen clutter. The iconic "Always Pan" embodies this principle by being designed to serve as eight different pieces of cookware in one, appealing to urban dwellers, minimalists, and busy families.
- Product mix: Best known for the multi-functional Always Pan and the complementary Perfect Pot. The brand is expanding to include tableware, knives, and other kitchen essentials.
- Style/vibe: Soft, contemporary, and inclusive. Their color palette features muted, earthy tones like "Spice," "Steam," and "Sage" that blend seamlessly into modern kitchens. The design is ergonomic and user-friendly.
- Price point: Mid-range, with the bestselling Always Pan retailing at approximately $145. They often offer bundles for added value.
- Quality: Features a non-toxic, ceramic non-stick coating over a lightweight aluminum body. Cookware is designed for easy handling and incredibly simple cleanup.
- Sustainability: A core pillar of the brand, they use recycled materials, ship in plastic-free packaging, and their non-toxic coating is made without PFOAs, PTFEs, or other harmful chemicals.
- Return policy: Generally offers a 30-day trial period on their flagship cookware, allowing customers to test it at home.
Our Place is ideal for those who prioritize convenience, functionality, and a beautiful, understated aesthetic, all while minimizing clutter in their kitchen.
Shop Our Place: ourplace.com
Great Jones vs. Our Place Comparison
Price Comparison
Both brands operate in a similar mid-range price bracket, but with different approaches. Great Jones offers a wider variety of individual products at different price points, with skillets starting around $50-60 and Dutch ovens costing over $150. This model is great for building a cookware collection piece by piece.
Our Place’s pricing is centered on the high value of its versatile flagship products. The Always Pan costs around $145, pitched as a replacement for multiple other pans, which can be a cost-effective solution for those starting from scratch. Both brands run sales, particularly around holidays, but Great Jones tends to have more frequent promotions on individual items.
Style & Aesthetic
The visual difference between the two brands is significant. Great Jones is for those who want their cookware to be a focal point. Its bold, vibrant, and nostalgic color palette turns everyday items like a Dutch oven into a piece of art. The design is modern, yet pays homage to classic kitchenware.
Our Place opts for an understated, serene aesthetic. Their soft, muted colors are designed to create a sense of calm and blend seamlessly with your kitchen décor. The focus is on a sleek, modern, and almost sculptural look that is elegant without demanding attention. Your choice here comes down to personal taste: bright and bold or soft and minimalist.
Quality & Materials
Great Jones builds its cookware with traditional, heavy-duty materials meant to last for generations. Their enameled cast iron offers fantastic heat retention perfect for braising and searing, while their stainless clad pans give you precise heat control. These are substantial, durable pieces that feel professional.
Our Place prioritizes modern convenience. The Always Pan's aluminum body makes it lightweight and easy to manage, while its ceramic non-stick surface makes both cooking and cleanup incredibly fast. While highly effective for everyday tasks, this surface requires more care (no metal utensils, hand-wash recommended) than the rugged materials of Great Jones.
Product Selection
Great Jones offers a curated but more traditional range of cookware. You can buy individual saucepans, skillets, Dutch ovens, and baking sheets to build a complete and versatile set perfect for any recipe you might tackle. This is ideal for home cooks who like having a specific tool for every job.
Our Place focuses on consolidation. The primary offering, the Always Pan, is designed to fry, braise, sear, steam, strain, and more. This all-in-one approach appeals to people with limited kitchen space or those who feel overwhelmed by too many options. Their lineup is expanding but remains focused on smart, multi-use items.
Sustainability & Ethics
Both brands perform well in this category. Great Jones uses plastic-free packaging and focuses on creating durable "buy it for life" products that reduce long-term waste. Their commitment is primarily an argument for quality and longevity over disposable goods.
Our Place makes sustainability a more forward-facing part of its brand identity. They emphasize their non-toxic coatings, use of recycled materials, and water-saving manufacturing processes. Their mission is as much about responsible consumption and celebrating diverse food cultures as it is about cookware itself.
Which One Should You Choose?
Ultimately, the right choice depends on your cooking style, aesthetic preferences, and kitchen needs.
Choose Great Jones if:
- You love a bright, colorful, retro-modern look in your kitchen.
- You prefer the durability and performance of traditional materials like enameled cast iron and stainless steel.
- You enjoy having a specific pot or pan for each cooking task and are building a full collection.
- You're looking for heavy-duty pieces that will last for decades with proper care.
Choose Our Place if:
- You're a minimalist or have limited cabinet and storage space.
- You want a single, versatile pan for a wide variety of everyday meals.
- You value lightweight cookware and an easy-to-clean, non-toxic non-stick surface.
- You prefer a soft, calming, and contemporary aesthetic.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Great Jones or Our Place cheaper?
Great Jones has more affordable entry-level pieces, such as skillets, making it cheaper to start a collection. However, the Our Place Always Pan might be more cost-effective if it genuinely replaces 8 other pieces of cookware you would have otherwise bought.
Which brand has better quality materials?
They offer different types of quality. Great Jones quality is rooted in durable, heavy-duty materials like cast iron that can handle high heat and are built to be heirlooms. Our Place's quality is in its clever design and an effective, easy-to-clean ceramic non-stick surface tailored for modern daily cooking.
Is the Always Pan really worth it?
For many cooks, yes. It's excellent for one-pan meals, eggs, steaming vegetables, and saucy dishes. Its versatility is ideal for those with small kitchens who cook simple, frequent meals. However, it doesn't excel at high-heat searing like a cast iron or stainless steel pan would.
Is Great Jones cookware heavy?
Yes, their cast iron pieces, like "The Dutchess" dutch oven, are quite heavy, which is standard for cast iron and is key to its ability to retain heat evenly. Their stainless steel products are more moderate in weight.
Are both brands' pans oven-safe?
Great Jones cookware is generally oven-safe to high temperatures (always check the specific product). The original Always Pan from Our Place is not oven-safe, but they have launched newer versions, like the Always Pan Pro, which are designed for oven use.
Which brand is better for a beginner cook?
Our Place is arguably better for a true beginner. The versatile Always Pan simplifies the cooking process, and the non-stick surface is very forgiving. It reduces the need to decide which pan to use for which dish.
Can you use metal utensils on Our Place or Great Jones pans?
You should never use metal utensils on the Our Place Always Pan, as it will scratch the ceramic non-stick coating. With Great Jones, you can use metal utensils on their stainless steel and enameled cast iron cookware, though wooden or silicone tools are always recommended to extend the life of any pan.
How often do Great Jones and Our Place have sales?
Both brands regularly have sales, especially during major holidays like Black Friday/Cyber Monday, Mother's Day, and Labor Day. Great Jones also offers bundled deals year-round, while Our Place sales are often significant but less frequent events.
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