Of All the New Cookware We Tried in 2021, This Is Our Favorite

Here at Kitchn, we try to test out all the fun, new cookware as it hits the market. (Ditto for new bakeware, small appliances, gadgets, and more!) It’s a tough job, but someone has to do it. After all, how are you supposed to know what’s worth the money and the cabinet space? No one wants to spend their hard-earned paycheck on a nonstick pan that’s going to lose its nonstick-y-ness after a few fried eggs!

We test as much as we possibly can, and then we write about all the things we love and recommend. Again, a tough job … we know. With all the new releases that came out this year, we were very busy. Which means it should carry a lot of weight when we say that one piece of cookware stood out as our absolute favorite among all the new launches. What is it? The Perfect Pot from Our Place. Let’s take a look.

Made by the same people who make the Always Pan (the super-popular skillet that’s designed to replace eight pieces of cookware), the Perfect Pot is also a bunch of things in one. It’s a big pot, yes. But it can also be used as a Dutch oven, a steamer, a braiser, and more. It comes with a lid (of course), a roasting rack, and a wooden spoon that has notches on the back so it easily rests on the pot’s handles.

We’ve been using it for months for all sorts of tasks. We’ve steamed dumplings in here, we’ve seared and then simmered meatballs in sauce, we’ve used it to make rice, roast a whole chicken, make chili, simmer soup, the list goes on. And we’ve been blown away every single time.

There’s lots to love about this impressive pot. For starters, it’s lightweight — clocking in at about 4.5 pounds with the lid on. For reference, a 5.5-quart enameled cast iron Dutch oven usually weighs between 11 and 15 pounds. While this isn’t cast iron (it’s got an aluminum body with a ceramic nonstick coating), it still sears incredibly well and can be used just like a standard Dutch oven. The roasting/steamer rack is also nonstick and easily accommodates an entire an entire bag of Trader Joe’s frozen dumplings.

The lid is also a star: You can twist it to allow steam to vent or lock it into place when you want to, say, cook rice. Other things we love about this pot? The handy pour spout, the oversized handles that are easy to grab, the fact that the pot is oven-safe to 425°F (the Always Pan is not oven-safe), and its stunning good looks. It’s available in five pretty matte colors and, of course, matches the Always Pan.

Of all the new cookware we tested this year, the Perfect Pot definitely stands out as the most inventive, the most useful, and the most game-changing. The point? It’s absolutely worth the money and the cabinet space.