The “Awesome” 6-in-1 Appliance I Recommend to Every Single Person With a Tiny Kitchen

For the most part, college was a blast. However, what wasn’t such a blast was my college dorm’s kitchen — the lack thereof, rather. While the dining hall food at my university was pretty solid, it was only available at certain times of the day, and since I was a student athlete, I was pretty picky about what I ate every day. Had I owned something like the Perfect Power Pot from Our Place, and editor-favorite DTC cookware brand, I wouldn’t have had to rely on the dining hall for all of my nutritional needs. Instead, I could have used any and all of its five different cooking functions from the comfort of my dorm to whip up meals whenever I want, since all you need to get started is an outlet and a flat surface. Luckily, my little sister is about to enter into her final year of undergrad, and with her birthday coming up, I decided to gift her the Perfect Power Pot as an early b-day surprise. 

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Available in two colors to match any and every kitchen aesthetic, this 5-in-1 multicooker from Our Place is the perfect small appliance for anyone who might not have access to a kitchen, like college students, people doing #vanlife, or pretty much anyone who’s looking for an all-in-one cooking tool. The Perfect Power Pot is able to sauté, steam, sear, fry, or boil “anything your heart desires,” according to the website, and features Our Place’s high-performance nonstick coating made without PTFEs, PFOAs, and other PFAS. The appliance comes with the plug-in base, a nesting steamer, a beechwood spatula, a glass lid with a steam hole, and a detachable plug for easy storage. The nesting steamer also doubles as a colander for straining pasta, which is superconvenient. You can cook multiple things at once with the nesting steamer, which also features five divots for keeping eggs in place, and there’s also a one-year limited warranty and a 100-day trial period with free returns in case you’re not satisfied. 

If someone without access to a kitchen asked me what I’d recommend for them, I’d probably rattle off a list of plug-in appliances, including a rice cooker, a hot plate, a steamer insert, a lightweight pot, and maybe a nonstick or cast-iron skillet. With the Perfect Power Pot, you can pretty much replace all of the above (save the cast-iron skillet) in one space-saving multicooker. Plus, since the heating element is integrated into the pot itself, heating food and boiling water goes extremely fast — but don’t just take my word for it. “I’m genuinely blown away by how fast this boiled,” my sister said. “It’s like an electric kettle. I made a massive bowl of fried rice, and it came out perfectly — this is going to be awesome for when I go back to school!” With just this one pan, my sister made one of her staple meals that she usually needs multiple pans and pots to whip up. Fried rice is far from the only meal this pan excels at, though, and Our Place has a bunch of delicious recipes on the site for you to try out. 

So, if you’re looking for the newest addition to your culinary arsenal — or you’re shopping for a gift to give to the college student or camping fanatic in your life — you can’t go wrong with the Perfect Power Pot. With its super-versatile five cooking functions, easy-to-clean nonstick coating, and space-saving storage and portability, this is the, well, perfect pot for you. 

Buy: Perfect Power Pot, $95 (normally $120)