Cookware has never looked so stylish, but can a £45 pot truly rival the Our Place perfect pot at £135? We put both to the test in our kitchen to find out which delivers the best performance and value.
Our Place Perfect Pot: Premium Performance at a Price
The Our Place perfect pot is lightweight at just 2kg and boasts a 5.2-litre capacity. Its thermakind ceramic non-stick coating is free from PTFE, lead, and cadmium. In testing, it excelled at frying tofu and scrambling eggs without sticking. The lid features built-in slots for straining, though this requires careful handling as handles get hot. It comes with a beechwood spoon that rests on the pot's handle. The pot is oven-safe up to 230°C and is not dishwasher safe. Available in five matte colours, it costs £135 and includes a three-year guarantee.
Dunelm Cast Aluminium Casserole Dish: Budget-Friendly Alternative
Dunelm's 24cm casserole dish weighs just 940g and holds 4.85 litres. It features a dual-layer non-stick, scratch-resistant coating. In tests, it produced fluffy scrambled eggs and evenly cooked soup ingredients without burning. The self-basting lid with dimples helps retain moisture. The pot gets hot, so tea towels are needed. It is dishwasher safe (though handwashing recommended), oven-safe up to 200°C, and comes with a five-year guarantee. Available in duck egg green and dark grey, it costs £45.
Head-to-Head Comparison
Both pots heat quickly and evenly. The Our Place pot has a slight edge in non-stick performance with difficult foods like tofu, but the Dunelm is nearly as good. The Our Place offers a larger capacity and additional features like the built-in strainer and wooden spoon, but the Dunelm is lighter and more stable on a raised hob. The Dunelm is also dishwasher safe and has a longer guarantee.
Verdict
If you prioritise a ceramic, PTFE-free coating and need extra capacity for large families, the Our Place perfect pot is a strong choice. However, for most cooks, the Dunelm casserole dish delivers comparable cooking performance and modern design at a third of the price. The Dunelm is the better value option, especially given its longer guarantee.
