Our Place

Our Place built a cookware company on a simple premise: the tools you cook with should be as beautiful as the meals you make with them, and they shouldn't poison you in the process. Founded in 2019 by Shiza Shahid—the same entrepreneur who co-founded the Malala Fund—the brand approaches kitchenware as an invitation to community rather than a collection of single-use gadgets cluttering your cabinets.

The flagship Always Pan demonstrates the philosophy. It's designed to replace eight traditional pieces: a frying pan, sauté pan, steamer, skillet, saucier, nonstick pan, spatula, and spoon rest. The ceramic nonstick coating is free from PTFE, PFOA, and other forever chemicals that dominate conventional nonstick cookware. The aluminum core heats evenly, the modular spatula and steamer basket nest inside for storage, and the aesthetic is clean enough that most owners leave it on the stovetop permanently.

Our Place expanded the line with similar multi-function thinking: the Perfect Pot (an 8-in-1 Dutch oven alternative), the Wonder Oven (combining air fryer and toaster oven functions), and a full Titanium Pro collection using no-coating nonstick technology. Each product prioritizes non-toxic materials, thoughtful design, and reducing the total number of items needed in a kitchen.

The brand's independence shows in its design choices. Our Place products come in colors rarely seen in cookware—Spice, Blue Salt, Sage—because the company isn't constrained by legacy manufacturing relationships or risk-averse corporate parents. When they wanted to create culturally specific collections celebrating traditions like Lunar New Year or Diwali (the Traditionware™ line), they could do so without needing approval from a conglomerate's branding committee.

From a clean credentials standpoint, Our Place commits to PTFE/PFOA/PFAS-free ceramic coatings across their non-stick collections, with the newer Titanium Pro line using a no-coating approach entirely. The aluminum and stainless steel construction avoids the heavy metals sometimes found in cheap imported cookware, and the company maintains transparency about materials and manufacturing.

Shahid's background in social entrepreneurship infuses the brand's operations. Our Place works with women-owned manufacturing collectives and maintains specific environmental standards for packaging and production. The approach differs from typical direct-to-consumer brands that slap "mission-driven" on marketing materials while operating like any other e-commerce company.

Critically, Our Place hasn't been acquired. In an industry where successful cookware brands routinely sell to conglomerates (GreenPan to Zwilling, Anova to Electrolux, etc.), remaining independent means maintaining control over material sourcing, coating formulations, and product development. When questions arise about coating durability or manufacturing standards, the answers come from a company accountable to its founding principles rather than quarterly earnings targets.

The cookware category presents unique challenges for clean living. Traditional nonstick releases perfluorinated compounds when heated. Cast iron requires seasoning and maintenance that many home cooks won't maintain. Stainless steel sticks without proper technique. Our Place's ceramic and titanium options provide genuinely non-toxic alternatives that actually function as nonstick surfaces—no forever chemicals required.

For the Directory, Our Place represents accessible non-toxic cookware from a founder-led company that hasn't compromised its materials or mission for growth. It's proof that cookware can be beautiful, functional, and free from harmful coatings without requiring a mortgage payment.

Products

• Always Pan (8-in-1 ceramic nonstick pan)
• Perfect Pot (8-in-1 Dutch oven)
• Titanium Pro cookware line (coating-free nonstick)
• Wonder Oven (6-in-1 air fryer/toaster oven)
• Bakeware collection
• Tableware and dinnerware
• Kitchen knives and utensils
• Traditionware™ culturally-specific collections

Why We List Them

• Independently owned by founder Shiza Shahid since 2019
• 100% PTFE/PFOA/PFAS-free ceramic nonstick coatings
• Titanium Pro line uses no coatings at all for true non-toxic performance
• Multi-functional designs reduce kitchen clutter and waste
• Transparent about materials and manufacturing partnerships
• Works with women-owned manufacturing collectives
• No corporate parent influencing material choices or cost-cutting
• Culturally inclusive product design (Traditionware™)
• 100-day trial period demonstrates confidence in product quality