Our Place Perfect Power Pot tested and reviewed

This countertop appliance ($125) is designed with a simple one-button operation and two heat settings: level 1 (low) and level 2 (high). It comes with a detachable power cord, as well as a vented glass lid and a steamer basket that stacks on top of the base.

The Perfect Power Pot’s base is deep enough to make two cups of uncooked pasta or rice at a time, or hold up to four cups of liquid, like broth and sauce. The base is also covered in a ceramic nonstick coating, so you can saute veggies or protein like ground beef. Since the steamer basket stacks on top of the base, you’re able to simultaneously cook two things at once — for example, you can make rice in the base while steaming tofu in the basket. Like the brand’s Always Pan and Perfect Pot, this appliance’s handle has a built-in spoon rest for its included Beechwood spatula.

Size: 15.8 x 8 x 4.6 in. | Weight: 1.9 lbs. | Colors: Spice (terracotta) and Char (black) | Warranty: 1-year warranty

How I tested the Our Place Perfect Power Pot

Our Place sent me its Perfect Power Pot a few days before its launch, so I started cooking with it right away. I set it up in my tiny New York City kitchen on the sliver of countertop space I have available near an outlet — it fits without teetering off, so that alone makes me love it. I used the pot to steam shrimp, saute broccoli and cook rice. I also used each of the included tools like the vented lid, steamer basket and nesting Beechwood spatula. I hand-washed the Perfect Power Pot as directed by the brand.

My experience with the Our Place Perfect Power Pot

Our Place designed its Perfect Power Pot with college students in mind. Many of them don’t have access to a full kitchen while living in dorms, yet want to cook for themselves instead of relying on dining hall food. The Perfect Power Pot makes cooking in small spaces possible since you just need an outlet to use it. It’s ideal for anyone looking to make quick, homemade meals, regardless of how skilled they are in the kitchen. Below, I’ll share more details about my experience using the Perfect Power Pot at home.

What I like

Simple, straightforward operation

At first, I thought this appliance’s one-button operation and two heat settings would be limiting. And it is — but it’s supposed to be. The only decisions I needed to make was what I was cooking and whether I needed to use high heat or low heat. That made the process almost thoughtless, which is exactly the kind of cooking experience I’m looking for on a weeknight after a long day of work. Similarly, that’s exactly the kind of cooking experience I was looking for a few years ago when I was a college student trying to eat healthy, homemade meals while juggling multiple classes, homework, extracurriculars and a part-time job.

Since using the appliance is so straightforward, it’s easy to get the hang of. Granted, I have years of cooking experience and have been testing kitchen appliances at NBC Select for four years, but I doubt the learning curve would be particularly steep for even a beginner home chef. The instruction booklet is clear and thorough, and the included recipe guide taught me what heat settings the brand recommends for sauteing, boiling, simmering and steaming. Once I read through those materials, I felt well prepared to cook with and clean the Perfect Power Pot.

Multifunctional

Despite its simple operation, I used the appliance to boil rice, saute broccoli and steam shrimp, which I’d usually need a separate pot, pan and steamer basket for. But I was able to successfully make everything in one pot, so other than prepwork, it eliminated the need for additional kitchen tools.

While the pot is still useful without the included steamer basket, it’s much more versatile with it. The basket stacks on top of the pot’s base, which gives me another level to cook food on. You can use the steamer basket by itself by simmering water underneath, which is how I made my shrimp. Or, you can use it to steam one ingredient while cooking something else in the base, like a soup, rice or noodles. For example, once I made my meal, I realized that I could have cooked my rice in the base while steaming my shrimp in the basket. Now that I understand how to cook two things at once using the Perfect Power Pot, I’m looking forward to steaming frozen foods like dumplings in the basket while making ramen noodles on the bottom. The steamer basket also has five little divots to place eggs in, so the appliance functions as an egg cooker, too.

Nonstick

To test whether the pot is actually as nonstick as Our Place’s Always Pan and Perfect Pot, both of which I own, I sauteed broccoli until it started to brown. My vegetables didn’t stick to the pot’s base whatsoever, and they slid right out when I transferred them to my plate. This made me feel confident that I can cook with tackier ingredients, like cheese, in the future. As my broccoli browned, the nonstick coating didn’t absorb its color, which eliminated my worries about using acidic or vibrant ingredients like tomato sauce and turmeric. I’ve never had an issue with those types of ingredients in my Our Place cookware, and since the Perfect Power Pot is made with a similar type of nonstick coating, I don’t foresee having any problems. That said, I’ve only cooked with the pot a few times so far, so I can’t speak to how it will hold up after months of use.

Powerful

Although the Perfect Power Pot is small, it’s powerful. It can bring liquids to a rolling boil quickly — it takes about three and a half minutes to reach full temperature when set to low and three minutes to reach full temperature when set to high, according to the brand. This was true in my experience and worked faster than it takes a pot of water to heat up on my gas stovetop, so it saved me time, too.

Compact size

Don’t expect this pot to feed a crowd — that’s not what it’s meant for. It’s best for cooking meals for one person, but you could get away with making two or three servings depending on the dish and serving size. If you’re looking for a larger multicooker, brands like Ninja, Instant Pot and Cuisinart have similar options, though they don’t function exactly the same way and usually cost more.

Since it’s compact, it’s easy to store in small spaces. I cleared a spot in my pantry for it, and if I were in college, I would have placed it on top of my mini fridge or in an underbed bin. The Perfect Power Pot is pretty tall when you stack the steamer basket and lid on top of the base, but you can store each piece separately if needed.

Detachable cord

While it may seem like a minor detail, being able to remove the cord from the Perfect Power Pot is a standout feature. I don’t have to haphazardly wrap it around the appliance’s handle when I’m putting it away, or worry about it dangling off the side of a shelf. I could detach the cord, neatly fold it up and place it inside the pot’s base. The pot comes with a short 3.3-foot power cord, but you can attach an extension cord, according to the brand.

Drawbacks to keep in mind

Challenging to clean

Unlike Our Place’s Dream Cooker, the Perfect Power Pot doesn’t have a removable inner pot. Because of this, you have to very carefully hand-wash the interior of the appliance by wiping it down with a damp paper towel or sponge and a little dish soap. You can’t run it under water because the cord port and heat buttons are on the pot’s handle — if you got water in either of these areas, the appliance would break. 

Its interior is nonstick, however, so my food slid off easily, leaving practically nothing behind. If anything were to stick to the inside of the appliance, scrubbing it off would be challenging, especially since you can’t use abrasive materials on the nonstick coating like scour pads or metal utensils. This isn’t a deal breaker for me, but it’s something to keep in mind since you’ll have to be extra careful while cleaning.

The included lid, steam basket and Beechwood spatula are also not dishwasher-safe, so you have to hand-wash them, too. From previous experience, the Beechwood spatula tends to permanently stain if you use it to stir highly pigmented ingredients like tomato sauce and turmeric. If you’re making something that may stain the wood spatula, I recommend using a dark silicone spatula instead.

Who is the Our Place Perfect Power Pot best for?

Our Place’s Perfect Power Pot is best for exactly who the brand designed it for: college students and young adults. Its simple operation takes a lot of the stress out of cooking so making homemade meals feel doable, regardless of someone’s kitchen expertise. Because you can use it anywhere there’s an outlet, it would also be great to bring on a camping trip if you have some sort of power supply available.

I personally would have loved to own this appliance in college, especially when I lived in an on-campus dorm. I have dietary restrictions that made eating in a dining hall challenging, so much so that I abandoned my meal plan after my first semester of freshman year and started exclusively cooking in my dorm’s shared kitchen. I often had to wait to use the stove top, which sometimes meant I didn’t eat dinner until 9 p.m., and eventually cooked most meals in the microwave. (Anyday’s microwavable cookware saved my life on numerous occasions). With the Perfect Power Pot, I could have cooked my meals in the kitchen at any time since I would just need a free outlet.

This electric pot is also great for busy young adults who are figuring out how to cook for themselves and may not be super comfortable in the kitchen yet. The appliance holds your hand through boiling, steaming and sauteing since you just plug it in, slide the button to a heat level, let the pot get warm and add your ingredients. You don’t need to worry about specific temperatures or fancy settings. The appliance does almost all of the work for you, and once you get the hang of it, you can begin experimenting with dishes beyond frozen dumplings. 

Why trust NBC Select?

I’m an associate updates editor at NBC Select who writes about food and kitchen appliances, including articles on olive oil, cookware sets, Dutch ovens, air fryers and salt. For this article, I tested the Our Place Perfect Power Pot prior to it launching, which the brand sent me to try. I’ve been testing kitchen appliances for NBC Select for four years and have used all of Our Place’s appliances, as well as own multiple pieces of the brand’s cookware, including the Always Pan, Cast Iron Always Pan, Perfect Pot and Cast Iron Perfect Pot.

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