No doubt kick-started by the wildly popular Our Place always pan, which does everything from boil a mountain of penne to roast a whole chicken, multi-purpose cookware has really caught on.
As someone who’s used the first and second version of the always pan, and one of its rivals, the Ninja possible pan, extensively in my kitchen, I can say with confidence that I’m on-board with the all-in-one concept, but I’ve always raised an eyebrow at the price. The latest always pan, the always pan pro (which I’m yet to test out), costs a whopping £170.
So when I saw that Lakeland had launched a 10-in-one pan for less than £90, my interest was piqued. Designed to do everything from stir frying to steaming, the ‘hybrid’ pan blends the strength and polished good looks of stainless steel with the convenience of a non-stick pan. It also comes with a spatula and a strainer/steamer basket, and is oven-safe up to 200C.
To see how it would fare under real-world conditions – especially the non-stick coating, because let’s face it, that’s what we’re all here for – I put it to the test in my kitchen. Here’s how I got on.
Lakeland’s 10-in-1 tri-ply only pan pro is an elegant bit of cookware. It’s sleek, with its reflective stainless steel design. While it’s heavier than a standard pan, it’s lightweight enough for me to shake a stir fry with it with one hand. However, a pour spout would have been nice, as liquid does drip down the sides after pouring.
The pan is suitable for all hob types including induction. The tri-ply in the name just means it’s made of up stainless steel and an aluminium core (this construction is meant to ensure food cooks quickly and evenly). Sure enough, in testing, the pan did heat up fast, and, in terms of even cooking, it passed the omelette test. For this, I poured the mix into a pan, let it cook, flopped the omelette onto a plate, and inspected it to see whether there were any burnt or uncooked areas (there weren’t).
That brings me onto arguably the most important element of the pan: the non-stick coating. This coating is PFAS-free (PFAS are ‘forever chemicals’) and claimed to be scratch-resistant. While the pan comes with a utensil that has a metal handle but a silicone spatula, the brand says metal utensils won’t damage the non-stick. I’m guilty of using the metal dessert spoon I have in-hand rather than a wooden one from out of the drawer, so this is appreciated.
The non-stick has a slightly raised cross finish, so I wonder if this helps not only to keep oil evenly distributed, but to protect the ceramic coasting from scratches. I haven’t used the pan long enough to see how it holds up over time, but I’ll report back.
Lakeland doesn’t specify whether the non-stick needs oil to be effective, but it does say you should use a bit of oil to protect the non-stick coating. So, I used a teaspoon of oil while testing and nothing I cooked stuck. During the fried egg test, I just needed to nudge it slightly with a spatula and it was slipping and gliding around with no resistance.
The key to the pan’s versatility, it’s oven-safe up to 200C, so you can use it to roast and bake food. However, it’s worth noting that Our Place’s always pan pro can handle much higher temperatures (up to 400C), so some people may find Lakeland’s max temperature a bit limiting. The non-stick held up in the oven, too. Salmon fillets and Mediterranean vegetables simply lifted up off the pan, after baking at around 170C. While there are no explicit rules about not cooking at high heats on the stove, Lakeland doesn’t explicitly say you can’t, either – but it does say you can stir fry and sear.
While the handle on the lid gets ever so slightly warm, the base of the main handle gets quite hot, which I had to be mindful of. The smaller handle on the opposite side gets too hot to hold, too.
I also have mixed feelings about the strainer/steaming basket. It works well as a steamer, but I find it a bit awkward as a strainer as you’re left with a dripping strainer and a pan full of water, which, if you’re cooking alone, with just two hands, isn’t ideal. That said, it’s good for pouring plain pasta into another pot or straight into your plate. Just remember you need to lift the basket out with gloves as it’s inside the pan and will be hot.
The pan isn’t dishwasher safe but the non-stick surface is very easy to clean, and oil and food spatters on the stainless steel rim wiped away easily with hot water and soap.
Why we love it: Looks sleek, excellent non-stick, not too heavy , PFAS-free, easy to hand wash
Take note: Shouldn’t go in the dishwasher, limited maximum temperature, handles get quite hot
Key specifications
- Capacity: 3l
- Weight: 2kg
- Material: Stainless steel and aluminium
- Oven safe: Up to 200C
- Dishwasher safe: No
Should you buy the Lakeland 10-in-1 tri-ply only pan pro?
Lakeland’s 10-in-1 tri-ply only pan pro is excellent value for money. It’s a purposeful, high quality and wonderfully sleek bit of cookware. The non-stick coating was the real clincher, which has, so far, been faultless. And as an occasionally mindless cook, I’m relieved to know that metal utensils can be used and the pan should, in theory, remain unscathed.
With its 3l capacity, the pan is more than big enough for couples and small families to use, but I’d recommend it to solo cooks too, particularly those who do a lot of batch cooking, or want to streamline free up cupboard space. Of course for a meal to come together, you often need one, two, or several cooking functions to be used simultaneously, so, like with any all-in-one cookware, you probably can’t replace all your pots and pans with it – in this sense, the usefulness of the pan will probably depend on how and what you cook.
How I tested
I made a variety of meals in the Lakeland pan and looked at how the pan fared across the board. During testing, I kept the following criteria in mind.
- Design: How cookware actually looks on the hob or sitting on the countertop is something a lot of us care about, so I factored in how sleek and aesthetically pleasing it was. Did I feel proud to call to add it to my culinary repertoire?
- Cooking speed and results: Did the pan heat up quickly? I also noted how well and how evenly food seemed to cook.
- Ease of use: As this is a multi-purpose pan that you’ll be using all the time, any little annoyances or less-than-ideal design features will, at some point, become irritating. I paid particular attention to how intuitive it was to use and how lightweight it was.
- Non-stick: I used a small amount of oil as per the brand’s instructions, and watched for how easily food slipped around the surface, both after frying and oven-cooking.
- Maintenance: No one wants to be soaking and scrubbing cookware so I noted how easy the cleaning process was. I also factored in how mindful I needed to be of the pan in terms of maintenance.
Why you can trust IndyBest reviews
With more than four years experience testing products for IndyBest, Lois Borny is well versed in the brands to know (and avoid). She tested cookware such as the Ninja possible pan and now, Lakeland’s 10-in-1 pan, extensively in her own kitchen with a range of dishes, to bring you her honest opinions.
Read more: 11 best induction pans, tried and tested in a real kitchen
