Best Copper Cookware, Pots & Pans

Cooking, for many families, is the heart of the home. And that sense of community and tradition can be just as much about the dishes you create as it is the dishes your food is made in.

Your cookware, pots, and pans, are vital to cooking, baking, and creating in the kitchen. Whether you're an amateur home cook or a professional chef, you need these tools just the same in order to be successful; however, there is a difference among the different types of cookware.

You’ll want to keep several things in mind: factors like cost, ease of use, durability, and safety among other things. But perhaps most importantly is knowing the health impact your cookware has on the food you eat.

You might not realize, but whatever vessel you choose to prepare your meal ends up a part of it, even in minute amounts. Just as you care about the ingredients you put in your body, you’ll also want to be aware of the cookware material weaving particles into your food.

One material you can rely on for safety and durability is copper. Copper utensils have been used through generations, and a bonus here, it is known to improve the body’s overall function by boosting your immune system.

And while your cookware likely won’t play a major role in improving your health, you can rest assured that if you purchase copper cookware, you won’t be doing any residual damage to your body’s defenses.

Plus, copper is user-friendly: it’s non-stick, easy to clean and evenly conducts and distributes the heat for quick and effective cooking! We’ll take a closer look at some of the leading copper cookware models below.

Our Picks For Best Copper Cookware

Benefits of Cooking with Copper

There are specific benefits that come with cooking with copper.

Heat Conductivity

Not only do copper cookware items have the authentic look and feel of fancy kitchens, they have the durability and reliability. Copper is a magnificent conductor of heat, so changing temperature quickly and efficiently is swift with copper cookware.  

Heat is able to spread evenly and quickly to prevent any food cooking faster or slower due to their position in the pan. This spread of heat is also notable for cooking with sensitive foods that require that the heat be monitored.

Because copper is such a great conductor for heat, this also means that food sticking due to hot patches on the pan is not likely to happen. This is just one more plus in terms of the simple cleaning process.

Antibacterial Qualities

Another thing that is popular for copper products is that it is naturally an antibacterial material. It’s now not only popular for use in cooking products. Water bottles and other food containers utilize this antibacterial quality as an advantage.

This antibacterial quality in the copper can also have profound effects on the health and maintenance of your gastrointestinal system.

What really sets Copper products apart from its competitors?

One thing that has taken off in the last ten years in the cooking world, is the invention and introduction of the non-stick cookware.

People have loved it and used it forever because it makes cleanup easy, and makes cooking less frustrating. Cookware made with copper has a natural and noninvasive way of providing the same thrills.

That little need for extra unnecessary oils and fats means that losing weight can be a positive side effect of cooking with copper cookware. Certain foods that might have been a pain to keep from sticking to the pan previously, might become your favorite to cook in a copper pan.

The surface is smooth and doesn’t require any more oil than what is already available in your cooking.

Tips for Using Copper Cookware

Noticeably, copper products can show signs of wear over time, and this is normal and natural for the products. But the best way to keep things in good shape is to make sure the cookware is cared for appropriately.

Keeping the cookware in a dry environment with a reasonable temperature as well as maintaining the copper shine with a polishing regimen keeps everything in working order.

It is advised that when using copper cookware, you refrain from using metal utensils and spoons as this has the potential to scratch the soft copper surface. Using soft and flexible utensils made from rubber, plastic, silicone, bamboo, and wood are preferable.

Heat Discrepancies

Due to the speedy heat up time with copper cookware items, it isn’t necessary to heat the pot prior to cooking in it. This can actually be damaging to the copper lining anyway, and it’s an unneeded step since the copper will spread the heat evenly in no time.

There are a few ways that copper is different from conventional cookware in terms of high heat situations. It is a great conductor, which we have already touched on, but with that, there can be some caution when it comes to higher heats.

Copper cookware is just fine going in the oven, and it will perform just the same as if it were on the cooktop. In terms of cooking meats, more specifically searing meats, this should be done in cast iron or Teflon pans as the copper lining can melt if it reaches 450 degrees Fahrenheit.

This is not usually a problem when placed inside the oven, as the vapors and convection system of the oven keeps the pan cool enough.

Polishing

With most copper lined, copper based, and pure copper cookware, polishing is part of keeping the pans working to their full potential and keeping them around for a good life span. There are many ways in which to polish copper.

An easy way to remember to polish your copper pans is to add that into the cleaning process, so once you have cleaned the pans, then you proceed to polish them before putting them away. That way you can avoid a long polishing session on the off chance that you remember.

Ketchup, a mix of vinegar and lemon juice, and a mix of salt and vinegar with the addition of flour to make a paste-like consistency are all concoctions that can be used to polish and shine the copper cookware.

Using a soft cloth and a bit of your chosen concoction start polishing the entire pot. When that is done all you have to do is rinse the pot and buff it dry with another soft cloth, and then you're done with a simple polishing routine.

Cleaning Copper

Because of the soft properties of copper, using harsh sponges or metal wool can damage and scratch the surface. In line with this reasoning, copper cookware should be washed by hand over in a dishwasher to make sure any scratches and tarnishes are avoided.

So, using a strong sponge, good soap, and lukewarm water will do the trick anyway since the copper is so easy to clean. Warm or hot water is the most efficient way to clean and help wipe the copper of any additional residue on its surface, but in a pinch, any temperature water will get the job done.

Any abrasive material is harmful to the copper on copper cookware, so using scratchy sponges and other harsh materials is potentially damaging. There isn’t really any need to use such harsh cleaning materials anyway since copper is naturally nonstick and does not have any issues with food sticking to it.

Conclusion

Copper cookware is a cookware that has been used for centuries, and yet it doesn’t seem to be talked about much when you think about how many amazing qualities it has.

Healthwise, copper cookware can save you calories, as well as helping you add sufficient nutrients into your diet that were annoying to cook on another type of pans due to the foods sticking to the bottom.

Naturally, copper has other traits that no other cookware has. It’s nonstick, which makes cleanup a breeze. And it’s antibacterial which can help your gastrointestinal health as well as your cleanup of pots and pans.

Overall, copper lined, copper based, and pure copper cookware have far more upsides than downsides which makes copper a great item to consider next time you are in need of new cookware.