Why You Really Don't Want Copper Cookware

Superior Performance and Pretty To Look At, But.....

I got to talking cookware with my kids the other day and my daughter-in-law said something about someday wanting to have a set of copper cookware. Ah-h-h-h......er-r-r-r-r.....how do I tell her? No, sweetie, you really don't.

Don't get me wrong. Copper cookware is great stuff. Julia Child swore by it. Me? I just swear at it.

Okay, let's be positive about the whole thing first. A nice set of gleaming, bright copper cookware looks absolutely stunning. You don't hide it in a cabinet; you display it like art.

And when it comes to performance, copper is a Cadillac among Volkswagens. There is nothing that conducts heat better and more evenly than copper. This means your copper pots and pans will heat up quickly, retain heat longer, and there is virtually no chance of hot spots that can result in uneven cooking. All that and it's relatively lightweight, too. At least when compared to iron and steel.

And don't stop at pots and pans. Generations of fancy French and French-inspired chefs have sung the praises of using copper bowls for whisking egg whites into creamy, fluffy mounds. Here's why: when you cradle that shiny copper bowl in your arm and start hammering away with a balloon whisk, the action actually causes microscopic bits of copper to break away and incorporate with the egg whites. Since copper acts as a binder with sulfur groups (like egg white proteins), it prevents them from forming the strong disulfide bonds that can lead to gritty, dry whites when whipped. So using a copper bowl for whipping almost guarantees firm, glossy egg whites that are not grainy or overwhipped.

So with all that going for it, why do I say you don't really want copper cookware?

Wel-l-l-l-l......first there's that whole taking out a loan to buy the stuff thing. Think I'm kidding? I can get you a nice twelve-piece set at Williams Sonoma for only $1,900 plus tax. There's just something wrong about paying more for a set of pots and pans than I paid for my first car.

Then there's the fact that copper is soft and malleable, making it prone to denting and scratching.

And you're going to spend your life polishing the stuff if you want it to stay nice looking. Left to its own devices, it will tarnish, turning a lovely grayish black over time. But not for long. Acids interacting with tarnish will eventually produce the minerals azurite, malachite, and brochantite, resulting in a nice blue-ish or grey-ish green patina. Think “old-statue-in-the-park” color.

Don't even think about putting copper cookware in the dishwasher. That's an expressway to ruined pots and pans. The harsh conditions inside your dishwasher will permanently alter the color of your cookware as well as possibly damaging the lining. Nope. You've gotta hand wash those rascals. And you've got to do it quickly. If you leave a copper pan sitting around with food particles in it for even a few hours, you'll run the risk of corrosion starting. And you'd better have a towel handy: you need to completely hand dry those babies because if you don't and you just let them drip dry......yep, you guessed it; you'll start them down the spotty, streaky path to tarnish and patina.

Now, tarnished copper or copper with a green patina will cook just as efficiently and as well as bright, shiny copper, but you do need to remove any green tinge from an interior surface before you try to cook anything, lest the aforementioned minerals interact with whatever you're cooking in a very untasty manner.

My kids cook a lot of Italian food. That means lots of tomatoes. That means lots of acidic reaction with copper that will make for a corroded pot and a nasty tasting sauce.

Of course, unless you find some really old antique stuff somewhere, chances are your copper cookware will be lined with either steel or tin. That's because without a non-reactive lining it's possible to get copperiedus. Huh? Don't worry. That's just a form of metal poisoning caused by an excess of copper in the body, which can happen if you cook acidic foods in unlined copper. And if through use or abuse your pan's tin or steel lining should become scratched or pitted......well, it's pretty much the same as being unlined.

And if you get past all that and still want copper cookware, just be aware that there is a really steep learning curve involved if all you've ever used before is aluminum, steel, or cast iron. Be prepared to burn a whole lot of stuff before you get the hang of it because copper heats up really quickly. Conversely, you might get slower than expected results with low heat cooking because copper is thicker than the non-stick aluminum you're probably accustomed to. Oh, and speaking of sticking, copper isn't really noted for being non-stick.

And if you're into induction cooking......well, don't expect copper to join the party. It's non-ferromagnetic.

Still want that pretty, shiny copper cookware? Go for it. It's still great stuff. To me, though, it's like an expensive sports car or a high-maintenance lover: nice to look at, fun to play around with, and great performance where it counts. But wait until the new wears off and the bills kick in. I'll stick with my 18/10 stainless steel, my seasoned carbon steel, and my cast iron, thank you. Whatever choice you make, just make sure it's an informed one.