Copper pots and pans, yes they are beautiful..

[LG Gone Wild]

but other than that, why would you use them? What makes them special other than the cost and look?

[In The Great White North]

A copper bottom diffuses the heat more evenly.

[Paintedlady]

I only have one copper pot but I love the way it cooks so evenly. No hot spots. I'd have a hard time paying retail prices for them though. I got mine at a neighbor's garage sale for $10, which was a steal. Wish I had more of them.

[lisamarie]

So I just learned from my Grandma that apparently you aren't supposed to use copper-bottom pots and pans on a glass cook top stove. So I've been naughty the past 3 years.:001_huh: I guess maybe they are a gas range thing???

[QueenCat]

The diffuse heat better than some of the cheaper options. I've never had a problem with them on my glass top electric range.

[sweetbasil]

Copper's the best for whipping egg whites. I'd like to have one copper bowl for that purpose.

 

But other than that specific use, I'm really not interested. Polishing just isn't my thing. :)

[idnib]

You also get trace amounts of copper in your food. ;)

[naturegirl7]

The copper conducts heat better, and more evenly. They rock!! :D

 

 

I have some that were my Great grandma's bought not too long before I was born - making them 30+ years old. I still use them on a daily basis and cringe at the idea of replacing them. I have fond childhood memories of learning to cook using them cuz my mom had them first (and then gave them to me when I moved out on my own.) They are my "best" cookware - even if they are no longer shiny and pretty (cuz I am too lazy to do it), and are not exactly perfectly rounded any more and have many dents from "loving" care and use :tongue_smilie:

 

I also LOVE cast iron - I splurged on cast iron fry pans/skillets and will never ever go back! They are amazing too!

 

DH laughs at how vintage I am with my cookware - especially when I beg for speciality items like the Vitamix or a good dehydrator LOL

Edited August 29, 2010 by naturegirl7

[Pippen]

I have my husband's grandmother's old copper bottom stainless Revereware and I love it. I'd be searching garage sales and thrift shops to try it out before buying anything pricey and new.

 

For years I wanted to replace it with Calphalon and last year found some on clearance I could afford and I absolutely hated them.

 

Barkeepers Friend shines up the copper bottoms without much work.

[LG Gone Wild]

Hmm, maybe I'll start off with one mixing bowl. Seriously, a single pan is several hundred dollars. That's a big commitment.

[Spy Car]

Hmm, maybe I'll start off with one mixing bowl. Seriously, a single pan is several hundred dollars. That's a big commitment.

 

The responses are mixing Apples and Oranges.

 

Unlined copper mixing bowls have a special ability to produce fluffy beaten egg whites.

 

That quality has nothing to do with the "cooking" qualities of heavy lined copper cookware which is "lined." These days most heavy copper cookware is jacketed on the inside with stainless-steel. In the old days the copper was "tinned" (a process some purists still prefer, but a tinned lining can be a maintenance nightmare, and re-tinning shops are pretty uncommon these days).

 

For beating eggs you want interaction with the copper and the eggs, that is part of the chemistry. But for other cooking you don't want food in contact with copper, as copper is somewhat toxic.

 

For cooking, heavy copper cookware lined with stainless-steel (like the French brand Bourgeat) are simply amazing to cook on. There is nothing better. The way they distribute heat evenly (no hot spots) and respond rapidy to additional (or reduced) heat makes for great control when cooking.

 

They are expensive. But will last several lifetimes and do perform like nothing else.

 

Thin copper sets, and sets with thin copper bottoms (like Revere Ware) don't cook anything remotely like heavy Bourgeat cookware. For cheaper alternatives cast-iron and carbon-steel pans (also called "black steel" in the restaurant business) are good options. For some reason carbon-steel skillets are almost unknown in home use, and while they are not as conductive as copper (and therefore take longer to heat and cool) they also cost 10% of what a heavy copper skillet would cost and come close in terms of cookablility.

 

While somewhat of a luxury item (especially in this rotten economy) heavy copper cookware rocks!

 

Bill

[Rosie_0801]

You also get trace amounts of copper in your food. ;)

 

Which is why I'd only use copper for a dye pot :)

 

Rosie