5 best copper cookware [updated 2022]: reviews and buying tips
Different manufacturers make their cooking pots with different material. Common ones include stainless steel, cast iron, and carbon steel. Copper is uncommon, and that’s why copper cookware is a rarity in many kitchens. These kitchen implements are unique and highly valued around a lot of kitchens, both commercial and home-based ones. In this guide, our team will test several products and select the best copper cookware for you.
In a Hurry? Here are Our Top Picks…!
Our #1 Choice
Gotham Steel 20 Piece All in One Kitchen Cookware + Bakeware Set
Performance/Ease of Use
Gotham’s Cookware set is probably the best value among these other products. Even though it isn’t the cheapest among these other sets, you will still get 20 cooking pieces to cook and bake with. That’s right, more than double the number of cookware and bakeware pieces other manufacturers offer.
Besides its incredible value, quality isn’t compromised one bit. Ti-cerama coating wraps the inside of the pot and makes cooking a joy. I never once used oil or butter. Everything just slides off the pots and pans.
Copper pots are not known to be dishwasher-safe. But this one is. You no longer need to tire yourself scrubbing away manually because you can slide it into the dishwasher and press play.
Aluminum has been added to this set of cooking pots to ensure even heat distribution. The handles are always cool to touch, so you needn’t be afraid of getting burnt.
Gotham’s range of cookware and bakeware gives your kitchen a complete makeover. Get yourself pans, stockpots, baking tins, and pans and enjoy some delicious meals.
Our Other Choices
All-Clad Copper Core 5-Ply Bonded Saucepan
Performance/Ease of Use
Do you fancy a beautiful looking pot for your cooking needs? I found the All-Clad pot quite attractive to look at and will light up your kitchen in no time.
Besides the aesthetics department, this 5-ply also gets the job done quite easily. There are three different materials used here: aluminum that distributes heat evenly, copper and stainless steel. The steel part makes cooking joyous. I loved how food swirls around inside the wonderfully polished steel interior.
The pot is also easily handled, and I loved how the handle was contoured. It is super easy to grip and fits well in your hand. The edges too do justice to your soups and sauces. They are flared, and you won’t make a mess pouring anything.
Granted, the price for this pot is steep, but its quality is unmatched.
Concord 8 Piece Ceramic Coated Copper Cookware
Performance/Ease of Use
One of the outright non-stick cookware sets on this list is Concord’s offering. Copper pots are not known for their non-stick capability, but with the ceramic coating here, you can still enjoy cooking without having to worry about the furious scrubbing that might follow.
The ceramic coating is also totally healthy, and you needn’t worry about any chemicals or metal elements leaching into your food. Also, cooking isn’t the only thing this set can do. I use it to bake my pastries as well with much success.
The handle is made from stainless steel. It is durable and tightly fitted. Additionally, this set has modified rims so that you won’t make a mess pouring soups and sauces.
Did I mention the price? Quite affordable, especially if you are talking about copper cookware sets.
Lagostina Martellata Hammered Copper Tri-Ply Stainless Steel Cookware Set
Performance/Ease of Use
One of the reasons for having a Tri-ply design principle in copper cookware sets is so that you can work around copper’s reactivity with acidic ingredients. This set has an aluminum core that sits between two layers of stainless steel.
The pots conduct heat evenly and quite fast. Even if you were to switch your heat levels abruptly, these pots would respond in kind. So you don’t have to worry about burning your food.
Stainless steel doesn’t just look clean but acts that way. Copper has a tendency to leach into food but steel solves this problem. There won’t be any altered flavors because of leaching metal.
Lagostina Martellata has also added a nifty design principle on the edges of this cookware set. They roll slightly, and this makes spillages an uncommon. I’m sure that you have cursed once or twice after accidentally pouring down soup.
Get yourself this set and enjoy the high-quality steel surfaces as well as the beautiful colors of this copper cookware set.
Matfer Bourgeat 8 Piece Copper Cookware Set
Performance/Ease of Use
Matfer Bourgeat makes this fantastic cookware set with copper sandwiched between stainless steel. This design makes the pots conduct heat quite easily and at the same time, allows you to cook a wide variety of foods.
Since copper is a reactive metal, you won’t be able to cook some foods, especially those that are high in acids. Tomatoes and vinegar are notoriously acidic and often leach the copper into your meals. Also, your food might not taste as good as you would have anticipated.
The stainless steel allows you to cook just about anything without having to worry about an altered taste. Also, the handles of these pots are cast iron. I prefer them because they are sturdier and give me confidence when stirring my food.
This set is also good looking and not just their color. The design is elegant and straightforward, but at the same time, highly functional.
Why we choose Gotham Steel 20 Piece All in One Kitchen Cookware + Bakeware Set
Finally, after considering these five sets of copper cookware, I found the Gotham Steel 20 Piece All in One Kitchen Cookware + Bakeware Set to be best you can find right now. It trumps the others when it comes to giving you the best value for your money. You actually get twenty pieces that you can bake and at the same time cook with.
When it comes to pure style and looks, the All-Clad saucepan trumps the rest. But it doesn’t come close to the Gotham set. The Gotham changes how copper cookware operate because you can even use a dishwasher to clean it.
Aluminum is also in the makeup of the saucepan, and it helps to distribute heat evenly while cooking. Copper’s superb heat conductivity makes it easy to heat food. Additionally, the pots and pans are super attractive. They lit up my kitchen, and I didn’t have to break the bank doing so.
Why Are Copper Pots And Pans So Highly Valued？
The use of copper is not a standard feature when making cooking ware today. However, back in the day, copper was a common metal in human societies. Up until the time of the Roman empire, it was mostly used to make decorative items. Nevertheless, people soon discovered its significance in food preparation and in no time, artisans were beating it up into bowls.
Today, cookware made from copper are quite costly. However, this cost is not unwarranted, and they justify their value with some unique features.
Superb Heat conductivity
Copper is a remarkable material because of its incredible heat and electrical conductivity. That’s one of the reasons why it is the dominant metal used in electrical wires.
Because it’s an excellent conductor of heat, copper cookware starkly differs from pots made from cast iron. While cast iron is heavy and needs some time to get the heat running through it, copper gets the job done in a shorter time.
Now, cast iron is generally heavier than copper. You will often notice that it will take quite a bit of time to heat up, unlike copper pots. Also, even after you have taken your pan from the fire, it will still retain most of the heat for a while longer. That is why I would prefer it for slow-cooking dishes.
On the other hand, Copper pots work differently. They have shorter heating times, and they also cool off a lot quicker. Copper pans trump cast iron ones because their surfaces heat up more uniformly.
If for instance, I am cooking seafood or fish, cast iron would be the last thing I would go for. Copper, on the other hand, will give me first-rate results during the process. Overcooking is not an issue here because copper loses heat immediately after you have taken it off the heat.
Copper cookware looks fabulous
Besides how copper conducts heat, a lot of kitchen enthusiasts value the cookware for its aesthetics. Copper pots and pans are expensive, but they beat their cast iron counterparts when it comes to looking good.
Pots and pans made from copper take its brownish color. They possess a unique radiance that other everyday cookware lack. To put it simply, they are the crème of cooking pots.
Why You Need Copper Cookware In Your Kitchen？
Granted, cookware made from copper are high-value commodities. Also, stainless steel pots and pans can still do the same job at a cheaper cost. So what would make you need copper cookware?
For one, the beauty of copper cookware gives it a uniqueness that tends to increase its value immensely. Factor in their cost and you have a treasured tool in your hands. I take greater care with my food when using a copper pan as opposed to a regular cast-iron one. You can say that I am forced to bring out the best of my cooking with such tools.
Another thing I love about copper cooking pots is their weight. Copper is a dense metal, and such pots have a good weight. I always find my pots easy to place on the burner. As I stir my food, I don’t have to worry about pushing the pot away. They are also not heavy enough that you will not be able to lift.
You can also say that copper pans will train you to take greater care when cooking. It challenges you to be the best that you can while using it.
You will soon realize that copper cookware is not your ordinary pot or pan. There is more to these pots and pans than just their ability to heat food. Consider their long history from the time of our forefathers up to today.
Nowadays, these items are a sort of a rarity, and few manufacturers specialize in producing them. In spite of the method used to make them, copper still requires skill to work with – whether rolled, spun or stamped copper.
How To Choose The Right Copper Cookware For You？
Now that you are ready to get your new copper pan, there are a couple of things that you must consider first. I would have liked to say their cost, but if you have decided to go for copper cookware, then it is only fair that you go for the best regardless of the cost.
Not all pots and pans are equally made. Their differences also affect how they function in the kitchen and their ease of use.
The thickness of the cookware
Firstly, the depth of their bases can determine how easy it will be to use them. Anything thicker than 3mm at the bottom will often be heavy because of copper metal’s high density. Also, thicker pots and pans negate any advantage of copper from their ability to conduct heat.
Ideally, a good pot should lie between 2.5mm-3mm. A 2mm thickness is acceptable, but if you go lower, then your pot won’t heat as uniformly as desired.
Material lining the copper pot
Another factor that you should consider when purchasing your copper cookware is the lining material. Copper pots, unlike cast iron ones, need to be lined because the metal is highly reactive. When cooking with slightly acidic ingredients such as vinegar, small amounts of copper leach into your food. The copper that leaches into your soups and sauces may be small, but over time they build up to toxic levels.
A lining helps prevent copper from getting into your food as you cook. Additionally, the coating also adds some useful features to your pots and pans like non-stick capability. Tin is famous for being superbly non-stick but is quickly worn out.
Stainless steel is another alternative, but it comes at an extra cost. However, copper cookware with steel lining will last longer. I prefer the steel-lined pot than a tin one because continuously adding a tin lining every so often is costly.
Whether the cookware is cladded or not
Copper is highly reactive and can require tip-top maintenance to make them last for longer. However, you can get cookware that is blended with other metals.
You usually can get two types:
Clad Bonded Core on your cookware
Two different metals sandwich a copper core. Such pots and pans are more robust and will still give you the same benefits that copper cookware has.
Tri-ply cookware with a copper core
This one has three different metals, namely copper, aluminum, and stainless steel. The steel is in the interior and allows you to cook just about anything without having to fear coppers extreme reactivity. The copper lines the outside of the pot, and because of its superconductivity, your food heats up faster. The aluminum spreads heat evenly.
I found this video quite handy when it came to choosing my copper cookware. Do have a look.
Tips On How You Can Maintain Your Copper Cookware
- Always polish your copper cooking pots. If you do so, you will prevent them from corroding.
- Do not use a dishwasher to wash them.
- Hand-dry your copper pots and pans after washing. Take care that you do not leave any wet spots.
- Because they are very reactive, do not leave food in your cookware.