Copper cookware is extremely popular in various parts of the world. The French are famous for their copper cookware, which is used to cook traditional French cuisine. With the increased availability of cookware in other materials like aluminum and stainless steel, copper cookware is facing stiff competition. Today copper cookware generally means cookware which has lots of stainless steel in combination with copper. Usually, the copper is on the outside. Stainless steel is used on the cooking surface. Copper bottomed cookware has always been popular for its looks. Copper cookware items require some amount of maintenance to keep them looking new. It is relatively easier o keep clean with modern polishes, which keep them sparkling.
Copper cookware is designed based on the principle that copper is one of the best conductors of heat among the non-precious metals. Copper is known to distribute heat better than aluminum. On the flip side, copper costs much more than other metals. Aluminum, for instance, costs less and is easier to maintain than copper, but it is not as attractive or heat conducting as copper.
Copper bottom cookware pans are usually lined with tin, nickel, or stainless steel or a combination of these metals. One has to take good care of old copper cookware though. If the tin on the top has worn through to the copper, the pan should not be used. The reason is that copper can be toxic, if acid foods are cooked on the surface. This is one of the difficulties with copper cookware. In order to fix this, it is necessary to find people specialized in polishing and repairing the worn-out tin areas of old copper cookware.
Copper cookware is considered the heaviest among all cookware. Even though it is heavy, copper cookware is prone to dents easily. One of the major benefits of copper cookware items is that they are easy to clean and have an old world charm about them, which cannot be said of other varieties of cookware.
