Buyer's Guide Cookware Copper Cookware

Best Copper Cookware: Buyer’s Guide and Product Recommendations for the Top Sets, Pots, and Pans

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It’s no secret that copper cookware can be pricey. But once you learn a little about the advantages that come with using this type of cookware, it’s evident that the high cost that comes along with these types of pots and pans is worth it, especially if you invest in the best copper cookware, a set that will cut your time in the kitchen in half and can even improve the quality of every dish you prepare.

If you’re excited by the idea of upgrading your cookware, then my buyer’s guide and the cookware sets I’ve included here will set you on your path to cooking your favorite dishes the way they were meant to be cooked, which is faster, evenly, and efficiently.

Below, you’ll notice a comparison chart that features each of the cookware pieces and sets that I’ve reviewed, complete with important information regarding their features and how each product rated.

Copper Cookware Comparison Chart

ProductLiningThicknessPiecesRating
Home Hero Copper Set
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Ceramic2.8MM23
Lagostina Martellata Set
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Stainless steel2.5 MM10
Home Hero Pan
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Ceramic2.5 MM2
Almond Nonstick Pan
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Ceramic2.5 MM2
Lagostina Q5542364
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Stainless steel2.5 MM2
CONCORD Copper Pot
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Stainless steel2MM2

Leading Copper Cookware Sets

Below, you’ll find the top-rated cookware sets, each of which will make a great option for the new cook or those who are looking to upgrade their cookware.

Home Hero Copper Pots and Pans Set


Our Rating: (5/5)

This set comes with everything you need, whether you’re upgrading or purchasing a cookware set for the first time. The set features a ceramic lining, which is a huge plus for the cook in search of cookware with a nonstick coating.

Unlike other types of copper cookware, this set is induction stove compatible and safe for oven use. The 2.8-millimeter copper construction will cook food evenly and quickly, without warping. The handles feature an ergonomic design that makes this cookware comfortable to hold. This set also comes with a one hundred percent money-back guarantee, no questions asked.

Pros

  • Includes twenty-three pieces
  • Oven safe
  • Induction stovetop compatible
  • Affordable
  • Ergonomic handles

Cons

  • Must be washed by hand

Conclusion

This set comes with it all including a large stockpot, a couple of frying pans, two saucepans, five lids, bakeware, and a strainer. Basically, if you don’t want to purchase new copper cookware piece by piece, this is a great set to invest in and one that won’t let you down. Heating efficient, easy to clean, and induction stovetop compatible, this is one set that comes loaded with all the right features, for a price that’s reasonable.

Lagostina Martellata Hammered Copper


Our Rating: (4.5/5)

This is a ten-piece cookware set that features a tri-ply construction for improved durability and heating efficiency. The cookware consists of a core made out of aluminum that’s sandwiched between a couple of layers of stainless steel, which will provide even heat throughout the entire cooking surface. The exterior is made out of hammered copper, which offers a nice touch of vintage style for any kitchen.

The lining of the pots and pans is made out of stainless steel. Unfortunately, this means that the food can stick to the cooking surface if you don’t keep a close eye on the cooking progress or if you cook without using oil.

The lids in this set are made out of stainless steel and fit on a pot tightly in order to seal in flavor and moisture. The handles are made out of cast stainless steel and riveted in place for improved durability. The flared edges on each pot and pan make it easy to pour without spilling.

Pros

  • Includes stainless steel lids
  • Riveted handles
  • Hammered copper design
  • Aluminum core

Cons

  • Not oven safe
  • Must be washed by hand

Conclusion

This is a great starter set that features a durable tri-ply design, for improved durability. The set itself is a little on the pricey side, but once you take a closer look at the type of quality the cookware offers, the price is more than reasonable. This is a great buy for cooks of all skill levels and those in search of a tough copper cookware set that’s designed to last.

Frying Pans

As you know, frying pans are one of the most versatile pieces of cookware in every kitchen, so you’ll find yourself relying on it often to cook a wide range of foods. Below you’ll find the top two rated copper frying pans on the market.

Home Hero Copper Frying Pan


Our Rating: (4.5/5)

This versatile frying pan can do it all, including handling induction stovetop use. The lining is made out of tough nonstick ceramic coating, so you won’t have to use oils to cook your food and prevent it from sticking to the cooking surface. The thick copper promotes even cooking and a faster heat up time.

The pan features 2.8-millimeter thick copper construction, an ergonomic handle design and comes complete with a tempered glass lid. This eight-inch frying pan will come in handy, whether you want to make pancakes, fry up a steak, cook eggs, and more. The durable design further adds to the pan’s overall quality and allows you to use it on any type of range.

Pros

  • Ergonomic handle design
  • Ceramic lining
  • Lightweight
  • 8-millimeter copper thickness

Cons

  • Not dishwasher safe
  • Ceramic coating can chip over time

Conclusion

With a frying pan, you need a model that’s durable and designed to handle regular use. This model delivers and comes complete with a tempered glass lid, so you can cut down on mess and cleanup time.

The lightweight design combined with the ergonomic handles allows you to lift the pan for flipping, easily. This is a great buy for the cook in need of a frying pan they can rely on, and one that’s designed to last.

Almond Nonstick Ceramic Copper Frying Pan


Our Rating: (4.5/5)

This frying pan is oven safe and can handle temperatures up to four hundred and twenty degrees. The interior of the pan is lined with ceramic, for a nonstick surface that allows you to easily move food around the pan as it cooks, while also making cleanup easier. The copper measures in at three millimeters thick, so you know this pan is the real deal.

This thicker copper allows for improved heat distribution and control, so your food will cook evenly and quickly. The included tempered glass lid can handle heat up to five hundred degrees and is dishwasher safe. The pan is not oven safe or dishwasher safe and should be washed by hand and dried promptly to avoid a tarnished exterior or water spots.

Pros

  • Three-millimeter thick copper
  • Ergonomic handle
  • Tempered lid included
  • Lid is oven and dishwasher safe

Cons

  • Pan cannot handle temperatures over four hundred and twenty degrees

Conclusion

This is one of the best-selling frying pans for a reason. The lightweight design alone is enough to cause most buyers to hit that buy now button. This large twelve-inch copper pan is big enough to fry up a few steaks, pancakes, or six eggs. You’ll find yourself reaching for this pan time and time again, thanks to the easy to clean nonstick surface, durable design, and it’s ability to cook every dish to perfection.

Saucepans

A saucepan is another must-have piece of cookware that you’ll use almost daily. These pans come in a variety of sizes, so you can never have too many, especially if you have a large family or you enjoy hosting dinner parties.

Lagostina Q5542364 Martellata Tri-ply Sauce Pan


Our Rating: (4.5/5)

This tri-ply saucepan features a stainless steel interior and thick heat-radiating aluminum core for proper heat distribution that results in evenly cooked food that’s ready faster. The hammered copper exterior delivers improved heat retention and control. The ergonomic stay-cool handles will remain cool to the touch, so you don’t have to use a potholder or oven mitt to remove the pan from the stovetop.

The pan is also dishwasher safe and able to withstand a higher temperature of five hundred degrees. Durable, built to last and covered by a lifetime warranty, the initial cost may be a little steep for some, but considering the lengthy warranty and overall quality of the saucepan, this is one piece of cookware that’s worth every penny.

Pros

  • Tri-ply design
  • Stay cool handle
  • Able to withstand higher temperatures
  • Dishwasher safe

Cons

  • Steep price
  • Handles can run hot at higher temperatures

Conclusion

Equipped with a heat-radiating aluminum core, an ergonomic stay-cool handle, and a lid that’s made out of durable stainless steel, this saucepan easily outperforms other models in this price range. Aside from the beautiful hammered exterior, this elegant saucepan offers improved heating efficiency and a nonstick surface that allows you to cook even the most delicate dishes to perfection.

Stockpots

Stockpots allow you to prepare soups, stews, seafood, pasta, and more. They’re available in a variety of sizes, so you can choose one based on how many people you typically cook for. Copper stockpots are perfect for the avid cook in need of a pot that’s durable and can handle heavy-duty use.

CONCORD 7 QT Copper Nonstick Stockpot


Our Rating: (4/5)

This is a large seven-quart stockpot that’s made out of copper and stainless steel. The handles and lining of the pot are both steel, so you can use metal utensils, without scratching the lining. The flared rim will allow you to easily pour a full pot without spilling.

The pot also works with all standard stoves, including induction stovetops, which is a huge selling point for many buyers. The pot is dishwasher safe, but if you’re worried about scratching the delicate copper exterior, I recommend handwashing the pot and drying it promptly to prevent any water spots.

Pros

  • Flared rim
  • Stainless steel lid and handles
  • Large capacity
  • Works with all types of stovetops

Cons

  • Lid can rust if not dried immediately after washing

Conclusion

A large copper stockpot can be hard to find, especially one that scored well in many areas including durability, a beautiful exterior, and a low-maintenance design that makes it easy to clean. If you need a large capacity stockpot, one that can heat up your favorite stews and soups, cook pasta to perfection, and a durable pot that can handle any stovetop including induction, then you’ll love this best-selling model by Concord.

Copper Cookware Buyer’s Guide

Aside from aesthetics, what makes this type of cookware so popular? Copper is often the go-to choice for professional chefs because of its ability to conduct heat and cook food evenly, and faster. This responsive cookware is often used to cook very delicate proteins such as seafood and fish, in addition to chocolate, caramel, and sauces.

When you remove one of these delicate dishes from the intense heat of your stovetop, the pot or pan will rapidly lose its temperature, which significantly reduces the chances of overcooking your food.

Lining Materials

Copper is reactive. This means acidic foods such as tomatoes and vinegar will leach copper into the food. Over time, the ingestion of copper can become toxic. Because of this, you’ll find that most copper cookware sets are lined with aluminum or tin. When you’re shopping the type of material, what the pots and pans are lined with will be one of your main considerations. Most high-end sets will be lined with tin.

Like copper, tin is a pure element that possesses some impressive qualities and will not react with acidic foods. It’s also a type of nonstick material, so you don’t need to season a pot or pan like you have to with other types of cooking materials such as cast iron.

The drawback here is that tin has a low melting point of around four hundred and twenty-five degrees to four hundred and fifty degrees. A pot or pan can easily and rapidly reach a higher temperature if it’s left empty over a flame that’s unattended.

Since it has such a low melting point, copper cookware that’s lined with tin should never be preheated when empty and should never be used for dishes that require a hotter temperature, such as steak. Tin is also a soft material. It’s easily damaged with abrasive scrubbing or metal utensils and can wear away over time. With proper care, the lining can last for several years, but at some point, the cookware will need to be re-tinned. This is something to take into consideration before you buy.

If you don’t want to deal with paying for re-tinning your cookware later down the line, then go for a set that’s lined with stainless steel. This material is more commonly used these days than tin. But bonding this material with copper is difficult, although it does come with many advantages, such as improved durability.

But in terms of adhesiveness, stainless steel is a food magnet, meaning it’s fairly easy for food to stick to the surface, so it doesn’t have the nonstick advantage that tin lining does. Additionally, if the stainless steel lining becomes damaged, unlike tin, the lining cannot be fixed so you’ll be forced to replace the cookware.

Nickel is another material that’s used to line copper cookware, but it’s not as commonly used as tin or stainless steel.

Thickness

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One of the most important characteristics of copper cookware, aside from the type of lining used, is the thickness. How thin or thick the cookware is can have a major impact on its performance. A thickness of two and a half millimeters to three millimeters is perfect. Any thicker than three millimeters and the cookware will lose its rapid response to heat.

Thinner than two and a half millimeters and the food will not heat evenly. You’ll be hard-pressed to find cookware that’s thicker than three millimeters. Two and a half millimeters thick is often the standard for moderately priced sets, while two millimeters can be found in low-priced sets.

Production Method

These pots and pans can be rolled, stamped, or spun. However, the type of production method that’s used will not determine the quality of the cookware, but it can impact the price. Cookware that has hammer marks on it can indicate durability since hammering copper is a technique that’s used to strengthen the metal. These days, hammer marks are often done by a machine, not by hand, and in some cases, it’s only done for decorative purposes.

Design Options

There are a few different designs to choose from including copper clad, copper ceramic, copper bottom, and copper core.

Clad

Copper clad cookware consists of several layers of materials that make up the pan or pot. The exterior consists of copper, while another material such as stainless steel is used for the interior. The copper will extend across the sides and the bottom of the pan. This type of cookware is also referred to as triple-layer or tri-ply.

Ceramic

Ceramic is often used on the outside of the pan, with a thin layer of copper in the middle. Some ceramic copper pots and pans have a design that consists of ceramic and copper fused together using a chemical process that’s designed to improve durability.

Copper Bottom

This style of cookware features a disk made out of copper on the bottom. This helps to promote even cooking while eliminating hot spots. The pots and pans may have several layers of material and is a popular option for induction stove use.

Copper Core

For this style of cookware, five to seven layers of material are used. These pots and pans have a copper disk that forms the center of the pan, with a couple of layers of a different type of material on the outside of the cookware. These pots often have a layer at the bottom, but not the sides. Many people purchase these pans for induction stove use.

Durability

Obviously, you need a set of cookware that’s durable and designed to withstand heavy-duty use. Fortunately, many of the leading companies will provide some type of warranty that will cover the pots and pans against damage. Some will even provide a lifetime warranty.

Finishes

Copper is available in a few finish options including matte and high shine. There are also hammered and smooth finish options available.

Number of Pieces in a Set

If you’re looking for a full set of cookware and not just a single piece, then you’ll need to pay close attention to the number of pieces listed in a set. Often, a manufacturer will list the number of pieces in a set right on the box. Many people will mistakenly believe this refers solely to the number of pots and pans in the set when in reality, it also refers to any utensils, accessories, and lids.

In some cases, if the handles are detachable, the manufacturer will also count them as a piece in the set. If you’re starting fresh or you want to upgrade your old cookware for a large copper set, make sure you buy a size that includes the number of pots and pans you need.

Types of Cookware

Aside from how many pieces are in a set, consider what types of pots and pans you need. Many sets will include saucepans, sauté pans, frying pans, and stockpots.

Stockpot

This is a large pot that’s very deep and has a flat bottom. It’s often used to cook liquid food that doesn’t need to be very close to the heat source. These pots will allow you to brown or sauté meats and veggies, then add liquid when you’re making stews, soups, or stock.

Their height is perfect for keeping pasta submerged as it boils. A stockpot can come in a variety of sizes, so having several different sizes can come in handy when you’re cooking for a large group or just the family.

Frying  Pan

A frying pan is considered one of the most important pans in most kitchens. This type of pan is designed with rounded sides and a flat bottom, which is what makes them so perfect for cooking with oils at a higher temperature. These pans will also come in a variety of sizes. In most cases, the frying pan will not come with a dedicated lid.

Sauté Pan

Just as the name implies, these pans are designed for sautéing. This means you can use the pan to fry food while you quickly move it around in the pan. When it comes to design, these pans are very similar to frying pans, but the big difference between the two is that the saute pan will have straight sides instead of the rounded sides that you’ll find on a frying pan. These pans are much deeper than a frying pan so they can be used to prepare certain types of sauces or for searing meats as well.

Saucepan

A saucepan features straight, tall sides, and a rounded bottom. They’re considered a very versatile piece of cookware and can be used for making soups, pudding, sauces, and more. They can also be used with or without a lid, to help control evaporation. These are often the go-to pans for boiling pasta, eggs, cooking grains, or reheating food.

Is Copper Cookware Dishwasher Safe?

Many cooks not only love how efficient copper is to cook with, but they also appreciate how elegant, and shiny these pots and pans are, which can instantly give any kitchen vintage charm and class. Unfortunately, the shiny exterior is one of the biggest drawbacks of using this type of cookware.

Over time, it will begin to darken and fade, since copper tends to react with many types of dish detergents. Because of this, I don’t recommend placing it in the dishwasher, even if the manufacturer claims that it’s okay to do so. These dishwasher approved sets may come with a smaller percentage of copper or have a high-quality coating. However, to prevent tarnish and scratches, always wash this cookware by hand.

Oven Use

Copper is malleable at higher temperatures. While the temperatures on your stovetop or oven aren’t high enough to melt the metal, many of these pots and pans are made out of other materials that may not be heat resistant.

Make sure you read the manufacturer’s safety guidelines and the user’s manual before using your cookware. The manufacturer should clearly list whether or not the cookware is safe for oven use.

Weight

Copper is a lightweight material. Unlike cast iron which is very heavy and can be difficult to handle, especially if you’re dealing with a full large skillet, copper’s lightweight design allows you to easily pick up a pot or pan. While the lighter weight may give you the impression that the cookware is delicate, it’s surprisingly durable.

Percentage of Copper

Looking at the copper percentage in a cookware set will also pay off. This is a very expensive material, which can make it unaffordable for families on a budget. Many manufacturers that produce low-cost cookware sets include only a small percentage of copper in the design.

Typically, you’ll find that these cookware sets will only have a thin layer of copper on the exterior for aesthetic reasons. If you’re looking for a set that can provide all of the benefits that come with cooking with copper, then look for a set with a higher copper content. The higher the copper percentage, the better.

Price Tag

Copper isn’t cheap. You’ll find that the cost of this type of cookware is significantly higher than what you’d pay for aluminum or stainless steel. However, if you take your cooking seriously, then you’ll find that these sets are often worth it, once you take into account how long they last and their durability, not to mention the fact that they can do wonders for your cooking skills.

Cooking Care

Since this is a sensitive material, it will tarnish with high pH levels, open flames, and high heat. Regardless of whether the cookware has a lining or not, you’ll want to avoid using higher temperatures to cook your food. While a stainless steel liner doesn’t tarnish, the cookware’s exterior can become discolored with higher temperatures. For best results, use food over a medium heat.

Avoid placing these pots and pans in the dishwasher. While the stainless steel lining will not become damaged, the exterior can get scratched or damaged during the washing process.

You will also need to avoid using an abrasive cleanser or scrubbing pads.

To prevent the cookware from becoming discolored, empty them out immediately and avoid cooking acidic foods in pots and pans with no lining.

The Benefits of Cooking with Copper

  • The biggest advantage of cooking with this type of copper is excellent heat conductivity
  • Professionals often choose this cookware for its ability to decrease or increase temperatures rapidly
  • This material spreads heat evenly over the entire pot or pan because it conducts heat so well
  • The food you prepare will not stick to the surface since there are no hot spots
  • This durable cookware is very energy efficient and durable
  • Copper prevents heat fluctuations
  • The lighter weight of the material allows you to easily handle a full pot or pan without strain or discomfort
  • When it comes to maintenance, since there’s no scrubbing required, you’ll find that these pots and pans are very easy to clean

Final Thoughts

If you’re a serious cook, then you know that the type of cookware you use can have a huge impact on the texture of food and even how it tastes, which is why most professional cooks often rely on copper pots and pans to prepare the most delicate dishes. The best copper cookware will have a minimum thickness of two millimeters and should have a durable lining that will make it easier to cook delicate foods.

Not all cookware is created equal, and too often, new cooks or those who have never prepared food in this type of cookware end up with pots and pans that don’t last, easily scratch, or become discolored over a matter of months.

This buying guide and my product recommendations will help you choose the right cookware based on quality and your cooking needs. Each of these top-rated pots and pans has what it takes to take your cooking skills and favorite dishes to the next level and are available at a price that won’t hit your wallet too hard.

Originally posted 2020-02-21 12:08:16.