What Is the Care for Copper Cooking Pots and Pans?
Professional chefs revere copper cookware for its excellent heat conductivity. Home cooks and decorators love copper for its beauty. The rich burnished glow of gleaming copper pots and pans adds warmth to any kitchen. Fine copper pots and pans aren't cheap, but they'll last a lifetime with the proper care. Does this Spark an idea?
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Preparation
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Many copper pots and pans are sold with a lacquer coating to keep them from tarnishing in the store. If your piece has a glossy shine, it's probably lacquered. Before cooking with it, you must remove the lacquer.
Use a commercial lacquer thinner according to the manufacturer's instructions, or immerse the piece in a mixture of boiling water and washing soda. Once a residue starts to appear on the water's surface, the lacquer has softened enough for removal. Under warm tap water, scrub the piece with a soft-bristled brush until all the lacquer is gone. Wear gloves for either lacquer removal method.
Precautions
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According to manufacturer French Copper Studio, you should never heat copper cookware when it's empty. They advise adding salt or sugar to the piece only after you've added other ingredients. Sherwood Tinning, a British copper tinning specialist, recommends avoiding high flame and metal utensils, both of which can damage cookware linings.
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Cleaning
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Cleaning copper pots and pans is simple. Hand wash them with dish soap and warm water. Use a nylon scrubbing pad if necessary. Dry with a soft cloth. Don't let them air-dry. They'll have water spots and they'll tarnish faster. Never put copper cookware in the dishwasher.
Polishing
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Polish copper cookware regularly to remove tarnish. Use a commercial copper polish according to the manufacturer's instructions or use a lemon half dipped in kosher salt. The acid in the lemon eats away the tarnish. Salt is abrasive and speeds the process. Rub your copper piece with the lemon, using a circular motion, until all the tarnish is gone. Use a toothbrush dipped in salt for stubborn spots. Rinse well in warm water, and then dry with a soft cloth. Use another cloth to buff the piece to a shine. Buff in circular motions.
Repair
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If you can see copper through your pot or pan lining, it's no longer safe to use the piece for cooking. Liners sometimes get scratched by utensils or damaged by acidic foods or excessive heat. A tinsmith can reline damaged tin liners. Stainless-steel liners cannot be repaired.
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References
Resources
- Photo Credit copper casserole image by lefebvre_jonathan from Fotolia.com
