Taking good care of your copper is important. Due to the fact that copper is such a volatile metal and reacts easily to almost everything, it doesn’t take punishment well. It needs to be treated well and handled gently. It’s not good for the copper to cook with it, toss it in the sink for a few days and then decide to wash and dry it and put it away. Copper needs to be handled with the proper respect for it’s peculiar properties.

Tarnishing is the biggest danger with copper. Exposed to air, copper reacts with the air molecules to form a film over the surface of the metal called tarnish. There are several methods to remove tarnish, depending on what kind of cookware you are using.

Pots: Rub with lemon halves dipped in salt.

Utensils (Forks, Spoons, etc.): Wash tarnished copper utensils with soap and warm water and polish with a cleaner of equal parts of salt, vinegar and flour. After rubbing the item with this mixture or any polish, wash it carefully, rinse thoroughly and dry.

Important: Do not cook acidic foods (with pH of 6.0 or below) with copper cookware or containers, as toxic substances could form if the food is cooked, stored or served from copper containers. Even if the containers or cookware are lined with tin, they should not be used with acidic foods like fruits, fruit juices, salad dressings, tomatoes, vinegar, etc.

Ideally you should clean copper bottoms after each use, even though the tarnish does not affect cooking results or the cookware’s efficiency. Do not use an abrasive cleaner or steel wool to clean copper bottoms.

A good way to prevent accidental denting of copper pots and pans is to hang them up instead of putting them in a cabinet. This will help to ensure that you don’t inadvertently smack the pot or pan on the cupboard door or the sides of the cupboard as you take the cookware out or put it back in.

As to washing the cookware, keep in mind that dish detergents may harm it sometimes if they are too strong. Dry your cookware immediately after washing and do not let it sit in the dish water. Also, do not use metal scouring pads, as they will damage the copper. Instead, use a mild dish detergent.

First, copper is malleable and ductile, allowing it to be shaped easily. Second, copper conducts heat better than aluminum; in fact, the conductivity of copper is ten times that of glass or stainless steel. This shortens the time needed to cook your food. In addition, copper also loses heat more quickly, preventing delicate foods like sauces from burning or becoming overdone.

Conductivity means the measurement of the rate of the transfer of energy, whether emission or absorption. Copper has a high conductivity, which means its’ rate of energy transfer is very high: it both absorbs heat quickly and emits heat quickly. In a metal, conductivity can be increased by making it thicker, but this increases the metal’s weight. Copper is beloved for it’s lightness and high energy transfer rate.

Copper also has a low heat capacity and high diffusion rate. A metal’s heat capacity refers to the amount of energy needed to raise the overall temperature of the metal. Because copper’s heat capacity is so low, it takes a fraction of the energy to heat copper that it takes to heat other metals. For example, aluminum would need to be approximately 1.5 times the thickness of copper to achieve the same effect. A high diffusion rate means the rate at which heat is spread through the metal. Copper’s being so high, copper diffuses the heat very fast, allowing the metal to be heated quickly. These two aspects of copper allow for temperature control and a more exact cooking environment.

The conductivity properties of copper also make it ideal for sautéing and frying. Copper cookware is very popular for making French dishes. However, the conductivity of copper has a downside: copper is extremely reactive to almost everything, even the air. If directly exposed to the food being prepared, the copper can make the food have a metallic taste. For this reason, copper cookware is often lined with stainless steel on the inside to prevent the food from reacting with the copper. It’s also important to wash and shine your copper cookware regularly to prevent it from rusting.

Copper has a sheen and luster which make it attractive for pots, pans, and other cookware. Copper is popular among cooks and food professionals because of it’s elegant and stylish look. A copper cookware set is a great investment for your kitchen, especially if you’re fond of or good at cooking elegant, delicate dishes.