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Choosing Your Copper Cookware

The benefits of copper cookware are well known as using copper to cook with has been in existence for over 6,000 years the first copper cookware pots were being used over 4,000 BC. Anything with has been used for this amount of time has to be good. Copper conducts heat very well in fact it is the best metal heat conductor, this is why top quality chefs and cooks like to use copper. It cooks the food evenly and will allow the chef to produce better quality food. Not only that but copper cookware also looks very good as well and is much easier to clean and maintain than you think. Everyone assumes that the non-stick pans are the easiest to clean and use well copper cookware as long as you use it correctly will out perform even the best non-stick pans. The major downside with copper cookware is it is very heavy, copper being a heavy metal makes the pots and pans also very heavy and if what you are cooking is quite heavy as well then you may need some help in the kitchen.

As mentioned there are a few problems with owning Copper cookware and not only is it very heavy but also copper s quite easily scratched unless you take care when using it, the scratches will make the copper cookware harder to clean and it will not look good. Also copper tarnishes over a period of time, lots of people love the way that copper cookware sets tarnish and look when they have tarnished so this is not much of a problem but if you want to keep your copper cookware sets in tip top condition and nice a shiny at all times then you are going to have to clean the pots more often even if you haven’t used them. Another problem with copper cookware is that it is expensive, the price of copper is very high at the moment and there is a larger demand than supplies can keep up with so as with most things if the demand is larger than the supply then the price is high, so making the price of the sets high.

Due to the high price of copper some cookware manufacturers have decided to step away from the full copper cookware sets and have compromised by having cookware sets with a copper bottom and use another metal for the sides and handle. This means you get the conductive power of copper in the base allowing even and quick temperature distribution but by combining it with other metals it will allow the pans to be lighter and cheaper than full copper cookware sets. The metals used in these pans is normally stainless steel or aluminum which is much lighter than copper. When you are picking out your cookware remember these points if you want lighter and cheaper copper cookware sets then choose the ones with the copper bottom but if you do not mind a heavy cookware set which not only looks great but cooks great, however is more expensive then you must choose the full copper cookware set.

Copper is one of the most heat resistant and conductive materials available to any consumer. These properties have always marked it as a prominent feature in cookware and kitchen utensils, whilst its rich and vibrant color adds dash to any professional or personal kitchen space. Falk Culinair, who produce their Falk copper cookware range, are one of the market leaders in the design and supply of these products to market.

Falk are the leading manufacturers of Belgian copper cookware and one of the leading manufacturers anywhere in the world. They have a long history in producing items for the copper cookware market, and have always been at the forefront of breaking technology within the industry. Their products are used and featured in many of the professional kitchens throughout the world, and renowned for their stylish appearance and excellent functionality.

Cooper Cookware Sets

A copper cookware set will typically be made up of several pans, sauciers and relevant kitchen accessories and utensils. The individual components that make up these sets are given much thought as the sets themselves need to suit a wide range of culinary tasks within a kitchen. Cooking methods such as frying, boiling, and baking all require different heats and equipment, so including these within one product is especially important to the consumer.

The range of Falk copper pans is perhaps the most diverse; including pans designed for frying, sautéing, saucepans and professionally engineered chef’s pans. The quality of the goods and the levels of technology incorporated in the designs remain identical, while the shapes and sizes of the respective pans differ depending on their application. This contemporary range includes a stainless steel lining inside the pan (of approximately 2.5mm) to provide more resistance against long term marking, staining and overall wear and tear.

These pans heat up exceptionally quickly thanks to the conductive properties of cooper, a material which uses these same properties to react and reduce the temperature once the pan is becoming too hot to cook the food efficiently. The incorporation of steel is a fairly recent innovation, and it serves a dual purpose in copper cookware products: it is not only a stronger material in terms of durability and its resistance of wear through use, but it also conducts heat at a more than capable level to compliment the copper base.

A Versatile Tool

 

In terms of versatility, the Falk copper saucier is the most multifunctional pan within the range, and is a cornerstone of most copper cookware sets. It serves many purposes thanks to its design, and can be used for stir-frying, sautéing, or the creation of reductions and sauces to garnish a main meal. These models boast a deep pan (especially suitable for stir-frying vegetables and other ingredients) and a long, easy to hold handle, which also provides and element of safety when sautéing.

Whether you are a professional chef or an aspiring amateur, the Falk copper cookware range of products has something to suit everybody. With its ground breaking technology and stylish, colorful design, there is not a kitchen in the world where these items would not be at home.

When Do You Really Need Copper Cookware?

It depends on how you are asking the question. If you have done any cooking at all, you already know that the kind of cookware you are using has a huge impact on your style. This is not to say that what cookware you use is irrelevant. Nothing could be further from the truth. Your cookware can partially determine the purposes to which you put it. Copper cookware, for example, is great for making more delicate foods because of the control it affords you over heat conductivity. The other way you could ask the question is if you are making a certain dish, say a sauce, when should you use copper cookware? The answer is you should have been using it from the beginning, especially when it comes to sauces.

You need copper cookware if you like French foods, especially. The French love copper for their cookware; in fact, one of the most popular cookware-making companies in the world is a French company, Mauviel. Cookware that is copper is also best for certain Italian foods, particularly sauces. You need copper cookware when you are ready to expand your skills as a cook to include more challenging foods. It is fine and good to know how to cook breakfast, lunch and dinner. Cooking those fine foods that make you think you are at a world-class hotel is another matter.

Choosing your cookware is not as easy as I am making it sound, of course. If you are a beginner or an amateur cook, stick to the things you know. Buy a good recipe book and try some of the easy ones. It is important to master one skill level before going on to the next – no one ever made it to the top of Everest by hiking it without ever hiking up any other mountains! Keep to your skill level in cooking before trying more difficult dishes. Get some copper cookware only when you need it.

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