Copper is one of the metals that have been used in the manufacture of cookware for many centuries. Copper has some qualities that made it perfect for the manufacture of cookware; however; it is quite soft so there are limitations to what you can do with cookware made from copper.
Advantages and Disadvantages of Copper Cookware
Copper is mostly used for the manufacture of cooking utensils. It was one of the affordable common metals discovered many years ago. Copper was not suitable for making machines or weapons; the inventors found a good way to use all the copper because it was abundant in supply. However, many features of copper made it quite unsuitable for use as standard cookware.
It was discovered that copper has very high heat conductivity. This means that when copper is used in the production of kitchen utensils, they can hardly be handled when hot. Chefs at that time had to use napkins to hold the handle of copper cookware. The high heat conductivity also caused foods cooked in copper cookware to become discoloured or burn. It was also discovered that foods cooked in copper cookware tasted quite different and not very pleasant. This was due to some acids which were passed on to the foods from the copper cookware.
Copper cookware can be cleaned with warm soapy water and some salt to make it look better. Ensure the lid is removed after washing copper cookware so it can dry properly without retaining moisture.
Regardless of these features, copper cookware is still used in many parts of the world. There have been some solutions to address the common issues experienced when using copper cookware. Some of these solutions have been satisfactory, while it is known that many users of copper cookware quickly switched to the kitchen utensils and cookware made from stainless steel. Some people who had to manage copper cookware because they were more affordable that cookware made from steel
Solutions
One of the common solutions used to address the issues is the lining of copper cookware with other metals. This was done using metals such as steel, tin or nickel. However, tin and nickel are not very good heat absorbers; hence they tend to wear quickly exposing the copper beneath. Steel was a good option for lining copper cookware, but it was also expensive.
Copper remains a useful metal for the manufacture of cookware because of its high heat conductivity. Copper has a higher capacity to conduct heat than stainless steel. This property led to the experiments to merge copper and steel; the plan was to create an alloy that has the positive attributes of copper and steel together. Another option, which is used in pressure cookers, is creating a triple bond where copper is sandwiched between steel. This way, copper promotes an even distribution of heat energy when the cookware is used in the kitchen.
This plan worked, now you can find high-quality cookware in the market made from a blend of copper and stainless steel. This cookware works perfectly when you use them for cooking foods; there will hardly be a case of scorching. While this cookware is more expensive, we note that you will get value for your investment.