Copper Cookware Use and Care Guide

To preserve the function and appearance of your copper cookware, it’s important that you care for it properly.

First Use Instructions for pots and pans:

Before using the copper pots and pans for the first time, we recommend cleaning it soap and warm water.  Immediately dry with a soft cotton cloth.

Use:

Do not heat up an empty pan. Copper is the only metal where you should actually have something in it ready to go before you start cooking.  If you heat an empty pan above a certain degree or boil it dry, the lining will melt. This is because tin-lined copper is extremely energy efficient and it will heat up instantly. The tin lining will melt at 232ºC / 450ºF.

Food goes in, before the flame goes up!

Since copper heats up quickly and evenly distributes the heat, it means you don’t have to use as much heat to get it cooking. If a recipe calls for medium-high heat with your regular cookware, use medium-low for your copper pieces.

Use wooden or silicone utensils, stainless steel will scratch the tin, which is pretty non-stick when it is new and it only becomes more so with time. 

Not suitable for food storage – for cooking and serving purposes only!

Both lined and unlined copper should be washed gently by hand—never in the dishwasher. Use mild dish soap, warm water, and the soft side of a dish sponge to remove food debris as soon as your pots have cooled.

Never use steel, wool, or any abrasive or violent-acting or toxic cleaners on inside or outside.

A tin lining is non-stick, however if food is still stuck, just  soak the pan for an hour with a few drops of dish detergent in warm water.

Dry the copperware immediately after rinsing using a clean, soft, cotton cloth inside and outside.

Copper does not work on induction cooktops without an induction adapter plate!

Do not use your Qopper Stories copperware in the microwave. 

Match the size of your cookware with the size of the burner – do not extend the flame beyond the diameter of the cookware.

All our cookware can be used in the oven — do not exceed 430 F (220 C)

Always use oven mitts as handles and finials, (as they are made of bronze) can quickly get hot!

Care:

With time the copper will begin to change in colour and develop a patina making it all the more beautiful.

The beginnings of patination is often first evident on the bottom of a pan, which makes first contact with heat. This is sometimes wrongly referred to as “scorching”, which would suggest the copper has burned. It has not; the polished surface has begun to settle down and form larger, harder, more uniform lattice of crystals.  As the fine etching diminishes, light refracts along changing parts of the visible spectrum, resulting in the characteristic purple-blue-shifted coloration, which is reflected visually as the patina. This is only the testament that your copper is working and getting stronger, harder and more durable. This doesn’t affect cooking properties and is still safe to use with no health risks. 

Copper has many hues and which color it will change into will depend how much heat you put into it. With low heat, the copper crystals will reorganise slowly shifting the coloring into red end of the spectrum, while high heat will tend to give a yellowish effect with shorter wavelengths of light reflecting from surface.  Please note that you will generally GET BETTER RESULTS FROM COPPER USING LOWER HEAT. 

Whatever the hues are, remember that the copper is becoming tougher and more efficient, to function even better each time you use it. 

We call the patina, the badge of honor for the copper.

Most people prefer the effect of the patina on copper, however, should you prefer the shimmer of polished copper rather than the aged patina that builds up over time, you can polish your copperware in order to preserve its sheen. Just rub your copperware with a lemon sliced in half, covered with sea salt or baking soda. Rinse it with warm water, dry it and voila!

For more intensive polishing, you may wish to add 3 parts flour, 2 parts ketchup and salt, one part vinegar. This creates a paste and remains stable longer, thus allowing more time for acids to react with copper.  After a few minutes, rub in, rinse and wipe.  

You can also clean your copperware with ashes (fireplace ash, etc.).

Or  always use a store-bought polishing solution to remove the tarnish. We recommend brands like Hagerty, Wright’s Copper Cream, Brasso or Goddard's. 

Tin Lining:

Much of the same patination process will occur on the interior tin lining. You might recognise that the tin lining is very shiny but while doing the hand molten wiping process, tinsmiths don't polish the linings after tinning, which leaves the evidence of the handwork through the wipe marks. This again is only the testament of the hand-made and hand molten copper vessel, which makes it unique and not any two would be the same. 

Like copper, the initial shine of tin is a visual effect of complex surface crystallisation that will change with use, settling out to matte and darker grey/ blackish color signifying a tougher, smoother and highly uniform tin crystals. It is called the tin's patina. This again is totally normal. It proves that the surface is becoming more durable, and more non-stick and easier to use. 

If you like, you can brighten a tin using a chemical free, very easy to use galvanic technique. 

Fill the pan with water and bring to a boil. Removing from heat, dissolve 1 – 3 Tbsp each of non-iodized table or sea salt and sodium bicarbonate (baking soda) in the hot water (this is called an electrolyte). Fold a sheet of aluminium foil into several layers such that it fits in the bottom of you pan, and push this down gently in the hot water. Use only a wooden spoon to do this, as other metals will corrupt the process. Give the reaction 10 – 30 minutes to equalize, and then remove the aluminium foil. It should be noticeably darker and tin noticeably brighter. Then empty the pan and wipe with a clean cloth. This process is completely safe and non-toxic. 

We don't recommend chemical copper polished to be used on tin (that’s the surface you eat off of, after all!)

As with cart-iron skillets, a light coating of oil before storing protects it over time.

Re-tinning:

If taken good care of, your copper cookware will last for generations. However, if metal utensils are frequently used or  if the pan is left on a high heat with no food, the lining will wear out and melt and would need retinning. You will understand when a tin lining needs retinning once you start seeing the copper showing through the tin.  However, it is 100% renewable whenever you need it. You don't throw away your copperware once it is scratched or lining is worn out. If you wear through or damage the tin-lining you can get this restored by these experts.:

Coming soon, we will also be delivering tinning services. 

Remember: The biggest causes of rapid wear are metal spoons and whisks, so please use a wooden or silicon spoon and silicon whisk. And never heat up your pan without food inside!

Qopper Stories cookwares:

Your Qopper Stories copper cookware will change and improve as you cook and will quickly become your best ally in kitchen. 

We like calling our pure elements (copper and tin) as living metals, developing refinement and grit  and improving in functionality with time. 

We hope you will enjoy your copperware as much as we love them!