macrakis@harvard.ARPA (Stavros Macrakis) (12/20/84)
I've been very happy with my copper pots, some tin-lined, some nickel-lined, and some stainless-steel lined. They're not obsolete, they're classic! The advantages of copper are 1. Excellent conductivity; 2. Beauty; 3. Sturdiness. By now, everyone on this newsgroup knows about copper's great advantage in conductivity. An old copper pot has a patina and character which you will find in no stainless or Calphalon pot (indeed, with stainless, you get scratches with time which kill its initial gleam, and with Calphalon, various funny non-scratches). Copper is harder than aluminum, and presumably sturdier, although somehow I doubt my (good) aluminum pots will fall apart long before my grandchildren inherit them. Farberware (ordinary) and the like will, I suspect. The main problems with copper are 1. Loss of lining; 2. Time to polish; 3. Price. The lining is the main problem. So far, after some years with my pots, I haven't needed to reline; but it costs and is hard to find. Anyway, the NY Times claimed last year that exposed copper in pots will only poison you under very special circumstances (food left standing; highly acid foods). I prefer the patina of unpolished copper, so I have no problem here. Price is indeed a problem. Good pans should be at least 1.5mm thick, and such pans are fairly expensive. Don't buy thin Made-in-Korea copper; it's cheap but no good for cooking. Copper pots are much cheaper in Europe than here, presumably because they're more common and are marketed for their utility more than their snob value. (This is true, by the way, for almost all cooking equipment these days, given the exchange rates. I bought a Wusthof 10" chef's knife at a kitchen supply store in Brussels (rue du Boucher for those passing through) for about $20 vs. $50-65 here; a mandoline for $40 vs. $90-120.) My most recent copper pots are stainless-lined, which I consider to be the ideal combination. Stainless is almost non-stick, is quite hard, is ... well ... stain-less. Regrettably, one of the major importers (Bourgeat) is closing out its stainless-lined copper line because, they say, cheap thin copper drove them out. Be on the lookout for sales. Don't think that I run an all-copper kitchen! I see no reason to get a copper stockpot or potato-boiling pot or steamer until I'm fairly rich. Aluminum's just fine. And for many recipes, cast iron makes a good skillet and dutch oven.