Talk to me about copper cookware

[ericpmoss]

Action shot. Notice all the butter.

I love the links people in this group post. The next video that popped up was this one, which I found just as entertaining as a Bourdain video:

[Shinomaster]

I love the links people in this group post. The next video that popped up was this one, which I found just as entertaining as a Bourdain video:

The first time i had Iskender in Turkey I was in high school and I couldn't believe how much butter it came with! it I have watched a lot of youtube cooking shows. I really like some of the pizza trips to Naples and NY.

[caleb]

Awesome. Some after reports on these pans appreciated.
Is this an N+1 situation?
Will there be used haute cookware in the classifieds?

Not really an N+1 situation for me. I've been buying cookware lately for the New York house in the hope that when the Minnesota house moves this way we can jettison all the old teflon-coated aluminum we've had for years. So, this stuff is basically replacement.

That said, I'm already wanting a copper windsor pan to either replace or supplement the Mauviel M'Cook stainless 9 1/2" saucier I bought recently. The issue is that Matfer doesn't seem to make/import one, and the Mauviel M'Heritage curved one and straight one both appear to be 1.5mm rather than 2.5mm. Only Falk appears to make a 2.5mm rounded saucepan. Have any of you used Falk's stuff?

It does strike me that a saucepan might be a good place to go with a tin lining, and part of me is thinking about a very traditional 3mm piece from a shop like Bottega del Rame. What do you guys think about tin lining for this sort of application?

[ericpmoss]

For me, it's 0.2mm stainless-lined copper for sauces and soups, and silver-lined copper for sauteeing from now on. My tin-lined pots lose patches of tin after a year, whether from the original tinning in France or the re-tinning in the US. I don't know why, as I try to be very gentle with them. In any case, I'll likely never buy another tin-lined pot.

That Falk saucepan looks great, but if you like the shape of the Matfer, I found a Matfer copper saucier here (among others):

11" Matfer Bourgeat 373128 Bourgeat Saut Pan

9.5" Matfer Bourgeat 373124 Bourgeat Saut Pan

[Too Tall]

I'll echo Eric's sentiment. Sauce pans take a beating.

[Shinomaster]

For me, it's 0.2mm stainless-lined copper for sauces and soups, and silver-lined copper for sauteeing from now on. My tin-lined pots lose patches of tin after a year, whether from the original tinning in France or the re-tinning in the US. I don't know why, as I try to be very gentle with them. In any case, I'll likely never buy another tin-lined pot.

That Falk saucepan looks great, but if you like the shape of the Matfer, I found a Matfer copper saucier here (among others):

11" Matfer Bourgeat 373128 Bourgeat Saut Pan

9.5" Matfer Bourgeat 373124 Bourgeat Saut Pan

When I was in Ankara I watched guys tinning pots and pans. It was really cool. In the old days you just took your pan to the local artisan on the corner and they'd make it look new again.

[caleb]

Quick thoughts after a few runs with the new cookware recently.

The thick Matfer copper is amazing. The house where I'm using it has a stupid 20" stovetop with four burners. You can imagine how that all works out. Seriously, who does this to themselves? Given how close the rear burners have to be to the rear of the stovetop to make the configuration work out, I can only get about 2/3 of this pot on the burner and I just let the rest hang off the front. No big deal that 1/3 of the pan isn't even on the burner - the heat is still even enough to use it just fine. Whoever mentioned earlier that the benefits of good cookware are magnified when using a miserable stovetop was spot-on.

That said, the Mauviel M'Cook stainless clad stuff is night and day better than cheap cookware at about half the price of the thick copper stuff. I made risotto in my M'Cook windsor pan on Monday night, and it was just great. The upside to the stainless is that if something is stuck on the outside that doesn't want to come off, you can manhandle it without much worry. I grabbed steel wool and barkeeper's friend to get the job done in 20 seconds. For someone who wants good workhorse cookware and doesn't want to spring for copper, I can vouch for the M'Cook stuff being very good so far.

[caleb]

the de buyer carbon steel pans are basically what you would use instead of cast iron, also, it is a very heavy pan.
i don't use our cast iron much at all since getting a large debuyer carbon steel pan. i much prefer the sloped sides of the debuyer over my vintage stuff because i can flip stuff in the debuyer whereas i have to stir stuff in the cast iron...

Speaking of deBuyer carbon pans, has anyone ever seen their pans with the sort of handle shown in the picture below?



The caption on the photo says they're deBuyer carbon steel pans, but I can't find any steel pans on their website with cast-type handles.

[9tubes]

I'm surprised nobody has mentioned E.Dehillerin in Paris. Great prices and they ship to the US. I bought a full set of 2.5mm copper with cast iron handles about 15 years ago. The pans are made for them by Mauviel (at least mine were). These pans and my Silca track pump are sure to outlast me.

Just note that Dehillerin is a restaurant supply store. This is not Williams Sonoma and they appreciate dealing with people who know what they want vs needing their hands held.

BTW, the import duty limit into the US has just been raised to $800 before duties kick in.

[Too Tall]

Nooope. Interesting.

Speaking of deBuyer carbon pans, has anyone ever seen their pans with the sort of handle shown in the picture below?



The caption on the photo says they're deBuyer carbon steel pans, but I can't find any steel pans on their website with cast-type handles.

[Too Tall]

Busted. That is where I visit every time I'm in Paris visiting my sis. Excellent people. HAHA It's not what I'd call "upscale".

I'm surprised nobody has mentioned E.Dehillerin in Paris. Great prices and they ship to the US. I bought a full set of 2.5mm copper with cast iron handles about 15 years ago. The pans are made for them by Mauviel (at least mine were). These pans and my Silca track pump are sure to outlast me.

Just note that Dehillerin is a restaurant supply store. This is not Williams Sonoma and they appreciate dealing with people who know what they want vs needing their hands held.

BTW, the import duty limit into the US has just been raised to $800 before duties kick in.

[9tubes]

Speaking of deBuyer carbon pans, has anyone ever seen their pans with the sort of handle shown in the picture below?

The caption on the photo says they're deBuyer carbon steel pans, but I can't find any steel pans on their website with cast-type handles.

Looks like Mauviel to me. I checked their website on a hunch because that handle is identical to the ones on my copper pans. Be warned that big hunk of cast iron is heavy.

[Too Tall]

Looks like Mauviel to me. I checked their website on a hunch because that handle is identical to the ones on my copper pans. Be warned that big hunk of cast iron is heavy.

Nailed it. Bet those would be perfection for a quick Scoglio.

[caleb]

Looks like Mauviel to me. I checked their website on a hunch because that handle is identical to the ones on my copper pans. Be warned that big hunk of cast iron is heavy.

I agree that they look like Mauviel handles, but the ones in the link are clad stainless while the pans in the photo appear to be carbon steel.

The carbon M'Steel pans all look like they have the flat stamped handles.

[Too Tall]

OK now I trust you to buy both and report back ;)
FWIIW a couple months back I was on a jag to perfect my Dosa batter and the DeBuyer was/is the only pan I can get to consistently release the Dosa without drama. Their crepe skillet is my first and only from DeBuyer. Maybe not the last...as if I need more cookware ;)

I agree that they look like Mauviel handles, but the ones in the link are clad stainless while the pans in the photo appear to be carbon steel.

The carbon M'Steel pans all look like they have the flat stamped handles.

[ericpmoss]

Speaking of deBuyer carbon pans, has anyone ever seen their pans with the sort of handle shown in the picture below?


[...]

Those look pretty great. You have inspired me to buy more stuff -- yay! I couldn't tell from their website if the light-colored ones were iron or carbon steel. Have you decided which you like the most?

I'm a sucker for shiny bits, so am trying one of these: FRENCH COLLECTION B ELEMENT round fry pan | de Buyer

and one of these: MINERAL B ELEMENT omelette pan | de Buyer

I think the handles on your pans look more comfy, but I'll report back.

[Cookietruck]

Those look pretty great. You have inspired me to buy more stuff -- yay! I couldn't tell from their website if the light-colored ones were iron or carbon steel. Have you decided which you like the most?

I'm a sucker for shiny bits, so am trying one of these: FRENCH COLLECTION B ELEMENT round fry pan | de Buyer

and one of these: MINERAL B ELEMENT omelette pan | de Buyer

I think the handles on your pans look more comfy, but I'll report back.

all of those pans are carbon steel, you can pretty much treat them like cast iron skillets.
the shiny ones to the right in the pic are new, the grungy two to the left are what they look like after some use.
they will rust, so once again, treat them like cast iron.

[caleb]

Those look pretty great. You have inspired me to buy more stuff -- yay! I couldn't tell from their website if the light-colored ones were iron or carbon steel. Have you decided which you like the most?

I'm a sucker for shiny bits, so am trying one of these: FRENCH COLLECTION B ELEMENT round fry pan | de Buyer

and one of these: MINERAL B ELEMENT omelette pan | de Buyer

I think the handles on your pans look more comfy, but I'll report back.

I'm looking forward to hearing your report. I've been using a Matfer steel pan this summer on the grill burner and camp stove, and I've been pleased. It won't win any beauty pageants, but it's a good pan for cooking that you don't have to baby.

[ericpmoss]

I'm looking forward to hearing your report. I've been using a Matfer steel pan this summer on the grill burner and camp stove, and I've been pleased. It won't win any beauty pageants, but it's a good pan for cooking that you don't have to baby.

Santa arrived today, bringing the two pans, and an HG-1 hand-crank espresso grinder. Santa likes me -- as long as I pay him.

So far all I've tried pan-wise is the omelette pan. Amaze-O. After a hot-water wash and rub-down with a paper towel to remove most (but not all) of the beeswax coating, I smoked a bit of grapeseed oil per instructions, and wiped down again. Then I scrambled two eggs with some creme fraiche, cracked pepper and a pat of butter. Zero sticking and the egg texture beat anything I've done before. Their heaviness compared to the Atelier du Cuivre is a slight drag, but costing < 1/2 as much and not sticking at all is fantastic. HIGHLY recommended for those with strong wrists.

[Too Tall]

Sopepro - You will want to follow this. Two of my copper tin lined pots need work. Who has a good experience with retinning?
This is what I've found so far: Retinning copper pots They check out.