Copper cookware
Copper is a material showing exceptional thermal properties. As it is the best heat conductor and benefits from a great reactivity, copper enables to perfectly control the cooking environment and its temperature. Inevitable in the French Gastronomy, utensils made of copper are ideal for reduction and delicate cooking thanks to a homogeneous heat spreading and a perfect heat transmission that both enable to concentrate the flavours of food and to preserve its texture.
To clean copper, you should apply a paste specially adapted to this end very easy to use. To prevent copper from dulling, we advise you to regularly use a copper cleaner.
You can use metallic objects within your utensil, regardless the material of the inner surface (whether it is made of copper or of stainless steel). Indeed, copper and stainless steel resist well to scratches.
In contact with humidity, copper might oxidise. This oxidation is toxic; as a consequence, it is important to avoid any contact between food and copper during the cooking. This is why de Buyer utensils made of copper are, for most of them, lined with stainless steel, or tinned. Our Prima Matera, Inocuivre, Inocuivre VIP and Inocuivre First Classe cooking ranges are made of 90% outer copper and 10% inner stainless steel. This proportion is ideal and guarantees exceptional cooking properties.
Exception: copper is not harmful when it is used to beat eggs white or to cook sugar. As a result, egg-white hemispherical bowls, jam pans and sugar saucepans are neither tinned nor lined with stainless steel.