Cooking with copper pans is a beautiful experience that’s enjoyed by fans worldwide. There’s just something about copper pans that’s so attractive.
In addition to good looks, pure copper pans also offer very good heat control, unlike mixed material pans, for instance. Although they can get pricey, their kitchen-to-table presentation qualities make them always worth every penny.
Many modern copper pans are not made from 100% copper though. But they often come with many impressive features and offer an affordable alternative, which is quite as good anyway.
This copper pan review shows you how to choose the best copper pan from a list of the best offers in the market. This allows you to experience and enjoy the beauty of cooking with copper pans.
What to Check Before Buying Best Copper Pan?
Cooking with copper pans comes with lots of advantages, but you need to understand the important features that make up a pan, so you can choose right. These features are as follows:
1. Size
Copper pans have existed for centuries, and they come in different styles and sizes. This means that you can always find the perfect pan as long as you know what you need.
You should consider beforehand, therefore, what and how to plan to cook, so you can better figure out the perfect pan size for your needs. Are you more of a sautéing chef or do you have a large family to cook for, for instance?
2. Thickness
This is another aspect you should pay attention to. The thickness of a pure copper pan is also very important because it determines how long it will last. In general, the thicker the pan, the better.
For the best quality copper pans, you should always look for something that’s at least 2 mm (1/8 inch) thick. This doesn’t mean that those below 2 mm thickness are completely bad, but you’ll get the best quality copper pans with more thickness.
For non-traditional copper pans with many levels of coating, this is usually not a problem anyway.
3. Lining
A copper-only pan tends to react with and give a bitter taste to food, so you’ll find that most copper pans get lined with one or more different materials.
You’ll find that most pure copper cookware gets lined with either tin or stainless steel. Tin offers better non-stick properties, but it can wear out over time. Stainless steel, however, does not rust and can withstand different chemicals and high heat better.
Modern copper pans mostly feature ceramic linings, which additionally provides a non-stick feature.
4. Handle Material
Different copper pan makers use different materials for the handles. You’ll find bronze handles on the cheaper models and stainless steel or cast iron handles on the more premium models.
If heat is a problem, and you need a pan with a handle that stays cool to the touch as you continue to cook, then you’ll need to pay more for a costlier pan with a better-quality handle.
5. Weight
The pan’s weight is another thing that you’ll have to keep an eye on to make sure that you can handle it. Some pans get made from only copper and are lightweight, while others will include heavier materials like stainless steel, cast iron, and ceramics.
6. Brand
Just as you’ll find with other products, copper cookware, in general, get manufactured by different manufacturers with different brands and often have specific features as well.
Some of the most popular copper cookware brands include Copper Chef, BulbHead, Mauviel, and Cooksmark.
7. Hammered vs Plain
The oldest copper cookware probably got hammered into shape until modern machinery came along to make smooth-sided pans. The issue here though is that hammered copper pans, such as the Mauviel M’Passion look absolutely amazing.
This unevenness created by the hammering gets highlighted by the shiny nature of polished copper to create an unforgettable look. Still, the design is a matter of choice, so you’re free to choose between a hammered and a plain-looking copper pan.
8. Lids & Pan Sets
Some copper pan offers come with a lid while others don’t. Also, the lids can come from different materials, including glass and copper. It’s left for you here to know if you’ll need a lid for your new pan.
Other possible accessories include a basket for frying, a steamer or roaster rack, and a recipe book.
9. Induction Cooking
Some copper pan makers even go the extra mile to include a stainless steel plate on the bottom of the pan to make it usable on an induction cooker. If you’ve got an induction cooker, then you should, of course, focus on only copper pans with a stainless steel induction base.
10. Pure Copper Pans
It’s also important that you understand the difference between most of the copper pans in the market and traditional copper pans which are 100% made from copper.
Pure copper pans have their advantages like quick heat conduction, but they are also more expensive than the other types, which are usually much cheaper and often come with new technological features.
7 Best Copper Pans of 2021 Reviewed
IMAGE | PRODUCT | FEATURES |
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1. BulbHead 11198 (Best Overall) |
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2. Cooksmark 10-Inch (Best Budget & Induction Ready) |
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3. BulbHead 9.5-Inch (Best Budget Square Design) |
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4. Almond Non-Stick (With Glass Lid) |
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5. Square Pan Sets (5-Piece Set) |
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6. Mauviel M’Passion (11-Quart Real Pan) |
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7. Copper Chef 9.5 Inch (850° F Oven-safe Beautiful Square Design) |
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1. BulbHead 11198 – Best Overall
- Size: 10 inches
- Lining: Ceramic
- Weight: 4.8 pounds
BulbHead presents its top-rated copper pan here, the square Red Copper pan. Measuring 10 by 10 inches and 4 inches high, it gives you enough space to cook in many ways.
It also comes with 4 accessories to make 5 items in the package. These accessories provide frying, steaming, and roasting capabilities, plus you can broil, roast and bake with only the pan.
The package includes a glass lid with a vent, and they’re both oven-safe up to 500° Fahrenheit.
Although the inside comes coated with a copper-infused ceramic to make it a non-stick pan while the exterior is beautifully red-colored, this pan is not 100% copper but it’s still a great buy for anyone who wants good value for money.
Some of its advantages include being easy to clean, its 500° heat resistance, and the ability to fry perfectly without oil.
Pros:
- 10-inch square copper pan
- Offers non-stick cooking capabilities
- Features a copper-infused ceramic coating
- The package is a 5-piece offer with lid and basket
- The pan and set is also oven safe up to 500° Fahrenheit
Cons:
- Its sides are not pure copper but a reddish ceramic
- Does not include a plate for induction cooker
2. Cooksmark 10-Inch – Best Budget & Induction Ready
- Size: 10 inches
- Lining: Maxlon non-stick
- Weight: 1.75 lbs
This copper pan has two unique features that make it a high-quality copper pan offer, and that’s its Maxlon coating and a low price. This makes it the best budget offer on this list.
With its Maxlon non-stick coating, it offers a better gliding performance than most other non-stick pans, giving you the chance of a better cooking experience and healthier meals.
You also get a comfortable stainless steel grip with a riveted design, plus the bottom of the pan has a stainless steel plate to make it induction-cooker compatible. This makes this pan ideal for all cooking methods and stove-tops.
Although it’s not a traditional copper pan from pure copper, it does include a copper-colored interior which has impressive non-stick properties and it’s completely safe with zero harmful substances. Its second con is a lack of accessories.
On the brighter side, it’s dishwasher and oven safe up to 450° Fahrenheit, offering more ways to use it. There’s also no lid included in the package but it’s low and attractive price still makes it a very attractive offer.
Pros:
- Features Maxlon super non-stick coating
- Best-priced offer for budget shoppers
- It’s oven and dishwasher safe up to 450° Fahrenheit
- Includes an induction-plate bottom
Cons:
- There’s no included accessory
- Many other copper pans are more beautiful
3. BulbHead 9.5-Inch – Best Budget
- Size: 9.5 inches
- Lining: Ceramic
- Weight: 1.65 pounds
BulbHead makes you another best copper frying pan here with this square Red Copper pan. It’s 9.5 inches long on each side and features a stainless steel handle.
It’s low-priced and a great offer if you’re after the best bottom copper pans because it uses a copper-infused ceramic lining for the bottom. This makes its non-stick bottom very scratch resistant.
The coating is non-toxic and 100% safe for cooking on stove-tops and in ovens. This pan will withstand temperatures up to 500° Fahrenheit and it’s easy to clean.
On the downside, its sides are a red ceramic, which is far from the beauty of pure copper. It also doesn’t come with a lid. Still, it offers you enough space for a variety of cooking styles, and it’s quite affordable.
For about $15 extra, you could also go for an option that offers you a double-coated lining. The rest of the pan remains the same anyway, so all you get is just more scratch resistance.
Pros:
- Square design with high sides for more food
- Copper-infused ceramic lining provides a non-stick surface
- Strongly scratch-resistant surface
- Oven safe pan withstands up to 500° Fahrenheit
Cons:
- It does not come with a lid
- The sides are red and not copper colored
4. Almond Non-Stick – Top Quality With Glass Lid
- Size: 10 inches
- Lining: Ceramic
- Weight: 4 pounds
Here’s another non-traditional copper pan. This time, it comes from Almond and is actually made from aluminum and then coated with a copper-colored ceramic for a non-stick feature.
This allows you to cook in many ways, including with or without oil for a healthier lifestyle. The pan itself is 1/8-inch thick, guaranteed durable, and is 100% dishwasher safe.
It’s also oven-safe with a heat tolerance up to 420° F, while its included tempered glass lid handles up to 500° Fahrenheit.
Almond includes an ergonomically shaped stainless steel handle to make using this pan a pleasure and an included bottom plate makes it usable on induction cookers.
This pan is not made entirely from copper but from aluminum. It lacks beautiful copper sides, and comes with no single accessory.
Still, it offers an advantage over 100% copper pans and that is a lower price. If you want a large and durable all-around copper pan, then here’s a good one.
Pros:
- Offers you a well made and affordable copper pan
- Features a healthy, PTFE- & PFOA-free coating
- Oven safe up to 500° F
- Designed for multiple cook-tops, including induction cookers
Cons:
- No other accessory included in the package
- It doesn’t have beautiful copper sides
5. Square Pan Sets – Best 5-Piece
- Size: 9.5 inches
- Lining: Ceramic & titanium
- Weight: 6 lbs
If you’re going to get yourself a pan, then why not a complete set at a go? This offer from Square Pan Sets offers you one of the best copper pans for the money by including five items in the package.
You get the 9.5 x 9.5-inch wide pan plus its tempered glass lid. There’s a multi-layer construction which ends with the non-stick coating featuring ceramic, copper, and titanium. This allows you to cook entirely without oil if that’s what you want.
You also get a basket for deep-frying stuff if you’ve got no issues with oil, and there’s a rack for steaming as well. Finally, Square Pan Sets includes a recipe book to help you discover all the wonderful ways you can use this pan.
For downsides, it’s a beautiful copper-infused pan. But, it still falls a little short of that 100% copper pan glow.
If you love style then you should love this copper pan because it’s great for both cooking and presenting your culinary creations on the dinner table. It’s a very stylish and affordable cooking pan, plus it comes with many accessories which additionally make it a great buy.
Pros:
- Non-Stick cooking without oil or even butter
- Comes in a 5-piece set with lid and basket
- Includes a stainless steel handle plus helper handle
- Oven and dishwasher safe up to 850° Fahrenheit
Cons:
- Its sides lack the beautiful pink of 100% copper
- The non-stick coating could be thicker
6. Mauviel M’Passion – Best 11-Quart
- Size: 14.1 inches
- Lining: None
- Weight: 7 pounds
Mauviel is a French family business that’s been making copper pans since 1830. It’s based in the Normandy area of France and is one of the best copper pan brands in the world.
This offer here is for a 14-inch wide pan with an 11-quart volume. It’s the perfect size for cooking fruits and sugar for making jam, although you’re free to cook whatever you like with it.
You get a pure copper pan here, and it comes without an inner lining and without a bottom plate for induction cooking. It does come with a pair of beautiful bronze handles and the pan itself is a work of art, featuring that hammered copper style.
Not so attractive anyway, is the price, because this pan costs way more than the others on this list. It’s also not induction-cooker compatible.
On the brighter side though, copper is twice more conductive than aluminum and up to 10 times more conductive than stainless steel.
It can also heat up and cool down more quickly and evenly than most other metals, making it the ideal material for certain types of cooking, as is the case here with jam making.
Pros:
- Made from 100% copper without an inner lining
- The perfect pan for heating fruits for jam making
- The stylishly hammered design looks very beautiful
- Backed by a lifetime warranty from the manufacturer
Cons:
- It’s comparatively expensive but it’s a 100% copper pan
- There’s no included accessory
- It not compatible with induction cookers
7. Copper Chef 9.5 Inch – 850° F Oven-safe Beautiful Square Copper Pan
- Size: 9.5 inches
- Lining: Ceramic
- Weight: 1.8 lbs
Copper Chef is one of the best names you’ll come across when it comes to hip and modern copper cookware. They just don’t only make some of the best copper cookware you’ll find, they also make the most beautiful.
It comes with a tempered glass lid and is oven safe up to 850° Fahrenheit. Copper Chef also focuses on using eco-friendly materials, which will not leak compounds into your food.
The company combines style and functionality to offer you a product that you’ll certainly be proud of, starting from its ceramic non-stick lining to its unique square design which offers its own advantages.
One of these advantages of a square pan is more space. Unlike round pans, square ones offer you more space at their corners, making it easier to cook larger meals in one pan.
Its cons include a lack of accessories except for the lid, and the availability of larger copper pans.
Further features include an ergonomically shaped metal handle, plus a stainless steel plate to make it compatible with induction cookers. If you simply want the best pan, then go for this one.
Pros:
- Durable copper pan from a popular brand
- Oven safe cookware up to 850° Fahrenheit
- Its square shape offers you more space for cooking
- Made using Eco-friendly materials
- Non-Stick coating for healthier cooking
Cons:
- It only comes with a lid & no other accessory
- There are larger copper-pan offers
How to Clean & Maintain Copper Pan?
The beauty of pure copper pans lies in their clear and shiny copper-pink exteriors, which are always captivating to admire and appreciate.
Like so many things in life though, this beautiful surface gets tarnished from time to time because of copper’s reactive nature, leaving a dull and unappealing surface.
As a copper pan lover anyway, you should commit to regularly polishing your pans to keep them in top condition. All you need is warm water, soap, and a little acid.
Following is the 2-step guide for pure copper pan care. Please note that only 100% copper pans need polishing.
Step 1: Wash & Dry
Before you can polish a copper pan back to glory, you’ll need to get it clean first. Simply wash it with soap and warm water, then dry the pan completely.
You don’t want any moisture on the pan when polishing because it can hurt your efforts. So, make sure that the pan is completely dry before polishing and make sure that you wash it with warm water because the warmer the copper is when polishing, the shinier the pan will get.
Step 2: Polish
There are many substances you can use to polish your copper pan because all it needs is a touch of acid. Following are the different options you’ve got, both free and paid.
- Copper Cream. You can use a copper cleaning cream to bring your pans back in shape. Simply apply with the included applicator and rub in for best results.
- Lemon. If you don’t feel like paying for a cleaning cream, you can just cut a lemon in half, sprinkle salt on the cut half, and then rub the pan with it. You can also mix your own copper paste using lemon juice and equal parts of salt and cornstarch.
- Baking soda. You can make your own copper cleaning paste by mixing equal parts of baking soda and lemon juice. Apply with a piece of cloth or foam.
- Vinegar. Yes, you can also buff your copper pans with vinegar. Simply dip a piece of cloth in vinegar and rub away.
- Tomatoes. Because they’re acidic, you can also use tomatoes and even ketchup to polish your copper. With tomatoes, you’ll need to wait longer to see the effects though.
Conclusion
We’ve reached the end of this best copper pan review and you’ve seen all the different beautiful and impressive copper pan offers in the market.
If you just want the best overall offer, then the recommendation is the 10-inch BulbHead 11198 and its 4-piece accessory package.
For a pan that can take the heat, Copper Chef’s 9.5-inch is the answer, with its lovely design, stainless steel handles, and tempered glass lid.
Finally, if you’re on a budget, then Cooksmark’s 10-inch is offered at the lowest price on this list. Plus, it comes with the super non-stick coating, Maxlon.
In this post:
- What to Check Before Buying Best Copper Pan?
- 10. Pure Copper Pans
- 7 Best Copper Pans of 2021 Reviewed
- 1. BulbHead 11198 – Best Overall
- 2. Cooksmark 10-Inch – Best Budget & Induction Ready
- 3. BulbHead 9.5-Inch – Best Budget
- 4. Almond Non-Stick – Top Quality With Glass Lid
- 5. Square Pan Sets – Best 5-Piece
- 6. Mauviel M’Passion – Best 11-Quart
- 7. Copper Chef 9.5 Inch – 850° F Oven-safe Beautiful Square Copper Pan
- How to Clean & Maintain Copper Pan?
- Conclusion