How to clean copper cookware?

Copper cookware is one of the oldest types of kitchen utensils. Having discovered copper, which is easy to melt in processing, mankind dramatically expanded the horizons of its culinary possibilities. It was from copper that the first metal cookware was made. And how amazing is the fact that it has easily passed through the centuries, despite the invention of new materials, the emergence of new technologies, the emergence of an incredibly vast market of cookware with ultramodern coatings.

Pots, pans, basins and sauté pans made of copper have not just stood the test of time, but have earned the highest recognition, moving from the class of everyday utensils to the category of elite cookware for professionals. Such copper cookware can be found in the kitchens of Michelin restaurants, prestigious culinary schools and show programs. It is loved and appreciated by world-class chefs. Why? Let’s find out.

– Material properties. Copper is superior in its thermal conductivity to all other metals from which cookware is traditionally made. According to this indicator, it is ten times ahead of stainless steel and twice ahead of aluminum. What does this give us in culinary terms? A copper container heats and cools almost instantly throughout its entire volume – and so do its contents. A quality that is indispensable when working with delicate dishes: sauces, syrups, creams.

– Some desserts can be properly cooked only in copper cookware, which provides a fairly rapid cooling after heating.

– Durability. With proper care, the copper product perfectly serves not even for decades, but for centuries.

– Beauty. There is little to compare with polished and polished copper. Delightful retro-style and shapes and lines – everything looks great in copper. And the softness and pliability of the material allows you to create interestingly shaped products with non-trivial designs.

However, as already mentioned, this shining aristocrat requires care commensurate with its high status. Copper oxidizes easily in the air, coating and losing its original luster. It also easily reacts with acids in food – and this can damage the appearance and flavor of the dish. Therefore, almost all copper products have an inner coating of stainless steel or tin. The exception may be basins for jam – sugar syrup blocks the transition of copper ions in the finished product, so you can cook these sweet desserts in a pure copper basin without fear.

It should be noted at once that copper cookware tinned with tin has much more restrictions in operation than that coated with stainless steel. Tin is a fusible metal, it cannot be fried or cooked in a high-temperature oven. The field of application of such utensils is boiling and stewing. But stainless steel will honorably endure any tests.

The main rules that will help to care for these coatings:

• it is necessary to avoid the use of harsh abrasives: sponges and powders;
• use mild detergents or soap;
• do not heat empty dishes on the stove;
• do not pour boiling water on the dry surface of a pan, basin or pot.

Copper requires careful care. During operation and storage, the copper surface becomes covered with a thin film of oxide. This, on the one hand, protects it from destruction, but on the other hand, the color becomes darker and duller. Dark stains are also formed on the cookware during cooking. If copper is in a humid environment, a characteristic blue-greenish patina appears on it. Patina not only spoils the look of the cookware, but can also enter into undesirable chemical reactions with substances in the products – especially with acids.

How to clean copper at home? How to preserve the beautiful look, shine and functionality of copper cookware? First of all, it is necessary to choose the right methods of its cleaning and polishing.

NOT RECOMMENDED:

• Use for cleaning any means containing, for example, chlorine or oxygen bleaches – they will provoke cracking of the surface of the dishes.
• Washing copper utensils with a dishwasher – this is due to the special aggressive agents used by this technique. They can react with the copper surface and damage it, or significantly reduce the service life of the dishes.
• Do not use metal brushes and sponges, as well as abrasive pastes and powders.

SAFE CLEANING METHODS:

• Immerse the utensil in hot water with soap or mild detergent and rub with a sponge or cloth.
• If you need to effectively clean an old or very dirty copper object, boil it slightly in water with vinegar and a couple tablespoons of table salt.
• If you can not find a large enough container for boiling, rub the copper surface with a slice of lemon and salt, and then remove the solution with a soft cloth.
• Sometimes you can find recommendations to use tomato paste or ketchup in a similar way. They also contain a lot of acid, in addition, they give copper a beautiful reddish color.
• To polish the walls of dishes and give them a shine, you should use a rolled up newspaper in a ball. Among folk recipes for polishing mixtures, the most common is a composition of flour and fine salt.

Of course, in no fashionable restaurant or hotel will you see people rubbing salt or tomato paste on copperware. No folk remedies are comparable to specially formulated compositions developed by specialists. As a rule, professional pastes for cleaning and polishing of copper surfaces are offered by the manufacturers of copper products – who but they know all about the subtleties of care for these wonderful products. And of course, our cleaners know the secrets of care for such kitchen utensils. Our cleaning company will do everything to clean your dishes and put them in good order.