Pots - Copper?

[Michael P]

Rogov,

I am looking to buy an entire new set of pots with a focus on health and quality. I heard all-clad or full copper sets (vs copper core) are a good choice. Any suggestions? Where is the best place to buy these in NYC?

Thanks.

[Paul Winalski]

Health-wise, I don't think it particularly matters what your pots are made of. You want the interior lining of the pots to be non-reactive so that the metal of the pot doesn't leach into the food. Aluminum and tin will react with acidic foods (e.g., tomatoes). So will iron and non-stainless steel unless it's well-seasoned. Tin has the further disadvantage of being soft and easy to scratch.

Solid aluminum and especially solid copper have the advantage of high conductivity, which means they will heat readily and distribute the heat evenly, without hot spots. Cast iron and steel take longer to heat up and are prone to hot spots.

My preference is thick copper with a stainless steel lining. E. Dehillerin in Paris sells a complete line of top-quality cookware of this type. I highly recommend them. At their website this is the "cuprinox extra thick" range of products. These pots and pans are a joy to cook with. The disadvantage is that the outer copper surface will tarnish instantly with use. If you want to keep that like-new gleam, you will have to spend a lot of time with copper polish. Personally I think the tarnished copper look has a rustic charm to it. I also don't know if these pots are dishwasher-safe. I've never done the experiment--I wash them by hand.

I'm sure these can be found in New York City at a cookware or restaurant supply store. I'd go for one of the brands that doesn't carry a chef's name--why pay extra $$$ just to have an endorsement?

-Paul W.

[Daniel Rogov]

Michael, Hi.....

Sent to me by one of my faithful correspondents, a link to an article in the NY Times about precisely this subject. Worth reading at http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/08/dinin ... ref=slogin

Best
Rogov

[Michael P]

Thank you Paul and Rogov.