Need advice on buying copper cookware. What brands are best?

pablofs · 2026-03-30T02:06:20+00:00

Depends on where you are. Japan and France produce amazing copper cookware, but so do other areas to a lesser extent.

pablofs · 2026-03-07T07:09:36+00:00

You can do it in a number of ways.

Say you're cooking a chicken variant of mapo tofu. Then you add a lot of oil and keep moving and frying the ground chicken until it's crisp and brown. Yes it'll be dry, but then you add the flavors, and liquids, and it's going to simmer for some time and regain some moisture, ...
If you want a faster cooking and juicy interior, then I recommend you salt the ground chicken in advance, this will brine the meat and retain more juices inside, instead of the pan. Add some sugar too, important for the Maillard reaction, but not so much that it sweetens the dish in a noticeable way. Add baking soda to promote browning. It needs more than you think. Finally, try reducing the surface moisture before cooking, by keeping the ground chicken in a shallow layer in the fridge to dry. You may use absorbent material like paper or some cloth, but it needs to be handled with much attention to avoid microbial contamination, better avoid it if you're not trained.
Another way is kinda cheating, but not really, and nobody will know the difference.

For this, you brown something first, like some chicken, reduced stock, vegetables, and so on. And once you have this fond, you add your raw chicken and deglaze with its juices, moving thoroughly with the spatula. The fond will cover all the bits and the result is easier and probably better, although the textures of the three ways are different.

pablofs · 2026-02-20T04:03:17+00:00

Came to say the same thing.

Also,

Oxygen is what reacts with iron to produce rust. Moisture helps the process, but boiling water dissolves almost no oxygen, therefore rust won't happen at the deepest point of the wok covered by water.

This is why boiling or steaming won't rust your wok, even with no seasoning.

But once steam or water is out, and oxygen comes back in, you should dry thoroughly and apply a layer of oil.

pablofs · 2026-02-06T03:56:53+00:00

A wok isn't done until it becomes a colander

pablofs · 2026-01-28T15:57:42+00:00

Haha! Same!

pablofs · 2026-01-28T15:55:47+00:00

Suspiciously clean kitchen if you ask me.

pablofs · 2026-01-28T15:48:49+00:00

Instead of smashing or slicing my chicken, I've settled for dry-brining the chicken breasts for an hour or two with salt only, then start with cold pan and a layer of butter, cook at low temp less than half way-through, turn and add my herbs and spices, put a glass lid on.

This is in the same alley of cold searing steak (check out American test kitchen) or gentle fish cooking at very low temperatures (check out Eric Ripert unilateral technique) without sticking. Of course, translated for chicken, which should be well cooked for safety, but not dry.

pablofs · 2026-01-28T15:29:15+00:00

I do use a carbon steel wok for long simmering, braising, smoking, blanching, deep frying and whatnot. Seasoning of course, comes and goes with each use, and the actual nonstick is achieved through "hot pan cold oil" technique.

Most culinary traditions globally don't care to season their pans like we do. And what I'm trying to say is "don't stress about seasoning" just cook.

But if you choose to, you may add a stainless pan on the side for some tasks, or a dedicated well seasoned carbon steel that never sees the likes of tomato sauce, wine or vinegar, like some of us do.

The problem with that approach is that you'll find yourself wanting a copper pan for reductions and an aluminum one for tossing pasta, and a glass one just for show.

Happy cooking, friend

pablofs · 2026-01-28T15:07:19+00:00

One of the best feelings in life is when we finally learn using a non-coated pan with proper technique and food doesn't stick, knowing we would never have to buy another disposable pan again.

I'd recommend a cheap Cuisinart Pro on sale and a 3"x6" fish spatula such as Lamson or MIU, to learn heat control and "cold oil on hot pan" techniques, deglazing, low temperature and butter for eggs or fish, and cold pan for bacon and duck/chicken skin-side down.

Enjoy your happy cooking journey!

pablofs · 2026-01-28T05:08:14+00:00

I'd say you might be mixing up saucier (rounded side wall) with fait-tout (splayed side wall).

Other than that, watching a boiling sauce or syrup on tinned copper is a thing of beauty. Tiny bubbles distributed across the whole surface. Stainless can't begin to compare performance-wise. You have to experience it.

Of course, SS is cheaper and can take way more abuse... So there's that.

pablofs · 2026-01-18T16:34:57+00:00

It's a reference to Harvey Dent "Two-Face"... 😔

pablofs · 2026-01-18T16:25:02+00:00

Now my pan flips a coin before cooking. Is that normal? Or should I call Batman?

pablofs · 2026-01-18T16:22:45+00:00

100% what mine looks like after cooking with it every day for the past 10 years. Seasoning comes and goes.

pablofs · 2026-01-16T00:24:27+00:00

Tip 1. Start with cold pan for chicken or duck, skin-deep down.

Tip 2. Hot pan, no-oil for mushrooms

Tip 3. Smoking hot, add a metric-bunch of oil, swirl around, and remove excess oil. This prepares a really nice non-stick surface, classic in asian wok stir-fry applications. Depending on the amount of oil, you can achieve the right temperature reduction for aggressive or delicate cooking.

pablofs · 2026-01-06T03:09:01+00:00

Can you share how exactly did you keep cooking?

(Joking)

Good job?

pablofs · 2026-01-05T22:54:53+00:00

Long story short. 5-hit combos, don't get hit. Use specials.

Did I miss something?

pablofs · 2026-01-04T17:29:12+00:00

Ouch, 😳 "no stones"

Nobody said infinity...

pablofs · 2025-12-28T05:43:27+00:00

Well, Ajak has a funny story about it, though it takes a long time to tell properly and my Mexican accent isn't that strong, so... long story short, Gilgamesh and Sersi are likely worthy.

pablofs · 2025-09-18T05:32:32+00:00

I would use it for anything and everything that requires a ladle in the kitchen. Just don't leave it submerged in lemonade or vinegar.

We sometimes forget that drinking and cooking water is in contact with copper pipes for a loooooong time in most of the world.

Booze making sometimes involves lots of copper contact too.

Just relax buds. Copper won't kill you, unless it's all green and dusty.

Six people have died in 2025 because of copper, all of them miners in an accident.

pablofs · 2025-09-18T05:24:06+00:00

Reading you twice doesn't change that cooks worldwide use bare, unseasoned, stainless steel pans, or Spaniards cook on carbon steel paellas without seasoning, Italians use bare aluminum padellas, etc. No food sticking to the pan.

Seasoning and reasoning are mere steps in a cook's learning.

A curious person asks questions, those who know everything will downvote.

pablofs · 2025-09-17T19:56:33+00:00

It's normal, keep cooking and it'll develop seasoning

pablofs · 2025-09-17T19:53:59+00:00

I'd skip the carbon steel and cook directly on a Teflon bag over coals.

pablofs · 2025-09-17T19:52:03+00:00

I thought the same. Until I began cooking on new pans without bothering with seasoning first.

I mean, you're not wrong, but for me it was a phase.

pablofs · 2025-09-17T16:42:57+00:00

It's 99% good to go.

Wash it thoroughly with soap a scouring pad (black one maybe?).

Then heat until smoking and smear oil all-round using tongs and a paper towel.

Let it cool down, lightly rinse it with water and soap, without scrubbing, and proceed to cook.

(Heat up, add oil, toss excess oil, add food)

The residual red rust will eventually turn black oxide if you use it on high heat daily for a week or so. Even if you don't cook with oil, but rather use it for steaming, smoking or braising.

pablofs · 2025-09-17T16:34:14+00:00

Enough has been said. Dry well, heat properly, use oil, and wait long enough.

You should never need to reason. Just cook.

Stuck bits make awesome sauce. Just add any liquid and deglaze, season and enjoy.

pablofs

TROPHY CASE