WHY COPPER

I like to say there are two reasons to cook in copper; the technical - and the aesthetic. 

Whether polished to a high shine or left to a soft penny copper, the AESTHETIC of the metal works in kitchens from country to contemporary.  

I can't tell you how many times a cook has told me how this aesthetic moves them.  I hear from owners again and again that these copper pans CHANGE the way they cook - copper changes the way they THINK of cooking.  Somehow, these pans take them to a different place - a different level - and it is deeper than just "looking nice" in the kitchen.  These pans begin to take on a look that expresses the owner's savvy, experience, and life. 

Aesthetic aside, copper remains the ultimate TECHNICAL cooking vessel as well.  The superior heat conductivity of the metal means the cook is dealing with an evenly heated cooking surface.  "Hot spots" don't exist as the copper will quickly move the heat throughout the pan.  In addition, tin-lined copper is almost inherently non-stick.  We cook at lower temperatures with copper and don't wash them as hard, so they build up a bit of a "seasoning" over time.  So – the ultimate even heat AND a natural non-stick surface - technically a wonderful pan...

THE CRAFT

In handcrafting a copper vessel from scratch, there are a number of ways to create a shape from a flat copper plate. We create our handcrafted pieces by spinning on a lathe - a versatile metalworking technique where a craftsman can make an object of circular shape by spinning a disk of copper over a “chuck” of a given shape. The chuck and the copper spin together as the operator manipulates the spinning disk with long handled friction tools or rollers.

Once the copper has been formed, a cast iron handle is riveted to the pan.  We use oversized rivets that will never loosen over time.  Cast iron is a terrible heat conductor and therefore the handle stays cooler longer while cooking. 

Finally, the interior of the piece is hand-lined with molten tin and the exterior is polished.