The Case for Copper Cookware

Copper cookware glows. It radiates like Arthur’s grail. Camelot’s galley must’ve been filled with the stuff. Buckingham Palace still is. Same with the kitchens of Monet, Montgeoffroy, and Martha. There’s a reason for this: Copper isn’t just nice—it’s obviously nice. The metal’s pure and the vibe’s the most electric. Point being, copper rocks and—when molded into casseroles by famed Dansk designer Jens Quistgaard—it performs.

For Quistgaard, copper’s beauty boosts its performance. According to Stig Guldberg, author of the biography, Jens Quistgaard: The Sculpting Designer, the Dansk designer sought to create casseroles that would “not be reserved for the stove,” meaning they could double “as an attractive centerpiece” on any dining table and thus eliminate the need of owning—and subsequently washing—serving bowls. As intended, Quistgaard’s copper, which debuted in 1960 and descends from his Ankerline and Købenstyle collections, is rich with stove-to-table benefits.

“The copperware, called ‘Quistgaard’ cooks food, then is brought to the table in all its beauty,” wrote The Reporter Dispatch, during June of 1960. “Copper and brass cooking-ware for elegant stove-to-table service,” noted an ad within The Oakland Tribune months later. “The kind of copperware people come from Europe raving about,” boasted a Dansk graphic within The Honolulu Star-Bulletin in September 1961.

And then there’s the actual cooking part. Copper conducts heat better than any wand-waving, tailcoat-wearing human could and every metal not named silver does. Meaning, nothing in your kitchen gets hotter faster—or cooler quicker—than copper cookware. This sort of heat agility makes it especially apt for cooking anything delicate—like sauces, caramels, or seafood.

As acknowledged in the original collection’s manufacturer’s care card, copper has some limits. To remain food safe, copper cookware must be lined with another metal—often tin—with a melting point of roughly 450F. Further, with regular use, that lining will naturally degrade over time and likely need to be replaced within 10 to 20 years. And, as the aforementioned châteaus, castles, and Bedford homesteads should’ve made clear: First-hand, quality copper pots and pans are not cheap. All to say, if you’re seeking a budget-friendly, all-in-one cookware solution—copper’s not your answer.

However, if you’re looking for something that cooks food and comes straight to the table, something elegant, the kind of cookware people come back from Europe raving about, then you’re going to love the next sentence. We’ve relaunched Jens Quistgaard’s Copper cookware in the Food52 Shop. Give it a look here—and who knows? Maybe your kitchen will start glowing.