Don't cook in bare copper--doesn't bode well for a long life. By all means, get it tinned.

Jim,

Many decades ago, I lived in Pakistan. My mom purchased a lot of hand-made copper cooking and serving bowls, pots, pans, casserole dishes, etc. And had all of them tinned. We explicitly told that it was very dangerous to cook, or serve food, in plain copper. The tinning has held up beautifully, and I still cook and serve in these locally hand-made beauties.

Depends on what you are cooking in them.
I wouldn't hesitate to cook fairly Ph neutral stuff....nor to fry, but would not cook tomato based stuff nor anything acedic.
We boil water all the time in copper teakettles, have copper water pipes in our house, use copper maslan pans for making jams and jellys, beat eggs in a copper bowl, and drink beer that has been brewed in giant copper kettles.
I would keep it well polished as the green tarnish might lend a bad taste to the food....but I wouldn't hesitate to make a paella in a copper pan....but I think I would be careful when I added the tomatoes!
Lucky you!!!!

Jim:
I recently bought a Brass- Silver Plated serving bowl with a lid, that I used for baking the fish cake.
It is shaped like a football. Only paid $2.50 for it at a Thrift Shop.
This was after I checked out prices at "Fantes"in Phila.
A similar one was, I think, $60 made in Poland.
Just the bottom , no lid.

LindaC :
is right about cooking certain Acidic recipes in Copper.

A friend made Apple Butter in a Copper Kettle.
She would cook the Apples until the spoon stood up in the
pot.
Now I have to make some Apple Butter !!!
Jim: You're a trouble maker.

I don't think they know how much cooking is safe with the Acidic foods.

I would Google " Fante's " and Search - Copper Cookware.
They always give a lot of Tech info.

I even saw a thing on Tin Plating, when I researched the
Silver Plated cookware.I think they do that.
Lou

Once in a while, sure I would. Regularly, no. Copper toxicity.

But, do you like the gleaming copper look? That will turn blotchy and dull brown after a few paella sessions. Use Twinkle or similar products to clean it. Or, make it wall art and buy a cheap steel paella.

I cook in copper pots most of the time, but I enjoy cleaning too.

I would recommend tinning. It is true that non-acidic items can be cooked in copper. I'm thinking particularly of sugar pans for confections and sugar work.)

However, jams and fruit butters definitely fall into the acidic category and should be avoided. Unlined copper preserving pans should be hung on the wall, not used.

Carol

1. Tin melts at 450 F, easily reached on a stove top if you are not careful.

2. To remove tarnish from copper pots, rub with lemon halves dipped in salt.

3. It is not that difficult to do your own tinning. It's just like soldering, except with pure tin.

dcarch

"Now I have to make some Apple Butter !!!
Jim: You're a trouble maker."

I try to keep you active, Lou. At your age that's important.

This thread has been helpful to me. Lots of good advice. Thanks.

"I cook in copper pots most of the time, but I enjoy cleaning too."

John, when you say "most of the time", I assume you are speaking of tinned copper since you recommend I do it only "once in a while". Is that right?

dcarch, you raise a couple of points I didn't ask about but which I have been concerned about. First, I intend to use this pan to make paella on a large Weber kettle grill. I think it will fit. Need to check that. Won't liquid in the pan limit the temperature to near 210° F?

Second, I have thought about tinning it myself. I'm handy at things like that. Do you think I could get a good result with a propane or butane torch and lead free plumbing solder? Or perhaps by heating the pan dry on the Weber grill? Or both?

Lou, I will check the Fantes site. Good suggestion.

Everyone, I am still nervous about cooking in the unlined pan, even selectively with certain foods or only occasionally. I wouldn't worry about beating eggs in a copper bowl but with mixtures of ingredients I'm not confident doing even once in a while.

I do want to get off the dime after all these years and cook a great big paella. That would be fun!

Lou, I'll try to hold off until you come here for a visit if I can. (But please don't absolutely hold me to that.) We do our clamming mostly by treading. An extra pair of big feet helps to fill the bucket faster. Hehehe!

Jim

Frankly, I'd just use it for decoration and cook in something else. My husband's a chef, his mother wrote about food, and we inherited her copper collection. It's pretty, but it's more trouble than it's worth, I think. Tinning doesn't last forever, and finding someone who can do a really good job is hard.

Jim, I use copper to cook with in my kitchen. I had a couple of inexpensive pieces that I loved the size/shape of, but the copper was showing through; I had them retinned and am very happy I did. The link I'm providing will show you what my pan looked like before I sent it in, and after. I wouldn't hesitate to have it tinned so you can use it with confidence, especially with acid products like tomato based foods or lemon curd. The difference between my tinned copper and SS lined copper is the amount of heat I use with it. I would only high-heat roast in a stainless lined copper, but do most my baking, and medium-high cooking on the stove-top with the tin. The nice thing about sending your piece in to be tinned is when you get it back, it will be polished and beautiful. If it's a piece you love, do it!

Here is a link that might be useful: Retinning

Jim: Look in "Fante's will you .
Only takes a couple of minutes.
If you want, I'll check it out and Paste it in here.

You old guys don't want to do anything.
Lou

Jim :
I had a 24 inch Cast Iron Skillet, in our Collectible Booth, a while back.Think it was a Griswold.

A guy bought it for Camping. In fact he ran down the hall when he saw it hanging on a pole.

Would something like that be good for Paella ???
Lou

Lou, I make paella in a cast iron pan when it's just for two of us. Works just fine.

Sherry

Jim. most of my pots and pans are copper lined w/ stainless steel. I use those daily. I have a few pieces of copper lined w/ tin. I would use those daily if I didn't have the other ones.

My "once in a while" just refers to a pan with unlined, untinned, bare copper interior. I'm no expert on copper toxicity though.

I agree w/ Claire about not using very high heat on a tinned copper pan, or leaving such a pan sitting empty on a high flame, just because tin's melting point is not super-high. 460F I think? It should be fine for paella.

"---dcarch, you raise a couple of points I didn't ask about but which I have been concerned about. First, I intend to use this pan to make paella on a large Weber kettle grill. I think it will fit. Need to check that. Won't liquid in the pan limit the temperature to near 210° F?

Second, I have thought about tinning it myself. I'm handy at things like that. Do you think I could get a good result with a propane or butane torch and lead free plumbing solder? Or perhaps by heating the pan dry on the Weber grill? Or both? ---"

Jim, as long as you have liquid in the pan, you will not be melting the tin.

You can probably re-tin on a hot gas stove. You will need to use a flux to re-tin on copper. You will need to do it in a well ventilated room. Flux can generate irritating fume.

dcarch

Jim :
You can do it like Dcarch say's. It is not to easy with a very large pan.
You will need a torch to help, with the outside of the pan.

Haven't done this for years. Had a 14 inch Copper Skillet.
When Teflon came out we got rid of the older things.
The Skillet was used for a Bonsai Plant which died.
Think it is still around in my shop but has 3 drainage holes in the bottom.
Dumb d Dumb dumb !!!
- -- - - - - - - - -

You have to clean it first, then pickel it with Diluted Sulfuric Acid and rinse.
It will be a pinkish color.

I have muriatic acid on hand.

Then clean it with one of them green scouring pads and rinse.
Heat he pan to the right Tin melting temp.
Add flux Rosin with a clean cloth and pour in a small amount of melted tin, rubbing it around.
You can use the torch now to help.
When done,if there are spots that haven't been coated,
Use a fine Steel Wool , to clean,
Redo the spot.
Practice on a smaller piece, it is easy, if the piece is pickled right and clean.
Lou

PS:
I'll be going away tommorrow, be back monday, so !!!
you're on you own.

Jim - Darch :
I was away for a while and forgot about this Post.

I found the old Copper Skillet that I used for a Bonsai.
Think it is worth rejuvenating ?
It measures 13 inches across the top. ( 1/16 thickness )
I don't know the value of these. Guess I could check with, Fonte's of Phila.

Started grinding, to use as a Planter but I can redo that.

There are 3 holes in the bottom which I can fill with Copper.

And I'd have to fabricate another handle, maybe with a slide on wood grip.

LOU
Here is a photo:

Lou,

Isn't it true that copper may be toxic to plants?

dcarch

Dcarch:
Never checked on that ? It died anyway.

When it was put in the Copper Pan,I forgot to bring it in, out of the " ~~HOT~~ " sun.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

I just looked in Fonte's.
According to their prices, a pan this size and depth, would be about $250.
Maybe I'll start tinkering with this one !!!
LOU