I don't know much about copper cookware, but I’m wondering if the smoke could impact flavor from cooking and how to ensure it doesn’t.

Do you know what brand or is it older unbranded pots? Thickness of the copper also is important. Then you have the lining. I'm guessing it's tin and not SS. Tin has to be redone when it wears thin and the copper comes through. I have some Baumalu pots that have a thin tin lining and I do not use them much so this hasn't been an issue. But if I were to get a saute pan I think I'd want SS since there is less worry about damaging it.

My copper gets polished once a year with Flitz Blue. Otherwise it doesn't look very pretty. I can't think of a reason why it wouldn't polish back up unless it got too hot to actually "melt" it? But I'd think there would be more trouble than just a dull finish.

Thanks, azline. Here are a couple of pieces. I think it was purchased in about 1970 by someone who loved to cook and entertain elegantly. I certainly didn’t smell any smoke. My google searches show Paul Revere. The handles are brass, yes? And notice that the lids look as they should for their age, but the side of the one at the back is ”flat” and darkish. Other pieces in the set look fine.

My guess is that it would polish up fine. My dh has bought me a few antique copper pots as gifts that he polishes, though I like the patina. Some of the pots are more than a hundred years old and they polish up nicely. Copper pots used to be used in fires before more modern cooking. If the interior is tin and has worn down, there are places that you can ship the pots to have the lining re-done. Just be aware that if the interiors are tin, you probably should not use metal utensils in them, if that matters to you. I like the lines of the pots and the brass handles are a definite plus to me.

They are brass handles! Those just look unpolished to me. And I was wrong about them being tinned lined, they have SS. https://thecookwarechannel.com/vintage-1976-paul-revere-ware-limited-edition-gourmet-copper-cookware-set-of-10/

If you could pick them up for a few $$ and want to use them I'd go for it. I'd say they are better than Baumalu since they are SS lined. Some will swear up and down that the SS really negates the awesome properties of the evenness of copper but it's sooooo thin, could it really be THAT bad? There are lots of pieces on ebay if you want to price shop.

They aren't high end copper but high end is easily hundreds of dollars a pot (but go up very quickly from there) and still on my wish list.

I read somewhere that when you look at the edge of a copper pot you think of a dvd. Thickness of 1 is the minimum you want and 3 dvds is the ultimate dream, "OH MAMA break out the check book", and also much heavier.

Edit to add: I'll put a plug in here for the movie Babette's Feast. It's a foreign film about a lady that wins the lottery and uses the money to cook the ultimate feast for her friends (or at least they are by the end of the film). It shows much more of the cooking than films typically spend time on so you get to see all of her copper pots and the very very humble kitchen (but not by today's standards) she cooks it in.

The simplest test of the value of a random piece of copper cookware is to judge the edge with a nickel, which is about 1.95mm. If it is thicker than that you have a more valuable piece of copper. Ideally you want 2.5mm or thicker, with 3 mm+ vintage pieces commanding the highest prices. The thickest I own is 3.5mm (I have over 15 pieces)

I use Wright's Copper Cream. The discoloration should clean up just fine. For a top end cream, Mauviel makes a gentler polish but it is many times more expensive.

This post and reply seem to indicate that the line is 2mm thick, but that the SS steel layer is unusually thick (normally it is 0.6mm or less -- stainless steel is the lining for durability, and less is better as it is poor conductor).

https://paulrevereware.wordpress.com/2012/10/11/some-info-about-paul-revere-ware/

Thanks for all the very helpful information! I have seen them once in passing but didn’t examine closely. I will next time I see them.

Can I use Barkeeper’s Friend on the ss lining? (no, I won’t use it on the copper)

And aziline, I picked up Babette’s Feast from the library today. The librarian told me it’s very popular in November, what with Thanksgiving. Thanks for that suggestion. I happen to be 2nd Generation from Denmark, but I have never seen the movie!

We have Paul Revere copper. Got them at an estate sale. They were badly tarnished. We polished them up with (surprisingly) ketchup. They look awesome. Here they are. They were basically black when we bought them.

If they haven't already the pots need to be cleaned and sanitized. After a fire it isn't the fire that is the issue but rather oily smoke residue which is a carcinogenic.

Beagles, beautiful!

blfenton, how is that sanitizing done?

Barkeeper's Friend should be fine on the inside. As long as you polish the outside and scrub the inside clean any oily residue should be gone.

I'm glad you found the movie! My library also had it and I put it on hold.

BKF did a nice job on the inside, as I knew it would. I’ve started with ketchup, and I might need to go to Costco lol! It is working quickly on the areas that were not subject to smoke (bottom, side not facing out), but other areas are taking more time. Good winter project!

Ketchup, lets see..... I'm guessing it's the vinegar that actually polishes? I have a bare copper bowl for whipping egg whites and whipped cream. Before I use it I always put in a bit of vinegar and some salt (to give it some grit) and any dark parts of the copper is gone in under 10 seconds. But I still think Flitz Blue (actually just Flitz's polish) is the way to go. It cuts through very quickly and leaves your pots with a beautiful shine.

Vinegar and salt also cleans copper very well. It worked better than ketchup for me.

I’m concerned about table salt scratching the copper. Should I not be? I guess, if it’s been through the smoke of a fire, it’s either been through enough already, or it survived that so it can survive salt?

Flitz, a soft rag, and some dedicated polishing by DH. Look at it gleam! Still some tricky areas to do around the handle and the rim, and still have to BKF the rest of the inside. Then on to the next piece. then the next…and the next…

Thank you everyone! The ketchup did take care of the tarnish, but not the areas that were exposed to the heat.

And thank you for the recommendation of Babette’s Feast. We enjoyed it from the culinary and societal aspects, and I enjoyed the mix of French and Danish.