You can tap into the heritage of copper pans at any level. Copper kitchenware from centuries-old French manufacturers jostles alongside chic copper coatings from contemporary brands, on our journey from the 2nd arrondissement to your kitchen.
This culinary story begins in France, though copper pots and pans have turned up in many highly regarded kitchens over the centuries. And that includes some unusual ones.
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Why New Copper Kitchenware Immediately Looks at Home
One of the best things about copper kitchen equipment is that, for all the gloss, it taps into a long heritage.
Copper pans in the classic sense have graced kitchens for thousands of years, and for a long time they were an everyday essential. By the 17th Century copper was being crafted into ever more elaborate jelly moulds.
And in the Victorian era, Mrs Beeton was spelling out the appropriate used for copper pots in her celebrated book. Though with the caveat that “Copper pans, if used at all, should be reserved for operations performed with rapidity”.
But as Parisian chefs refined their dishes on the metallic cookware, they realised their potential. Copper pans distribute heat quickly and evenly, and lose it quickly too – qualities that call to skilled chefs.
“The copper pots at Claridge’s are particularly special as some of them were actually used by [French chef Auguste] Escoffier and go back to the late 1890s…”
Martyn Nail, Executive Chef at Claridge’s
It follows that, as the finest Parisian chefs travelled the world, they brought their own trusted equipment with them. Certain names have stood the test of time, raised up by 19th and early-20th Century chefs and still respected the world over.
French kitchenware brands such as Dehillerin and Mauviel can lay claim to centuries of copper cookware manufacturing. And that’s where this story starts in earnest.
Food-Lovers’ Dream in the 1st Arrondissement
Celebrated French chefs went to Dehillerin throughout the 19th and 20th Centuries, but their copper pans didn’t stop at the border. Their reputation in the culinary world made them sought after pieces of kitchenware for prestigious kitchens.
And that includes a few unusual places. One Dehillerin bain-marie was salvaged from the wreck of the Titanic, still identifiable. The White Star Line had ordered several pieces of copper kitchenware for the voyage a century earlier.
Then American food writer Julia Child used Dehillerin copper to cook the recipes that brought French cooking to home cooks. Her Parisian training introduced her to French cookware, including another celebrated brand – Le Creuset cast-iron casseroles.
But the copper pans themselves aren’t the only attraction.
The two-hundred-year-old E. Dehillerin store just off the Rue de Louvre has earned a reputation as a must-see destination for cooks in Paris. It’s a way to step into culinary history for just a moment, and maybe pick up a few kitchen treasures.
Of course, there’s a downside to this cookery heaven.
Part of the charm is visiting the store to choose from their copper kitchenware and other chef’s treats. But it’s not so easy to buy a Dehillerin copper pan internationally.
Far more accessible if you’re looking for copper pots in the UK, is Mauviel.
How Mauviel1830 Celebrate Great Copper Cookware and Cooking
Mauviel started crafting their pots near the Mont Saint-Michel coastline almost 200 years ago. The family-run business makes copper pots in Villedieu-les-Poêles, renowned for its metalworking community for centuries.
“Early on, most of the village specialized in decorative copper items. But we were one of the few to focus on cookware, which ended up being our greatest point of differentiation.”
– Valérie Le Guern-Gilbert, 7th Generation President of Mauviel
Like the Dehillerin store, the Mauviel1830 factory is an experience for food-lovers. Part of the factory has been transformed into In situ1830, a culinary retreat that takes visitors behind the scenes and lets them eat in a specially designed showroom dining space.
All trimmed in Mauviel copper, of course.
The point is to celebrate great local cooking alongside gorgeous cookware, bringing real purpose to these prestigious cooking pots. Because of course, that’s what set the brand apart two centuries ago – these copper pans aren’t just decorative.
You don’t have to travel all the way to France to get your own Mauviel1830 copper pan though. Times have changed but every copper pot is infused with the same heritage, whether you buy it in Normandy or Northampton.
Today’s Mauviel M’Heritage150 range shows off the French kitchenware brand’s evolution. Copper is still the hero, but by adding a stainless steel interior the classic copper saute pan becomes a versatile addition to your kitchen arsenal.
Home cooks can tap into the chefs’ secret with the added convenience stainless steel brings.
It’s an easier way to transition to copper, which conducts heat more evenly across the pan, without worrying about the metal reacting with acidic foods. And of course, stainless steel comes with all the benefits of easier cleaning.
Copper Pans on a Budget
Affordable brands have come up with the reverse solution – accenting pots made in other metals with a copper coating. The on-trend VonShef Copper Cookware range is a prime example.
VonShef’s copper aluminium frying pans give you the look of copper. But it’s the aluminium that’s doing all the hard work.
They adapt the visual appeal of copper pans for induction hobs (and they’re said to be compatible with gas and electric hobs too). Plus the coating is fully non-stick, making copper aluminium pans a practical option on a budget.
It’s affordable way to pay homage to the story of copper pans, if you don’t want to commit to French copper kitchenware. And there are more ways to get the style of copper kitchenware for less…