Knowing the difference between copper and stainless steel pots will actually help you make an accurate decision on the pots you should go for.
It is important to note that the pot you choose will affect your meal and your cooking experience. That's why it is important to pick the right pot that suits your needs.
If you read this article to the end, you'll know the pros and cons of using copper pots and stainless steel pots, so you can decide on what pot you should go for. Without wasting much time, let's jump right in.
Pros of Copper Pots
1. Excellent Heat Conductivity
Copper pot is one of the pots with the best heat conductivity out there. Copper pots can heat up quickly and distribute heat evenly. This provides a fantastic cooking experience as you don't need to worry about some part of your meal being done before other parts of your meal in the pot.
Also, with copper pots, you have precise control over the temperature you want your meal to be cooked.
Copper pots are really good for quick frying and boiling of water as they heat up quickly.
You should also note that a copper pot loses heat quickly, just as it gains heat quickly. This is actually good for delicate meals that don't require extra cooking (or heating) after they are off the stovetop. Examples of those meals are fish, sauce, bearnaise, and so on.
Some chefs don't like copper pots because of the fact that they lose heat quickly, but this isn't a con because it actually prevents overcooking meals.
2. Antimicrobial Qualities
Copper naturally has antimicrobial qualities. This means copper naturally prevents bacteria from growing in it.
The National Library of Medicine in third world countries conducted a study (or experiment) to prove this point. In the study, they stored drinking water in different types of pots, including copper pots, under room temperature. After 16 hours, they discovered that there was no sign of bacteria in the drinking water stored in the copper pot.
This actually proves that copper pots naturally resist the growth of microbes in them, which means your copper pot is actually safe even after leaving it unused for a while.
3. Ease of Use
One of the major reasons why copper pots are loved is their ease of use. Copper pots can be used on all heating surfaces. From gas cookers and stove tops to ovens. You don't need to worry about your pot being safe for a heating material when using copper pots.
Also, copper pots are naturally nonstick. This means copper has a natural quality that prevents your meal from sticking to your pot when cooking. You don't need to season your copper pot before cooking because your meal won't stick to your pot.
Checkout Article: Are Cooking Pots Oven Safe? What You Need To Know
4. Amazing Looks
Copper pots have an amazing and beautiful look in the kitchen. If you're the type of person who wants beauty in your kitchen, copper pots are your go-to guy because copper metals have an attractive look that will even stun your visitors.
A lot of these cooking shows actually use copper pots for display because of the luxurious and stunning look they have on camera.
Cons of Copper Pots
1. High Maintenance
While copper pots have a lot of fantastic benefits, it can be daunting to maintain them.
First of all, copper pots are not dishwasher safe. You need to wash them carefully with your hands. After washing, you need to dry it to prevent wet spots on your copper pots.
Not only that, you also need to polish your copper pots occasionally if you want to maintain their beauty.
For most chefs, these maintenance processes are actually a lot, and it's something they try to avoid doing daily. It's not even recommended to use a copper pot daily because the maintenance process is a lot for you to do. And even if you can carefully perform the maintenance process daily, doing it every day can affect the quality or beauty of copper pots.
So, before you think of getting a copper pot (or any kind of pot), it is crucial that you consider the care and maintenance of that pot material to determine if you can maintain it for a long time or if the care and maintenance process is actually worth it.
2. Copper is Reactive
If you cook a highly acidic food (like lemon juice or anything tomato-based) with a copper pot, your copper pot can react with that meal and leach copper into your meal. This can alter your food by slightly changing the color and taste of your food. It can make your food darken a bit and give your food a little metallic taste.
Some brands prevent this by lining copper pots. Most brands that do this use stainless steel to line their copper pots.
This actually adds an additional benefit to the copper pot, as stainless steel will help it retain heat more (not lose heat quickly) and even help in preventing corrosion.
But the catch is that lining a copper pot with stainless steel will eliminate the natural nonstick property of a copper pot. So, in cases where a copper pot is lined with stainless steel, you'll need to season your pot with oil or cooking spray before cooking with it to prevent meals from sticking to your pot.
3. Copper is Expensive
Copper pots have an amazing look and provide one of the best cooking experiences, but getting a copper pot will cost you.
Copper pots are one of the most expensive pots out there. Most copper pots are priced a few hundred bucks. Some copper pots can be as expensive as $1,300, depending on the quality of the pot and brand you're going for.
Now, let's know why copper pots are expensive.
The major reason why copper pots are expensive is the sheer cost of raw copper is very expensive. It's more expensive than most metals, like stainless steel or aluminum.
Another reason why copper pots are expensive is that copper pots are mostly hand-made. The cost of labor actually increases the price for each copper pot.
Pros of Stainless Steel Pots
1. Thermal Conductivity
One of the benefits that stainless steel pots have in common with copper pots is thermal conductivity.
Stainless steel pots heat up quickly, and they also distribute heat evenly in all areas of the pot while cooking.
The thermal conductivity of a stainless steel pot is not as high as that of copper or aluminum pots, but it offers good thermal conductivity. So, a stainless steel pot can be your go-to guy if thermal conductivity is not the major determining factor for your cooking.
An additional benefit that stainless steel pots have over copper pots is heat retention. Stainless steel pots don't lose heat quickly as copper pots do. It can retain heat after the pot has been taken away from a stovetop.
2. Low Maintenance
Maintenance is one of the advantages stainless steel pots have over copper pots. Stainless steel pots are pretty easy and simple to take care of, unlike copper pots.
Stainless steel pots are dishwasher safe and easy to clean. Because it requires low maintenance, it is the best option for people who cook every day or newbie cooks.
Stainless steel pots are recommendable for those who are new to cooking. The reason is, if you're new to cooking, you'll definitely make mistakes like burning meals, which might cause the meal to stick to the pot.
If you used a stainless steel pot, you can actually use a strong brush to get rid of the burnt meal without disrupting the quality of your pot.
Checkout Article: Can You Put Pots In A Dishwasher?
3. Durability
One of the reasons why a stainless steel pot is so popular is that it can last for a long time. That's why I personally love stainless steel pots.
Stainless steel pots are a fantastic option for students, new chefs, or those who cook daily because it's going to serve you.
Even if you use stainless steel pots in an oven or any high-temperature heating surface, it will still serve you for a long time.
Stainless steel pots are also good for any cooking technique, from sautéing, searing, simmering, and braising to any cooking technique; a stainless steel pot is perfect for it.
4. Non-Reactive
Unlike pure copper pots, stainless steel pots don't react with highly acidic food. So you can cook anything without having to worry about the quantity of wine, vinegar, lemon juice, or tomatoes that's present in that dish.
5. Cost Effective
Stainless steel pots are cost-effective compared to pots like copper pots. The price of most stainless steel pots is really affordable. On the low end, you can get a stainless steel pot for under $100, though the price will be higher for pots on the high end.
The price of stainless steel pots totally depends on the quality of the pot and the brand of the pot. Nonetheless, you can actually get a stainless pot or even a set of pots at a reasonable price compared to copper pots.
Cons of Stainless Steel Pots
1. Food Sticking
Unlike copper pots, stainless steel pots don't have a natural nonstick property. So while cooking, there are chances that your food will stick to the pot.
To prevent this from happening, coat your pot thoroughly with cooking oil or fat and preheat your pot before you start cooking.
Conclusion
So, if you've been debating which pot to choose between copper and stainless steel pots, with the pros and cons I mentioned in this article, you should be able to decide which one suits your needs and your lifestyle.
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