Copper cookware has been around for a long time, it also expensive. Copper is one of the more expensive metals to use for anything, it is probably the reason why stainless, aluminum or the compositely bonded metal cookware became more popular. Recently, it has been returning to vogue, and for good reasons.
Copper's ability to conduct heat is difficult to beat. It can react to flame adjustments almost instantaneously. It is because of this precision that is why it is preferred by professional chefs. The ability to control heat with precise timing is very important in gourmet or restaurant cooking. Copper is also very pleasing to eyes, it's aesthetic properties makes a wonderful display in one's kitchen.
Calphalon Cookware
Let's take a look at some of the leading brands in the market.
Mauviel
The oldest copper cookware manufacturer of them all, Mauviel has been making copper cookware since the 1830s. Mauviel's cookware is thick, a 2mm (millimeter) base for their cookware is a typical design. The heavier the cookware, the better--unfortunately, the more expensive too, because it uses more copper, obviously. Mauviel offers a lifetime warranty for their cookware.
Falk
Falk is a pioneer in copper cookware technology. It invented and patented a metallurgical breakthrough when it combined stainless and copper to produce cookware. The use of stainless had some advantages. Not only did it's use lowered the cost of production, it also made the cookware more sturdy. Stainless is usually used as a lining inside the cookware because it is an inert metal and it makes an excellent cooking surface because it does not react to food.
Calphalon
Calphalon added another metal to produce the cookware. Apart from copper and stainless, it also added aluminum to the construction of the cookware. The efficiency of heat transfer is achieved using the copper as exterior and aluminum as the core. It is oven safe for up to 450 degrees F and includes a life time warranty.
Revere
The Revere brand is coming from a very good lineage of cookware and kitchen products. The same people who brought us the ECKO brand, Chicago cutlery and Pyrex brand has also brought us Revere cookware. The design of Revere cookware uses copper in the base, for maximum heat conduction. It uses stainless in the body of the cookware so that the cooking surface is a non-reactive to food. Revere has a 25 year limited warranty on their cookware.
Which Cookware is the Best?
The cookware needs to be durable, rugged, flexible and reliable. Durability and ruggedness means that the cookware is good for actual cooking chores and not just for display only. You need to be able to use it for extended periods of time without the cookware being disfigured or warped--a combination of stainless and copper are usually the ones excelling on durability and ruggedness.
It needs to be flexible so that you can start a cooking process in the stove top and you can finish it inside the oven--the cookware needs to be oven safe.
Reliability means that the manufacturer offers a lifetime warranty on the product, for this reason, the Revere brand is not going to cut it because it only offers a limited 25 year warranty.
All things considered, the clear winner is Mauviel. It is rugged enough because of its clever use of both stainless and copper, it is also oven safe. Mauviel stands behind its product by giving it a lifetime warranty.