french copper cookware

For more than fifteen years
we offer copper kitchenware made by Pierre Vergnes,
a small, very traditional crafts enterprise in Montagne Noire, South France.

The copper pans are coated with 2 mm of pure copper. On the inside they are tin-plated with lead free tin. Molten tin in its liquid state is manually applied by the craftsman. The residual traces of the polish are evidence of the manual labour. In relation to the electrolytic procedure, manual tin-plating offers the advantage that the coating's thickness can be individually adjusted to critical spots. Thus the durability of our copper cookware is considerably extended.

Our copper cookware is delivered with patina. If you wish highly polished copper cookware, please let us know by filling in the window "Insert personal memo depending to your order" at the end of the shop ordering process.
The handles of our copper pots and saucepans are made of steel. Pierre Vergnes uses copper rivets.

6 Videos about copper cookware
made by Pierre Vergnes:

 

Some "copper" pots from other producers are coated on the inside with a steel layer. These pots are more resistant to everyday wear and tear than original copper cookware. However steel removes the perfect heat distribution as a characteristic of true copper cookware. Please be also aware of the fact that steel and copper have different physical attributes. With intensive heating and cooling down the materials will separate, ruining the pot or pan.

In principle, our copper cookware is suitable for all kinds of stoves apart from induction cooktops. Please consider that the bottom of handmade copper pots won`t be perfectly flat in comparison with polished steel pots of industrial grade.

The advantages of copper

Copper is a perfect heat conductor. The heat will evenly be spread over the cookware and dispensed accurately. Professionals and ambitious amateur cocks all over the world appreciate the material properties of copper.

Welcome side effects are that the danger of overheating will be minimized and energy will be saved with every meal being cooked.

Important advice for handling copper cookware

Don't use sharp-edged instruments

As with all coated pots, use relatively soft plastic or wooden spoons only. Particularly when cleaning copper pots, never use aggressive, scratchy sponges containing metal.

Avoid overheating

The melting point of tin lies below 250° C. Take care that you don't leave your copper cookware unobserved on the stove! Once the ground of the copper saucepan is covered with oil or fat there is no danger.

Copper cookware is not suitable for frying at high temperatures

Copper saucepans are not designed for short frying or searing. The extreme heat won't destroy the copper, but the life span of the tin coating will be reduced. Yet copper saucepans are perfect for roasting poultry, fish and vegetables amongst others.