Utensils with copper interiors should never be used for acidic foods, with pH of 6.0 or below, since toxic compounds can form if food is cooked, or stored, or served from such containers. Even if copper pans are lined with tin, they should not be used for acidic foods such as fruits, fruit juices, salad dressings, tomatoes, vinegar-containing foods, etc. Copper bowls may be used for beating egg whites, or copper kettles for cooking high sugar foods like fudge, for these foods are alkaline.
Utensils with copper on the bottom, or outside, and stainless steel, aluminum, or a porcelain enamel interior finish are safe to use and conduct heat well. Avoid high heat which discolors copper bottoms.
Ideally you should clean copper bottoms after each use, even though the tarnish does not affect cooking results or the pan's efficiency. Do not use an abrasive cleaner or steel wool to clean copper bottoms.
To clean tarnished copper:
Wash tarnished copper with soap and warm water and polish with a commercial cleaner. A homemade cleaner of equal parts of salt, vinegar and flour also works well. After rubbing the item with this mixture or any polish, wash it carefully, rinse thoroughly and dry.
[Info from the Home Maintenance And Repair Database at the Michigan State University website]
Sprinkle the surface with lemon juice, shake salt all over it, then rub with a soft sponge.
Use soft cloth with white vinegar. good luck
salt
Most real copper pots/pans will have a copper bottom. It will be a different color than the rest of the pot.
Pots and pans
Pots and pans rarely contain minerals. However, they DO contain metals, most commonly iron, aluminum and copper.
To clean copper pots and pans effectively, mix equal parts of vinegar and salt to create a paste. Apply the paste to the copper surface and scrub gently with a soft cloth or sponge. Rinse with water and dry thoroughly. Alternatively, you can use a commercial copper cleaner following the manufacturer's instructions. Regularly polishing with a mixture of lemon juice and baking soda can also help maintain the shine of copper cookware.
It depends mainly on the manufacturer. Revereware copper bottom pots and pans have a thin layer of copper inlay. Other manufacturers have a thick plate of copper built into them of 1/16" to 1/8". And of course some have no copper at all.
To effectively clean copper bottom pots and pans, mix equal parts of vinegar and salt to create a paste. Apply the paste to the copper surface and scrub gently with a sponge or cloth. Rinse with water and dry thoroughly. Alternatively, you can use a commercial copper cleaner following the manufacturer's instructions. Regularly polishing with a mixture of lemon juice and baking soda can also help maintain the shine of copper cookware.
There is now a company called Revere Ware. They began in copper bottom pots and pans and in recent years have branched out. Revere was a silversmith and worked in copper making pots and pans.
To effectively clean copper pots and pans and maintain their shine and quality, mix equal parts of vinegar and salt to create a paste. Apply the paste to the copper surface and gently scrub with a soft cloth or sponge. Rinse with water and dry thoroughly. Alternatively, you can use a commercial copper cleaner following the manufacturer's instructions. Regularly polishing with a mixture of lemon juice and baking soda can also help maintain the shine of copper cookware.
Aluminum, iron, and copper.
Copper clad pots and pans allow a more even distribution of heat. This eliminates uneven cooking and hot spots. Copper clad pans also respond immediately to any temperature adjustment. These factors make the copper clad pans one of the most efficient choices for stove top. In addition to the extra cleaning required to keep copper clad looking good these are some of the most expensive cookware pieces on the market. In general anyone in the market for new pots and pans should buy the best they can afford.
More modern cooking implements are made of aluminum or stainless steel, older pots and pans were made predominantly from cast iron, and prior to that copper