Comments on: Copper pans and electric heat, do they mix?

Question: Copper pans and electric heat, do they mix?

aussicht — Wed, 30 Jan 2008 21:42:04 -0800

Can I use my three-ply (out-middle-inner) copper-aluminum-stainless steel pots and pans on an electric range? Will it mess them up?

By: vorfeed

vorfeed — Wed, 30 Jan 2008 21:57:37 -0800

Go for it. About the only thing that's likely to happen is copper tarnish on the bottom that appears over time -- if this happens, you can clean it with some Barkeeper's Friend.

By: Acari

Acari — Wed, 30 Jan 2008 23:24:20 -0800

A note of caution:

should you be foolhardy enough to own rock band or guitar hero, don't try to sneak in just one song while cooking. Because if the pot boils dry, the aluminum will melt before anything else, and the copper will keep it contained. And then you will remember about the pot [!], lift the pot up off the element at something other than a 90 degree angle, and the molten aluminum will splash on your foot. And the pot will still look like it used to, with a stainless steel body and a copper bottom. It will just weigh less.

I mean, hypothetically.

By: the luke parker fiasco

the luke parker fiasco — Thu, 31 Jan 2008 05:20:32 -0800

I've used All-Clad and Calphalon pots on electric ranges without issue. If you're really concerned about your cookware, you might want to use one of those heat-diffusing discs between the burner and the pot. There's a few to see at the Sur la Table page--one example.