My report on Copper Chef

[U.S. Janet B.]

First off, I want you to know that I really wanted to like this stuff.
But it is just a bright shiny object to catch the attention of buyers.

The pan itself does not conduct heat well at all. That disc on the
bottom is virtually useless. It does not conduct heat to the rest of
the pan. Things will brown eventually right over the disk but the
rest of the items in the pan will be pale and un-browned. Turn the
heat up and you get burning in the middle of the pan. The pan doesn't
heat up well or quickly. I put a chuck roast in the pan today after
the pan had been preheating (I thought) No sizzle. I turned the heat
up and my chuck roast stewed instead of browned. For 15 minutes I
tried to get the roast browned. I threw some onion pieces in and
couldn't even get them to brown. I finally put the Copper Chef aside
and got my Lodge cast iron dutch oven. Put the Lodge right on the
same burner, put the meat and onions in and there was immediate
sizzle.
The non-stick is not truly non-stick. It's true that stuff cleans off
the pan quicker than it would if it wasn't 'non-stick'.
I liked the idea that I could put it in the dishwasher. That worked
fine except when I pulled the pan from the dishwasher the pan felt
like I had just put hand lotion on. If I then washed it in the sink
that hand lotion feeling went away.
The outside coating peels away easily.
The disk on the bottom has a rough finish and will scuff your cupboard
surfaces as you slide the pan in for storage. If you are not
accustomed to a pan with a disk, you will find that you cannot easily
slide the pan into the oven as the bottom of the pan will catch on the
edge of the oven rack.
I primarily wanted this set for the grill portion. Nada there too.
I will either yard sale this or chuck it in the trash.
I'm accustomed to cooking with anodized heavy aluminum pans or cast
iron. In my view, these pans will set back your chance of preparing a
good meal.
Janet US

[itsjoan...@webtv.net]

Good report and interesting, too. Have you seen the 'granite ware' pans??
*Supposedly* they are quite good and if I decide to take the plunge I'll
buy it as Bed, Bath, & Befuddled and use a 20% off coupon.

By the way, can you take your copper pan back and ask for a refund???

[U.S. Janet B.]

Yes, I can return it. I didn't spend very much and I don't want to
bother. I will write a review online.
Janet US

[Ophelia]

"U.S. Janet B." wrote in message
news:hdd58etm2hkphsvc4...@4ax.com...

==

Thank you very much for that very welcome report! I have been attracted to
those pans to and no doubt, would have bought one too!

What a mess! Will you return it?

[S Viemeister]

On 3/8/2019 2:10 PM, U.S. Janet B. wrote:
>
> First off, I want you to know that I really wanted to like this stuff.
> But it is just a bright shiny object to catch the attention of buyers.
>

(snip review)

Yes. They _look_ good, but...
I donated mine to the local charity shop.

[jmcquown]

IMNSHO the way to make your point is to take it back for a refund and
write the review. Hit 'em in the wallet. I can certainly understand if
you don't feel like doing that but to me the double whammy is called for.

Jill

[Terry Coombs]

Interesting ... copper is supposed to be a very good conductor of heat ,
so much so that it takes special tooling to weld it . This makes me
wonder what's under that pretty copper exterior . There was mention of
an "induction plate" which is apparently the silver plate on the bottom
- this makes me think the pan is/also good for induction ranges . I
watched the YouTube vid somebody posted a link to , might be where I saw
that . Ennyway , I can't get past the "copper" claim , if it were really
copper the heat would be more even . FWIW , I use mostly cast iron for
any frying , my wife likes the nonstick pans . And the nonstick set is
heavy gauge aluminum .

--
Snag
Yes , I'm old
and crochety - and armed .
Get outta my woods !

[U.S. Janet B.]

On Fri, 8 Mar 2019 17:13:27 -0600, Terry Coombs <snag...@msn.com>
wrote:

that is a copper colored surface. No real copper was harmed in the
making of these pots.
These are very light weight pans
Janet US

[jmcquown]

On 3/8/2019 6:13 PM, Terry Coombs wrote:
> On 3/8/2019 1:10 PM, U.S. Janet B. wrote:
>> First off, I want you to know that I really wanted to like this stuff.
>> But it is just a bright shiny object to catch the attention of buyers.
>>

>> I primarily wanted this set for the grill portion.  Nada there too.
>> I will either yard sale this or chuck it in the trash.
>> I'm accustomed to cooking with anodized heavy aluminum pans or cast
>> iron.  In my view, these pans will set back your chance of preparing a
>> good meal.
>> Janet US
>

(snippage)

> Interesting ... copper is supposed to be a very good conductor of heat ,
> so much so that it takes special tooling to weld it

(snippage)

Terry, it's not copper clad. It's a faux "copper" non-stick interior
coating. As JanetUS said, it's a bright shiny object. ;)

Jill

[Christ...@deathtochristianity.pl]

On Fri, 8 Mar 2019 18:08:07 -0500, jmcquown <j_mc...@comcast.net>
wrote:

Just read your report, good info. I actually wanted to get a copper
chef, but now not so much

>>>>

>>> Good report and interesting, too. Have you seen the 'granite ware' pans??
>>> *Supposedly* they are quite good and if I decide to take the plunge I'll
>>> buy it as Bed, Bath, & Befuddled and use a 20% off coupon.
>>>
>>> By the way, can you take your copper pan back and ask for a refund???
>>
>> Yes, I can return it. I didn't spend very much and I don't want to
>> bother. I will write a review online.
>> Janet US
>>
>IMNSHO the way to make your point is to take it back for a refund and
>write the review. Hit 'em in the wallet. I can certainly understand if
>you don't feel like doing that but to me the double whammy is called for.
>
>Jill

--

____/~~~sine qua non~~~\____

[Julie Bove]

"U.S. Janet B." <J...@nospam.com> wrote in message
news:hdd58etm2hkphsvc4...@4ax.com...
>

I have seen them but was not tempted to buy. I think Angela has one packed
away. My mom insisted on buying it for her. That year, everyone gave her
skillets. I got a skillet and a pan for free at some grocery store during a
promotion. She got more from people for Christmas.I started a hope chest for
her, mainly with freebie items that I didn't need.

[Terry Coombs]

Shiiiiinneeeeeyyyy ... I like shiny ! I've probably seen one of the ads
, don't pay much attention to the toob most of the time . I really do
wonder what's under the shiny . Probably stainless steel , a notoriously
poor heat conductor . But cheap !

[jmcquown]

It looks like this:

https://www.copperchef.com/4-pc-round-fry-pan-set.html?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIhve09Jn14AIVg0SGCh3KSQsbEAQYBiABEgKVYfD_BwE

or

https://tinyurl.com/y6qsrjw7

And yes, it has a stainless steel induction plate on the bottom.

Jill

[graham]

30 bucks for a copper pan? At that price, the only "copper" is the
colour of the paint finish!

[jmcquown]

LOL but Graham, you get *two* crappy pans for $30! I'm glad Janet was
brave enough to try them out. I know she said she's not so inclined but
I'd be hitting them in the money belt by returning the pans. Then I'd
write a review about why they aren't all they're cracked up to be.

Jill

[jmcquown]

On 3/8/2019 7:54 PM, Julie Bove wrote:
>
> "U.S. Janet B." <J...@nospam.com> wrote in message
> news:hdd58etm2hkphsvc4...@4ax.com...
>>
>> First off, I want you to know that I really wanted to like this stuff.
>> But it is just a bright shiny object to catch the attention of buyers.
>>
>> The pan itself does not conduct heat well at all.  That disc on the
>> bottom is virtually useless.  It does not conduct heat to the rest of
>> the pan.  Things will brown eventually right over the disk but the
>> rest of the items in the pan will be pale and un-browned.

(snippage)

>> I'm accustomed to cooking with anodized heavy aluminum pans or cast
>> iron.  In my view, these pans will set back your chance of preparing a
>> good meal.
>> Janet US
>
> I have seen them but was not tempted to buy. I think Angela has one
> packed away. My mom insisted on buying it for her. That year, everyone
> gave her skillets. I got a skillet and a pan for free at some grocery
> store during a promotion. She got more from people for Christmas.I
> started a hope chest for her, mainly with freebie items that I didn't need.

Young women still have hope chests? Sounds very archaic. I started
buying items *myself* for my future household when I was in my teens.
Cookware (Revere, clad with actual copper), a set of dishes (Corelle).
Libby brand glassware. Cutlery; a set of knives; a few baking items and
of course, basic kitchen utentils. When it came to kitchen stuff, when
I moved out on my own I didn't need much of anything.

People have tried to give me kitchen gifts over the years. They rarely
work out. Usually something I didn't have a use for.

Jill

[U.S. Janet B.]

On Sat, 9 Mar 2019 10:11:51 -0500, jmcquown <j_mc...@comcast.net>
wrote:

I didn't buy any of that stuff. Every Saturday morning since I was in
grade school, 4th grade, I had violin lessons. There was a Krambo
market (now Kroger) located a couple doors down from my teacher's
house. They always had some sort of item being given away for free.
I'd stop after lesson, get whatever it was and take it home strapped
in the basket of my bicycle. I got a complete set of flatware,
dishes, stoneware mixing bowls and a couple of basic pans. Good times
:-)
(In those days you didn't have to buy anything)
I gave it all to my daughter when she set up house.
Janet US

[jmcquown]

That's cool! Those giveaway days are long gone.

> (In those days you didn't have to buy anything)
> I gave it all to my daughter when she set up house.
> Janet US
>

Hey, as long as she can use it, nothing wrong with that. :)

Jill

[Ophelia]

"U.S. Janet B." wrote in message

news:dnm78e96dvtfabd0u...@4ax.com...

==

They just used to give stuff away?? Lucky you:)))

[dsi1]

The copper color is mostly a gimmick. A sales shtick. The coating is a ceramic coating that is supposed to be more environmentally friendly than a Teflon coating. The ceramic coated pan was originally green in color. These days, green has fallen out of favor and copper colored pans are being sold as the latest thing. In reality, it's the same old stuff - lightweight pans of dubious quality and with a ceramic coating that probably won't last very long.

I recently bought a carbon steel pan. It's the fastest heating pan I've ever had. It has a durable cooking surface similar to cast iron. It cost me all of 15 bucks. My guess is that these pans will gain popularity because it's like a cast iron pan that people can feel comfortable using on a glass cooktop.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-suTmUX4Vbk

[itsjoan...@webtv.net]

On Saturday, March 9, 2019 at 9:12:03 AM UTC-6, Jill McQuown wrote:
>
> Young women still have hope chests? Sounds very archaic. I started
> buying items *myself* for my future household when I was in my teens.
> Cookware (Revere, clad with actual copper), a set of dishes (Corelle).
> Libby brand glassware. Cutlery; a set of knives; a few baking items and
> of course, basic kitchen utentils. When it came to kitchen stuff, when
> I moved out on my own I didn't need much of anything.
>

Same here. I had a set of pots and pans, glasses, dishes, etc. and a bed-
room suite but not another stick of furniture other than a rocking chair.
Hahahahaaaa

> People have tried to give me kitchen gifts over the years. They rarely
> work out. Usually something I didn't have a use for.
>
> Jill
>

Me, too, or people would try to pass their junk on to me and I'd politely
but firmly refuse.

[U.S. Janet B.]

On Sat, 9 Mar 2019 15:54:51 -0600, heyjoe <sam...@example.invalid>
wrote:

>On Fri, 08 Mar 2019 12:10:19 -0700
>in Message-ID: <news:hdd58etm2hkphsvc4...@4ax.com>
>"U.S. Janet B." <J...@nospam.com> wrote :

>
>> The non-stick is not truly non-stick. It's true that stuff cleans off
>> the pan quicker than it would if it wasn't 'non-stick'.

> [snippagge has occured]

>> In my view, these pans will set back your chance of preparing a
>> good meal.
>

>Wanted to post earlier, but thought it more important that you develop
>an unbiased opinion based on personal experience.
>
>"Cook's Country" Oct/Nov 2018 reviewed 8 inch nonstick skillets. The
>Copper Chef Frypan was one of three skillets that were "Not
>Recommended", along with the Bialetti Ceraminc Pro Sauté Pan and the
>Cuisinart GreenGourmet Hard Anodized Skillet.
>
>In general -
>"We noticed differences between the two styles of nonstick coating
>immediately. In the first egg test, only one pan failed to cleanly
>release all 50 eggs; it was ceramic. A few days later, the coating
>started flaking off two pans - both ceramic. And at the end of testing,
>the fourth ceramic was the most scratched up of all. Meanwhile, the
>PTFE pans were relatively unscathed."
>
>Your testing supports what the Cook's Country folks observed. Thanks
>for the real life review.
>
snip
I watch all these type commercials for years at a time and analyze
what I see. The Copper Chef stuff had me truly curious because of the
new non-stick surface and the high-heat resistance claims. Being
dishwasher safe was also interesting. I ran across a deal online and
ordered it, cancelled it, ordered it, cancelled it and finally ordered
it. I got free shipping as well. I thought 'how bad can it be?' Huh!
Janet US

[Janet]

In article <q61h00$o9s$1...@dont-email.me>, sam...@example.invalid says...
>
> On Sat, 09 Mar 2019 15:46:32 -0700
> in Message-ID: <news:g1g88e9nt4fdvs2ej...@4ax.com>

> "U.S. Janet B." <J...@nospam.com> wrote :
>

> > Being
> > dishwasher safe was also interesting.
>

> Dumb question of the day (don't have a dishwasher).
>
> Aren't all pots and pans okay to wash in a dishwasher?

No. Dishwashers will destroy the pattern on older china, and wreck
wooden handles.

<https://www.today.com/food/21-things-you-should-never-put-dishwasher-
t108971>

Janet UK

[graham]

A lot of the detergents will also etch glass over time. The more
expensive brands supposedly don't.

[Dave Smith]

Aluminum should not go into the dishwasher. We lost a Henkle knife to a
dishwasher. The rivets that held the handle to the tang rotted away.
Lucky for me the company stands by their product and replaced the knife.

[U.S. Janet B.]

On Sat, 9 Mar 2019 17:07:44 -0600, heyjoe <sam...@example.invalid>
wrote:

>On Sat, 09 Mar 2019 15:46:32 -0700
>in Message-ID: <news:g1g88e9nt4fdvs2ej...@4ax.com>

>"U.S. Janet B." <J...@nospam.com> wrote :
>

>> Being
>> dishwasher safe was also interesting.
>

>Dumb question of the day (don't have a dishwasher).
>

>Aren't all pots and pans okay to wash in a dishwasher? They get heated
>up with all kinds of proteins, acidic and basic fluids, sometimes for
>hours on end. But can't stand up to the rigors of hot water and
>detergent? What's the deal?

the dishwasher can make the black anodized pans turn milky gray.
Generally enameled cast iron shouldn't be washed in the dishwasher.
It's kind of like buying clothes and you watch for the label 'dry
clean only.' See the other Janet's answer as well.
Janet US

[Ed Pawlowski]

On 3/9/2019 6:07 PM, heyjoe wrote:
> On Sat, 09 Mar 2019 15:46:32 -0700
> in Message-ID: <news:g1g88e9nt4fdvs2ej...@4ax.com>

> "U.S. Janet B." <J...@nospam.com> wrote :
>

>> Being
>> dishwasher safe was also interesting.
>

> Dumb question of the day (don't have a dishwasher).
>
> Aren't all pots and pans okay to wash in a dishwasher? They get heated
> up with all kinds of proteins, acidic and basic fluids, sometimes for
> hours on end. But can't stand up to the rigors of hot water and
> detergent? What's the deal?
>

Dishwasher detergent has lots of enzymes and is more caustic than
regular detergent. By comparison, they are harsh. If you have dishes
or glassware with a gold rim, it will take it off in a few washings.
Some older glazed would also fade. Aluminum will discolor.

That said, everything else comes out spotless and shiny. Uses less
energy too.

[Cindy Hamilton]

No, it's not like a cast iron pan. Cast iron is valued for its ability
to hold heat, which your carbon steel pan lacks.

Each material has its value, but they are not interchangeable.

Cindy Hamilton

[Cindy Hamilton]

My regular nonstick pans are dishwasher safe. Nothing special about
the ceramic coatings.

Cindy Hamilton

[Cindy Hamilton]

Really? My nonstick aluminum pans go in the dishwasher all the time.
They're a little oxidized on the outside, but still function perfectly
well.

Cindy Hamilton

[Dave Smith]

There are some dishwasher safe aluminum items that can go into the
dishwasher. This site indicates that stainless and aluminum, plastic and
teflon are things that probably should not go into the dishwasher.

https://www.reviewed.com/dishwashers/features/what-are-you-crazy-don-t-put-that-in-your-dishwasher

[Ed Pawlowski]

I put everything stainless in the DW. It comes out so nice. Plastics
are fine too, except for some cheap disposable stuff.

[U.S. Janet B.]

I just meant that I was interested in the new non-stick surface and
also that the pans themselves were labeled as dishwasher safe. I
knew CC was inexpensive cookware but I wanted the grill portion as I
didn't have a grill and didn't want to spend the big bucks to add that
piece to my normal cookware.
I just follow what the manufacturer says. Manufacturers of pans and
cookware/utensils in general do say whether the pans are dishwasher
safe or not.
Janet US

[Cindy Hamilton]

Thanks. I think I'll rely on decades of kitchen experience.

These pans are food-service quality, meant to be handled quite
harshly.

Cindy Hamilton

[jmcquown]

I have mostly stainless cookware. It's fine in the dishwasher although
I usually hand wash it.

The cheap disposable plastic containers do fine once or maybe twice on
the *top rack* of the dishwasher. It's flimsy and disposable for a
reason. :)

I own one small non-stick *aluminium* skillet. It's an old, small Mirro
8" skillet. Works very well for browning a grilled cheese sandwich! As
for cleaning, I just wipe it out after use with a paper towel. I
occasionally wash it in the sink using dishwashing liquid.

Jill

[Gary]

"U.S. Janet B." wrote:
>
> Every Saturday morning since I was in
> grade school, 4th grade, I had violin lessons

So did you keep up with the violin? It's a very cool sounding
instrument either with classical music or even "fiddle playing"
like for blue grass.

From 4th to 11th grade, I took lessons and played the cornet.
School concert band and also marching band during football games,
etc. Fun to do but I eventually moved on to other
instruments...guitar and keyboard.

[Dave Smith]

I took guitar lessons for a while but quit because my friends were
learning stuff on their own. I took instrumental music for a couple
months in Gr 9 but we moved in December and music was not available at
the school closed to us so I had to to one downtown. On the first day
there I found out how far behind my old school, plus my marks arrived
from the old school and I had an F in music so I changed schools after
the first day and went to the closer school and took art instead of music.

I later picked up the guitar again and got to be pretty good on it. I
also taught myself to play banjo, recorder and piano. I learned music
theory on my own and then took some piano lessons before I developed bad
habits. I still have a few guitars and my piano, but I am getting
arthritis in my fingers so it is hard to play.

>

[dsi1]

On Sunday, March 10, 2019 at 1:01:27 AM UTC-10, Cindy Hamilton wrote:
>
> No, it's not like a cast iron pan. Cast iron is valued for its ability
> to hold heat, which your carbon steel pan lacks.
>
> Each material has its value, but they are not interchangeable.
>
> Cindy Hamilton

I'm quite familiar with cast iron. The cooking surface of carbon steel is identical to cast iron, even if it's made from different materials. Cast iron is indeed valued for it's ability to retain heat but I've not found it to be a great advantage. I prefer to have a pan that heats up fast. Cast iron retains heat because of its mass and it's a poor conductor of heat. A carbon steel pan transmits heat almost instantly. It's going to deliver whatever your range can put out at amazing speed. As far as heat delivery goes, a carbon steel pan is like a drag racer. A cast iron pan's performance is similar to a milk delivery truck.

The only advantage to using a milk delivery truck for cooking is that you might be able to make crispy corn bread with better results. The important word here is "might." My guess is that I can make a great cornbread with a carbon steel pan. You can bet that I shall find out if that's true.

[Sqwertz]

On Fri, 08 Mar 2019 12:10:19 -0700, U.S. Janet B. wrote:

> In my view, these pans will set back your chance of preparing a
> good meal.

Sorry, I jinxed them. But I put my "quick jinx" on them so you
didn't have wait the full 6 months.

Thank you for the earlier than expected report :-) It does kinda
make you wonder about the cooking abilities and expectations of the
people who gave them good reviews.

-sw

[Cindy Hamilton]

Corn bread is not the only use for cast iron. If you think that nearly
every cooking situation is a "drag race", then you haven't really
explored the nuances of cooking.

Cindy Hamilton

[dsi1]

I can sear a steak better than your cast iron and also cook an omelet. What more should I expect a pan to do? It seems that you're fixated on CI's ability to hold heat. So we should be using cast iron because of that? Is that all you got?

[Cindy Hamilton]

I rarely use cast iron. Nonstick-coated aluminum for eggs;
the grill outdoors for steak.

Cindy Hamilton

[Ed Pawlowski]

I did not even bring our cast iron here. Best sear in a pan is my
copper pan with SS lining. I used to use the CI often, but over time
found better ways without the weight.

[A Moose in Love]

i haven't used my ci for over two years. i like the no stick pans better. although i have used it for fried chicken which i haven't made for a while. i think that perhaps my wok shaped no stick would suffice.