 |
Copper has an extremely high and uniform heat transmission index,
thus allowing the best way to cook food. Its homogeneous heat
distribution results in a non-aggressive cooking, which preserve
food nutritional values and organoleptic characteristics. Obviously, to get the best results, it's not enough to have just a simple copper pot. It must have an adequate thickness. Cooking quality highly depends on the "thermic margin" resulting from the foil thickness. Many of the copper pots currently marketed are very light, and will never give the results ensured by our pots.  Another
very important element is pot shape. Italy is worldwide celebrated
for its many regionally ethnic cuisines. And even the shapes of
traditional pots are "regionally ethnic", result of past experience
and of continuous small improvements. Pots different from Region
to Region, to fit with different ethnic food. In the early 20th century, the lighter, cheaper, and more "modern" aluminium replaced copper pots in many families. Stainless steel pots were born 30-40 years ago, followed more recently by alloy pots. These "modernization" efforts, desperately aimed at reaching the best dietetic results, have ended in the opposite direction, with the "aggressive" cooking obtained with these materials. Stainless steel, for example, has a low heat transmission index. This means that the food in contact with pot bottom is exposed to a much higher heat than the rest of the food. Where the flame laps the pot it creates hot spots where the food sticks and burns. By stirring you can cook the whole, but cooking will never be uniform, because the continuous temperature variations negatively affect final result. (Thermal conductivity: Copper = 392 W/m°C; Aluminium = 225 W/m°C; Steel = 16 W/m°C). With copper, on the contrary, heat wraps and caresses food. Cooking is faster and respects aromas and flavours. Based on current knowledge, copper, used by more than 500 years, may be certainly claimed as the most modern material to make pots. That's why best chefs only use copper pots... Cooking with copper is very easy, even easier than with other materials. You only need to follow two rules:
 Copper
pots can be washed very easily, since food does not stick on them.
In addition, they can be brought directly on the table: they are
so beautiful, that it would be a pity to use a serving dish. Suggestions for first usage Tradition suggests that some vegetables be boiled with water for some minutes in a brand-new copper pot. Cleaning The internal surface should be washed with non-abrasive products: normal dishwashing liquids are enough. The possible appearance of stains on tin, due to the acidity of some food, does not impair the performance and safety of the product. With prolonged use, the exterior tends to darken. To keep your copper shining, you can clean it from time to time with:
|