The Fantastic Properties of Copper Cookware

Copper is held in high esteem in the arena of cookware and kitchens due to its high conductivity. Copper has a multitude of properties that makes it suitable and preferred for use in cooking. Due to the fact that copper has a single s-orbital electron on top of an electron shell gives it the properties of heat conductivity and malleability. essentially, the molecular structure of copper makes it highly valuable as a material for cookware. Copper holds the second highest room temperature heat and electrical conductivity rating after silver, but is far less expensive. The true heating capacity and conductivity of materials is actually a combination of properties.

Thermal conductivity is the measurement of the amount of energy a material transmits and absorbs. This explains the process by which heat is retained from the burner heating the entire pan and accounts for hot spots in some forms of cookware. This property can be increased in a metal by making it thicker but it adds weight to the pan or pot. Copper has an extremely high thermal conductivity rating which means it absorbs heat evenly and quickly over the pan without the need for added weight in thickness as with materials like stainless steel or aluminum.

Heat capacity is used to determine the amount of energy needed to raise the temperature of the material. The higher the rating, the longer it takes to heat the metal. Aluminum will need to be 1.5 times as thick as copper to achieve the same speed in heating as copper. Copper, due to its molecular structure, not only absorbs the heat quickly, but heats faster as well. The same is true of gold and silver but they are not used in cookware. Copper also has a high thermal diffusion rate; meaning it spreads heat evenly over the metal. This provides better temperature control and more precise cooking environments.

The other aspect of copper is its ability to be shaped, or malleability. Copper cookware is extremely easy to form, mold and manipulate. This is the reason why copper has been used by humans for construction, art and technological advances throughout history. Virtually any shape can be made from copper to suit any purpose or need. Copper is typically blended with other metals either in an alloy or in clad construction to balance out the costs and properties of the cookware design. One of the most highly rated combinations is copper and tin as it tends to provide the best heat conductivity, weight and price ratio.