Donn - Copper Pan Retinning

"Ceramic" (marketing term for sol-gel) nonstick is even shorter-lived than Teflon, all of those products are basically scams except for Made In which admits it only can last a few years

Everyone's risk tolerance is different I guess, but there's no good evidence that eating food off PFAS is safe long term. It's illegal to sell the stuff as cookware in Minnesota starting in January. Seems naive to trust the petrochemical industry on it when they just got caught poisoning generations

It's for people who can't cook / use the highest burner setting for everything. In reality that will destroy any nonstick coating very quickly, but it's all good from their perspective, planned obsolescence is why nonstick cookware is such a great business model

Silicone doesn't have the plastic flame retardants but you do need to be careful to buy the ones listed as platinum-cured or, if they don't specify, certified by the German LFGB. The cheaper peroxide-cured stuff leaches siloxanes, which are terrible. FDA doesn't test for it so their cert is no good.

It's not necessarily that the newer generation PTFE is less bad for you, there just isn't enough research for anyone to know yet. The developer, Chemours, is a spinoff of the very same company DuPont who baldly lied to the public for generations that the old version was inert while knowing it isn't.

Almost nobody who doesn't work in media cares about stolen content in my experience

POV: cooking broccolini & black kale au gratin in restored antique tinned copper pans

This is what Campbell's Soup took from us when they convinced postwar Americans dumping canned cream of mushroom on green beans is an acceptable replacement for traditional rich casseroles

Unpopular opinion: like triangle sandwiches taste better than rectangles, round foods are better in oval format

Frittata with crab, broccolini, black kale and BellaVitano cheese, cooked in vintage Mauviel tinned copper fish skillet

They generally make a good first impression, they use a thicker aluminum core than cheap nonstick pans. The issue is their marketing claims they're a "lifetime" product and that's just a lie — the nonstick coating can only last a few years at best, and the warranty doesn't cover nonstick failure

Air fryer hack to avoid Teflon contact, but still brown the bottom with no sticking: simply line the rack with tin-lined copper, like this antique Dehillerin mini gratin

Ed, I love your podcast and tech coverage, few journalists seem to care about consumer protection like you. I know this isn't in your beat, but could you take a look at what I consider the biggest racket going in kitchenware, and maybe forward to someone who'd be interested? bsky.app/profile/copp...

I wonder if their marketing around durability, which is beyond misleading and imo completely a lie, would be considered a fraud case. bsky.app/profile/copp...

How does that work, do you have screenshots?

Don't fall for it bsky.app/profile/copp...

It's not what their advertising would have you believe, you would be much better off with a tri-ply stainless one or any other uncoated metal pan. bsky.app/profile/copp...

Why does Hexclad seem to be well-reviewed by internet cooks and food media? They have massive affiliate marketing and influencer seeding programs. It's advertorial.

Hexclad can afford to blanket the Internet with it because their margins are huge: Generic ones direct from China retail for $10-20

Now about the "lifetime" warranty which leads people to believe these pricey nonstick pans are a long-term investment. It only applies to factory defects, not wear to the nonstick coating (left).

Right, how an honest vendor of "ceramic" nonstick, Made In, describes expected lifespan: a few years.

This is the biggest lie in cookware in 2024.

Hexclad uses a sol-gel ("ceramic") nonstick coating (very quietly switched from PTFE recently). It can only possibly last a few years at best. You could only "use it for life" for decor or something other than cooking.

Hexclad very quietly switched from PTFE to a sol-gel ("ceramic") coating in the last couple months, you can check the FAQ on their website to confirm. So it can only last a couple years. Also note the warranty doesn't cover wear to the nonstick coating, only factory defects. No nonstick is long-term

Also note the links are all affiliate links, the blog gets a commission for any sales. It's advertorial

Another old French one that's used regularly and hasn't been polished in well over a year. There's no need for copper kitchen tools to look bright pink all the time.

(credit @businessinsider.com with the misinformation)

Copper only looks crazy the first couple cooks after polishing, then it evens out to a nice deep patina. So you don't need to worry about it looking dirty if you hang it on display.

Here's an example of a retinned vintage pan that hasn't been polished in over a year. Perfectly clean, just tarnished

Myth: Copper pans are a pain to keep clean since it tarnishes, so needs polished after every use

Reality: It's a pain to keep polished, not clean. Copper tarnish is clean, also protective and improves performance. Most copper pan users rarely polish, maybe once a year or two when verdigris shows.

Black Friday is a great day to maintain your old stuff and not buy anything new. What are your oldest things you use most days?

Retinned French and English copper pans, made c. 1890s-1920s

English anvil, made 1849

Oh yeah those are perfect. Tin is so good as a baking surface

I'm guessing it's 27" so $243. Flat rate of $7 per linear inch (diameter plus twice height), but it goes up to $9 for oversized pieces 24"+. So most regular home sizes will be around $80-110, but tall stockpots can be quite a bit more. Retinning includes refinishing exterior, deep clean, dents, etc

That's right, jam pans are usually much wider than the burner and only copper can provide uniform heating when hanging way past the flame, but it's also because copper reacting with the acid in the fruit aids pectin cross-linking, so it sets up faster/at lower temp for a fresher tasting product

Nice one, I always liked that shape. Is it still on the original tin?

Retinned vintage Mauviel 4.5 qt copper saucepan vs the modern equivalent (retail ~$400). Which would you rather have?

Not bad but their old ones are sexier