That Pendant lighting is to die for....Link isn't working though :( Copper Love!

I'm a fan of copper, but I think it should be used "like a spice" haha- Touches here and there

I love the copper pendant and here's a link that works:

http://www.mattermatters.com/product.asp?id=944

But given its price (over $900) I'll stick with the versions I bought at a hardware store for $4 on clearance (classic shape, budget friendly).

I don't have a lot of copper, because of the maintenance (live near the ocean), but beyond my jam pan and confectioner's sugar pan my favorite piece is a copper bowl used in the flipping pancake scene on the set of the film Practical Magic. I'm the only one who knows that's its story, as it hangs on my pot rack, but every time I spy it there it makes me hungry for pancakes.

I have yet to buy a "kitchen". I have mis-matched everything, all of it used or cheap. These copper pieces are making me swoon.

I recently trimmed my vanity with copper leaf! It is a beautiful metal! Also, I definitely recommend copper pots/pans, I have them and love them. Keep some Bar Keepers on hand though, they need a deep clean every couple of months.

I have two copper pots. They tarnish very easily.

The only problem with copper cookware is that it reacts with acidic food. Most of it is lined with a nonreactive metal these days but I'd still keep a couple pans around for making tomato sauce. Other then than, I give copper cookware 2 thumbs up!

Copper has a thermal conductivity of 231 BTU/hr*ft*F, meaning it will transmit heat very quickly (stainless only has a thermal conductivity of 16.26 BTU/hr*ft*F) and a relatively low heat capacity (the amount of energy it takes to heat up a pound of the stuff) so yeah, I'd say it transmits heat fast.

I used this site for reference.

I fell in love with copper when I visited Michoacán Mexico so many beautiful pieces I brought back quit a bit. I highly recommend visiting Santa Clara del Cobre in the Pátzcuaro region so much beautiful copper there and its a beautiful area to see.

If you like copper, you will definitely love the Copper Collection by Aldo Bakker (I'm absolutely in love with it): http://www.thomaseyck.com/site.php?nl,7,98

I love copper in general -- not so much for pans, though.

At my library we just renovated and the Director and I put copper leaf edging on a bunch of little round walnut color side tables, for fun and to tie into our color scheme. Looks great!

But before buying copper decor, I suggest you look at pennies. Without a clearcoat of some kind or lots of frequent polishing, that is what copper looks like. If you have a polished copper item and touch it, your skin oils and acids will turn your fingerprint into a tarnish spot in no time. If left outdoors in weather where acidic rain beats onto the metal, it turns black then verdigris -- the green part takes a while and doesn't happen inside without chemical assistance.

Copper is lovely but it can be a ton of work.

When working in intaglio, I love working with copper the most. The plates themselves are beautiful. You could pit those up to show them off.

I recently splurged on a the copper peppermint from crate and barrel. And I actually just got back from Home Goods after purchasing a copper sauce pan from some French brand. It's lined with tin in the traditional way. But I'm not so sure about the quality. I mean, I could never justify spending a lot of money on a Marvel piece. Does any one have any experience with the French brand sold at Home Goods?

put* those up

copper peppermill*

saute pan*

Mauviel*

stupid autocorrect!

I've bought a bunch of copper pots and pans recently at Home Goods - the were the Palm Restaurant brand and they are great pans (and a great deal - only $20-25 each)! Obviously they get tarnished when I use them on my gas stove, but I've been scrubbing them with salt and half a lemon to get rid of brownish spots - it works wonders ! Without knowing that trick, the cleaning would be a PITA. I will have to try Bar Keepers Friend to see if it works any better.

Copper cookware is generally comparable to stainless steel/aluminum clad cookware until you get to 2.5mm thick cooper, IIRC. I don't think many Mauviel pieces are of that thickness- you have to go to some other brand like Ruffoni. Copper pans are typically tin-lined and have to be re-tinned every so often. I'm a big fan of low-cost maintenance, so that point alone is a deal breaker.

Having to deal with tarnishing and the added initial expense kind of kill the allure of copper for me.

Long story short- if you use a dishwasher, SS-cladded aluminum with comfortable handles are what you probably want in a usable high-performing daily cookware. If you're not arthritic, well-seasoned cast iron cookware is also excellent (and cheap). Enameled cast iron is also a great performer; but it's really heavy, somewhat delicate, and can be expensive.

Anita83, do a search on the Cookware forum of Chowhound. There was recently discussion about the copper cookware from Homegoods/TJ Maxx. In fact, there are a lot of posts about copper.