I Tested 8 Copper Cookware Sets and Found 4 Worth Their Pretty Sheen

Tucked on a side street of the second arrondissement in Paris is a well-known cooking equipment store called E. Dehillerin. For food fiends (I can’t say foodie) and culinary creatives, peering into the windows of this store is like window shopping on the Champs-Élysées: You never knew you could want so much. Rows and rows of gleaming copper cookware fill the store, among other offerings. It’s enough to convince anyone that if you could just wield one of these burnished beauties, you’d be somehow connected to centuries of exalted French chefs. 

I can neither confirm nor deny if I smuggled items home from this store without declaring them at customs, but I will say that there are impressive copper cookware sets that can be found right here in the U.S. 

To me, copper cookware is a lot like a great carbon steel knife. If you can get over the daunting task of maintaining an extra-finicky tool, you’ll reap the benefits of superior performance. And, yeah, you’ll look way cooler doing it. 

Deciding on the best copper cookware set for you is not all that different from deciding on the best stainless steel cookware set. First, determine if you even want copper cookware at all. I suggest starting with this primer on the pros and cons of copper. To make choosing a set easier, I tested eight top sets to find the best ones, whether you’re a copper newbie or seasoned pro.

The Winners, at a Glance

The Best Copper Cookware Set

Mauviel Tri-Ply M'3S Copper 10-Piece Cookware Set

View on Williams Sonoma

If you want copper cookware, this is the set to get. With rapid response to temperature changes, comfortable handles, and a gorgeous coppery finish top to bottom, it delivers pro-level performance time and again.

The Best Budget Copper Cookware Set

Viking 3-Ply 10 Piece Copper Cookware Set

$830

$650 at Amazon

$830

$664 at Sur La Table View on Vikingculinaryproducts.com

This has the gorgeous look of copper with less sticker shock. While this set didn’t perform quite as well as the pricier options, it still held its own and turned out decent results.

The Best Induction-Friendly Cookware Set

Hestan CopperBond 10-Piece Cookware Set

$1,900

$1,519 at Amazon View on Williams Sonoma

$1,900

$1,520 at Sur La Table

The Hestan copper set performed almost as well as the winner and gets extra points for being induction-friendly. It has the highest price tag of the sets I tested, but this heritage brand has the chops to justify it.

The Most Durable Copper Cookware Set

All-Clad Copper Core 10-Piece Cookware Set

View on Williams Sonoma

$1,600

$1,300 at Sur La Table View on Crate & Barrel

This is the set to pick if you want the benefits of copper without the required upkeep. It has a copper core coated in stainless steel, so you can sear, sauté, and simmer without busting out the scrub brush.

The Tests

• Heat Conduction Test: I used an infrared thermometer to track the heat conduction on the 10-inch skillet of each set. I turned the burner to medium and recorded the center, left, and right of the skillet at 30-second intervals for four minutes.
• Boiling Test: I filled the stockpot and larger saucepan of each set with six cups of room-temperature water and brought them to a boil, timing how long this process took. I then also timed how long it took the water in each pot or pan to return to 180°F when removed from heat.
• Steak Searing Test: Next, I assessed how evenly each pan heated by setting a skillet over medium heat for two minutes, then searing a ribeye for four minutes on each side. I noted if the steak stuck to the pan and how well it seared.
• Real-World Testing: After these tests were done, I used the pans in my day-to-day cooking for several days. This was less scientific than other tests, but showed me how useful the set might be in an average week.
• Cleaning and Ease of Use Tests: After each test, I cleaned the pans inside and polished the copper exterior, noting if there were spots that proved tricky to do so. I also noted if the handles were comfortable to hold and balanced to lift.

What We Learned

Weight and Balance Made Things Easier to Handle

Copper is heavy. That’s why the right construction can make a huge difference when it comes to copper pans. The Williams Sonoma Thermo-Clad pans were so weighty, even the smallest pieces were hard to lift with one hand. Compare the 8.4-ounce (empty) stockpot of this set to the 5.7 pound stockpot of the Mauviel set. Those three pounds make a huge difference, especially when coupled with smaller-than-ideal handles on the Williams Sonoma. The same goes for the skillets. To flip and toss food when you sauté, you don’t want a wrist-breaking pan. The winning pans in our stainless steel skillet review are all under three pounds, and in my experience, that’s the upper limit for comfort with a skillet. 

Beyond weight, easy-to-grip handles are always a plus when handling hot metal. Copper is great at conducting heat, so the manufacturers make the handles out of a different metal, like stainless steel. Some even add holes to the handles close to the pot, like All-Clad, which helps keep them cool even after searing.

Thermal Response Was a Double-Edged Sword

The data from my heat conduction and water boiling tests revealed some interesting information about copper’s conductivity. In the skillet heat-up test, Mauviel and Williams Sonoma's Thermo-Clad Copper climbed smoothly and evenly, with minimal difference between the center and sides of the pan. All-Clad’s pan rose quickly and reached higher temperatures than any of the other pans I tested. I can’t know the exact thickness of the copper inside the pan, but based on these results, I’d imagine that this pan has a decently thick layer of copper.

Pans that heated fastest didn’t necessarily cool the fastest. Williams Sonoma’s pans rapidly came to a roiling boil, yet the stockpot needed 134 seconds to slide back to 180°F. All-Clad’s stockpot, meanwhile, took longer to boil but dumped heat in a mere 113 seconds. This divergence suggests that copper thickness is only part of the story. Total mass, ply stackup, and geometry all affect how quickly a vessel absorbs and releases energy. Both of Viking’s pans trailed at heating and cooling, suggesting that the copper on the pans is thin and that they’re mostly composed of the stainless steel that’s on the inside. 

Ultimately, I didn’t select the Williams Sonoma set as a winner, even though it did heat and cool faster than any other—it was just too heavy. Instead, go for one of the middle-of-the-pack options, like the Mauviel. These pans were responsive enough for sauce work but light and balanced enough to maneuver one-handed. In other words, blistering responsiveness versus brute weight and lingering heat cuts both ways. Control and comfort beat braggy boil times if you’re the one lifting and cleaning these things every night.

The Right Mix of Cookware Was Key

Most of the sets I tested for this review had the same combination of pans: two skillets, two saucepans, a sauté pan, and a stockpot. That’s a great lineup that will cover pretty much all of the recipes you’re likely to cook in a given week. That being said, that combination can have differences that set one pick apart from another. For example, some stockpots were more like “stew pots” at just six or so quarts. Two of the saucepans in the Viking set were less than one quart different in size, which isn’t that useful. The All-Clad set offers two saucepans that are different in size and in shape, so you can choose the right one if you are trying to achieve a lot or reduction, or very little. 

Hammered Copper Was Just for Show

Thickness does the heavy lifting in copper cookware, not the pretty dimples. Old-school smiths hammered pots to toughen them, but today, the texture is mostly eye candy. The Viking set I tested did a perfectly adequate job, but the hammered copper didn’t seem to have any bearing on the results one way or the other.

Caring for Copper Wasn’t a Deal-Breaker

Copper pans look gorgeous when strung up on a pot rack, but more attention is needed to keep them presentation-worthy. The hefty maintenance of copper pans is often talked about, but in practice, it’s not so terrible. If you’re a person who rarely even looks at the bottom of your pans, let alone hits it with a scrub brush, then you might balk a bit. I’m the same way, and I don’t think I’ve scrubbed the bottom of my main skillet in years. In reality, though, it’s not as bad as the rumors suggest. A little copper cream rubbed onto any exposed copper will quickly and easily remove any patina and turn the surface back to brilliant. This nifty product is a mixture of mild acids, ultra-fine abrasives, and surfactants that work together to dissolve and lift both crud and tarnish. I used the copper cream on each of the pans after all the testing was done, and each came back to sparkling, like-new shine.

The Criteria: What to Look for in a Copper Cookware Set

You’re shopping for copper cookware for its responsiveness, so make sure it actually responds. Look for a meaningful copper layer, like a tri- or five-ply build, rather than a thin veneer. Handles should be made of steel or iron, feel comfortable and balanced, and have helper grips on the heftier pieces. The right assortment of pans in the set doesn’t differ too much from stainless steel cookware sets. Opt for two truly different saucepan sizes, a roomy sauté pan, a pair of skillets, and a stockpot that’s big enough to boil a pound of pasta. For that, a minimum of eight quarts is ideal. Bonus points for flared rims for pouring and flush rivets for easy cleaning. Induction capability is a bonus, adding versatility.

Our Favorite Copper Cookware Sets

The Best Copper Cookware Set

Mauviel Tri-Ply M'3S Copper 10-Piece Cookware Set

View on Williams Sonoma

What we liked: Mauviel’s pans heated fast and evenly in my tests, with barely any center-to-edge differences. They felt surprisingly maneuverable thanks to a lighter aluminum core. The stainless handles are comfortable and well-balanced, too. The skillet is one of the only pans I tested for this review that didn’t tarnish or discolor on the inside at all after searing steak. These pans have a higher-than-average temperature rating at 680°F, so you can turn up the heat without worrying. You probably won’t need to do that, however, as the supreme heat conductivity allows for great searing over medium heat. In terms of heat absorption and retention, these pans were in the middle when it came to boiling and cooling down, which offers more wiggle room and less chance of accidental overheating.

What we didn’t like: The stockpot is teensy at just 6.5 quarts. The brand actually calls it a “stew pot” instead of a stockpot. I prefer stockpots that are at least eight quarts, if not 10 or more. The pans don’t have flared rims, so pouring can potentially be a messy affair, though that problem didn’t pop up for me when testing, even when I used it to make cheese and had to pour it into a cheesecloth.

Key Specs

• Number of pieces: 10
• Price per piece: $150
• What’s included: 10-and 12-inch skillets, 2- and 3.5-quart saucepans with lids, 3.5-quart sauté pan with lid, 6.5-quart stockpot with lid
• Materials: 0.5 millimeter copper exterior, aluminum core, 18/10 stainless steel interior
• Dishwasher-safe: No
• Induction-compatible: No
• Max oven temp: 680°F

The Best Budget Copper Cookware Set

Viking 3-Ply 10 Piece Copper Cookware Set

$830

$650 at Amazon

$830

$664 at Sur La Table View on Vikingculinaryproducts.com

What we liked: For a fraction of the cost of the luxe French sets, Viking gives you the copper look, induction capability, and nifty glass lids. The pieces behaved perfectly fine in testing and everyday cooking, coupling solid stainless performance with a little copper flair. The impressively-sized 5.25-quart sauté pan can handle anything from big batches of pasta to stews or even smaller batches of soup. I put every piece to work in my kitchen—even the tall stockpot, which let me boil spaghetti without snapping it in half. The skillets feel light in the hand and easy to lift and toss, and the rolled rims led to less messy pouring.

What we didn’t: Boil and cool times lagged, hinting that the copper layer is mostly decorative. Two saucepans that are less than a quart apart don’t offer much variety, and the exterior dulled faster than any other set I tested. 

Key Specs

• Number of pieces: 10
• Price per piece: $65
• What’s included: 8- and 10-inch skillets, 2.25- and 3-quart saucepans with lids, 5.25-quart sauté pan with lid, 8-quart stockpot
• Materials: Aluminum core, stainless steel cooking surface, copper exterior
• Dishwasher-safe: No
• Induction-compatible: Yes
• Max oven temp: 600°F (lids 350°F)
  

The Best Induction-Friendly Copper Cookware Set

Hestan CopperBond 10-Piece Cookware Set

$1,900

$1,519 at Amazon View on Williams Sonoma

$1,900

$1,520 at Sur La Table

What we liked: Of the winners, Hestan and Viking are the only ones that are induction-friendly. Regarding the Hestan, this is likely due to a thick magnetic piece of metal embedded in the bottom of the pan, which also probably led to the slower heating and cooling times I saw. If you have your heart set on copper and also possess an induction stovetop, then this is the tradeoff you’ll have to make. Luckily, these pans also have a few other impressive pluses, like flush rivets that don’t trap gunk and flared rims for easy pouring. Is that worth about $20 more per pan? That’s up to you.

What we didn’t: These upgrades come at a cost—literally. This is the most expensive set in this review. If you’re chasing a copper aesthetic, you might be disappointed. None of the pans is fully coated on the outside. Instead, there’s just a strip, with the interior, bottom, lids, and a strip under the rim being stainless steel. The six-quart stockpot is smaller than ideal.

Key Specs

• Number of pieces: 10
• Price per piece: $170
• What’s included: 8.5- and 11-inch skillets, 1.5- and 3-quart saucepans with lids, 3.5-quart sauté pan with lid, and 6-quart stockpot with lid
• Materials: 5-ply layers with copper core, aluminum, and stainless steel
• Dishwasher-safe: No
• Induction-compatible: Yes
• Max oven temp: 600°F
  

The Most Durable Copper Cookware Set

All-Clad Copper Core 10-Piece Cookware Set

View on Williams Sonoma

$1,600

$1,300 at Sur La Table View on Crate & Barrel

What we liked: If you were imagining gleaming copper pots and pans hanging from a pot rack in your kitchen, move on from this set. However, if you were interested in the conductive properties of copper and not so keen on polishing, then you may have met your match. The All-Clad saucepan and stockpot were the fastest to heat up and cool down, delivering a beautifully seared steak with no hotspots or burned bits. There’s a hole in the handle near the pan to keep it from getting hot during cooking, and another toward the end if you want to hang it from a hook. These pans are induction-ready, tough as nails, and consistently responsive. 

I wrote about the fully stainless steel version of this set for our roundup of stainless steel cookware sets, and a few features transfer over to this set as well. Namely, the rolled rims that make for drip-free pouring and the size and shape difference between the two saucepans. One is stout and wide for superior reduction, and one is tall and narrow.

What we didn’t: Like I said, this set isn’t for showing off your glorious copper collection. The only visible copper is a thin line around the exterior of the pot or pan, which is probably just to remind you that there is, in fact, copper in there at all. 

Key Specs

• Number of pieces: 10
• Price per piece: $160
• What’s included: 8- and 10-inch fry pans, 2- and 3-quart saucepans with lids, 3-quart sauté pan with lid, and an 8-quart stockpot with lid.
• Materials: Five layers that include a thick copper core sandwiched between two layers of highly conductive aluminum and a stainless-steel exterior and interior
• Dishwasher-safe: No
• Induction-compatible: Yes
• Max oven temp: 600°F

The Competition

• BergHOFF Vintage Copper Tri-Ply 10 Pc Cookware Set, Hammered: This set is pretty, but the lighter weight makes me question its durability. The skillets all have straight walls, rather than angled ones, which interrupt the sauté motion. During testing, results were all over the place, and the pans were tricky to clean.
• Ruffoni Historia Hammered Copper 11-Piece Cookware Set with Olivewood Tools: This set looks pretty displayed on your stovetop, but, sadly, it doesn’t have the performance to match. Unlike other sets I tested, this set is lined with tin, which gives it an extreme reactivity that borders on uncontrolled. It’s also a pricey set given that three of the pieces are simple wooden spoons.
• Made In The Copper Set - 7-Piece Set: This set comes with an impressive upper temperature limit at 800°F, but it’s priced similarly to sets that have more pieces. It will run you back $228 per piece and doesn’t have any upgrades like induction capability or flush rivets to justify it.
• Williams Sonoma Signature Thermo-Clad™ Copper 10-Piece Cookware Set: This set heated and cooled fast, but this led to temperatures easily swinging out of control and burning food. Plus, each piece was so heavy, I couldn’t recommend it. 

FAQs

What is the best way to clean copper cookware?

Copper cookware is simple to clean, so don’t let that stop you from buying some. For pieces like I tested for this review, wash the stainless steel interior like any other pan with dish soap and a sponge. For the exterior shine, hit it with copper cream or a DIY mixture of lemon and salt. Rub, rinse, dry, and you’re done. If you’re cool with patina, you can always let it be. The tarnish is cosmetic and won’t change how the pan cooks.

Is copper non-toxic?

Yes, modern copper cookware is completely safe to cook with. Most copper cookware available today is lined with a food-safe metal such as stainless steel. Excessive heat and acidic foods can make some copper leach into food, but it’s typically not a concern. That would only apply to pots made of 100% copper, and most foods made in those (like jam) have enough sugar or other ingredients to prevent that from happening.

Can copper cookware go in the oven?

Many kinds of copper cookware are durable enough to use in the oven or under a broiler, but it’s always best to check with the manufacturer’s instructions. All the sets we tested for this review could withstand at least 450°F, if not higher.

Do you need to season copper cookware?

You do not need to season copper cookware, especially if it’s lined with stainless steel, as all the sets in this review are. A couple of minutes of preheating and some added fat (like butter or oil) will keep food from sticking without issue. The copper exterior may develop some patina over time, which shouldn’t have any effect on cooking results.

Why We’re the Experts

• Taylor Murray has worked in food and food media for over 10 years, including in award-winning restaurants like Frasca Food and Wine and Eleven Madison Park. She has written extensively for Serious Eats. (Check out her reviews of enameled cast iron skillets and vacuum sealers.)
• She tested eight sets of copper cookware by boiling water, searing steak, and using each set in her kitchen for several days. We previously tested copper skillets and left the losers in the Competition section.