The Essential Copper Pots and Pans for a Well-Appointed Kitchen (2023)

For products that are built to last, check out Viking, a company with a mission to bring professional grade products to home chefs. This set, which is oven safe up to 500 degrees, comes with two skillets, two saucepans, one sauté pan and one stockpot, so you'll have a complete arsenal. The 3-ply model consists of a stainless steel interior, aluminum core, and copper exterior, and handles that stay cool to the touch. Plus, the items are backed by a limited lifetime warranty.

For an up-and-coming brand, Made In has already established a reputation for excellence. Their cookware is designed by chefs and made by artisans. Pieces from their copper line, including this versatile rondeau, are made of 90% copper and 10% stainless steel. The stainless steel lining makes them easy to clean, but what really sets these pieces apart from competitors is their high heat threshold—they're oven safe up to 800 degrees.

Lagostina is one of the most popular—and affordable—purveyors of copper cookware. Featuring hammered copper and a three-ply construction of hammered copper, premium grade stainless steel, and an aluminum core, these high performers offer major bang for your buck whether you opt for individual pieces or a set like this one. The pots and pans in this collection are oven safe up to 500 degrees.

Many of the options on the market are not compatible with induction cooktops, but Hestan's models were designed specifically with induction use in mind. Beyond this unique feature, Hestan cookware is loved by chefs and regular customers alike. Their CopperBond collection even won an award for its innovative design, which provides all the benefits of cooking with copper but with greater durability and less maintenance required. Sounds pretty good, no? With five layers of stainless steel and thick copper, these are durable, easy to clean, and oven and broiler safe up to 600 degrees. They're handcrafted in Italy and come with a lifetime warranty. As the name suggests, this versatile pan (available in two sizes) is essential to any kitchen.

Matfer Bourgeat is a French cookware brand that has catered to chefs since 1814. With that kind of legacy, you can imagine they've pretty much mastered this art form. They offer professional grade sauce, sauté, and casserole pans that are more sturdy than a lot of other copper cookware. Made with a copper exterior and stainless steel interior lining, plus hefty cast iron handles, these are oven safe, and customers rave about their durability and non-stick bottoms.

High in the Italian alps, there's a family-owned workshop where Ruffoni's expert craftsman line and hammer copper pots and pans by hand. Ruffoni is renowned for ornate, detailed pieces such as this pan with decorative bronze handles. Another advantage of Ruffoni's copper products is that carry items lined with stainless steel (oven safe and compatible with induction stoves), they also line some of their models with tin, which is more durable and less prone to sticking, making it the go-to choice for some chefs. A gratin pan such as this one is perfect for cooking dishes that require a crisped top, such as baked pastas, casseroles, or even cobblers.

There's a lot to love about this set. The stainless steel interior and non-stick coating makes for easy cleanup. The 3-ply copper, aluminum, and stainless steel construction cook quickly and evenly. It's compatible with induction cooking. But the thing to love the very most about these beautiful hammered copper pots and pans is that they are... dishwasher safe. In a market where almost every copper item is hand wash only, these are true standouts.

We know what you're thinking. These don't look like copper. Only that thin line that gives away the thick copper core these pieces are constructed around. While most pieces feature a copper exterior and a non-reactive interior (stainless steel being the most common), this collection inverts that. The copper core is surrounded by layers of aluminum and stainless steel. The result? You still get the precise conductivity of the copper, but you also get the ease of low-maintenance stainless steel. You won't have to worry about the exterior's wear-and-tear as you otherwise would. To further put you at ease, All-Clad is one of the best cookware brands. They're trusted for their high-performing and ultra durable pieces.

Perhaps you'd prefer a name you're already familiar with—one you know and love, such as Williams Sonoma. This best-selling line from the brand actually offers the best of both worlds. You see, the Williams Sonoma team actually collaborated with the experts and coppersmiths at at Ruffoni (remember them?) to craft this exclusive Thermo-Clad Copper collection. Handmade at Ruffoni's Italian workshop, these models blend the nuance of copper with the practicality of stainless steel, and feature handles that stay cool to the touch.