How to Polish Copper Cookware
Today I'm sharing how to polish copper cookware.
Have you ever tried to clean copper cookware, or any other type of copper pieces? I never had any real copper cookware to speak of, so I really had no idea how to clean it. That is, until I came across a vintage French copper egg white bowl at an estate sale.
I've always admired French copper pots and pans - from afar. I always knew they could be quite expensive. But when I saw this little beauty for mere pennies I knew I had to jump in and buy it.
I paid only a few dollars for it. After a bit of research I found that this
type of vintage French meringue bowl sell for upwards of $50.00, depending on size, condition and age. On the bottom it says VTG San Ling Taiwan ROC. Supposedly eggs and cream come together to create the best meringue, ever, in a copper bowl!
And while I love the patina that comes with age, I really wanted to polish it since I recently acquired a shiny hammered copper pitcher for Christmas, and I wanted to display the pitcher, the bowl, and the copper colander I found while thrifting (which you can see in Thrill of the Hunt ) together, along with some Moscow mule mugs I'd collected. (If that sounds like maybe I'm starting a copper collection of sorts, well . . . . )
I loved how these copper pieces looked as part of my
dining room fall decor.
As you can see, this bowl was sad looking in comparison to their bright and shiny exteriors.
The finger ring and hardware on the side looked particularly bad.
I wasn't sure if the green stains were actually from oxidation (patina) or some leftover residue from a prior cleaning attempt. I think it was probably oxidation and patina. Either way, I was ready to tackle it.
How To Clean Copper Cookware
My research uncovered many different ways to clean copper, from natural methods to store-bought copper polish. Different remedies were recommended depending on the level of tarnish, or patina, that had accumulated.
Initially I thought I had to go au naturel, based on what I'd read
online. Later I discovered that I had something in my kitchen cabinet that could maybe do the trick: Bar Keeper's Friend. So I started with that. I only used it on one half of the bowl so that we could compare it with a natural method (lemon and salt) on the other half later.
I attacked a particularly nasty area to see how it would perform.
And it performed great, as you can see from the above "after" pic. What a difference it made!
All I did was shake the bottle, pour the liquid onto the bowl and rub
it in gently with a soft wet sponge.
Even the finger ring and adjacent hardware looked better. Not perfect by any means, but better.
Here you can see that half of the bowl is clean and shiny, while the
other half of the bowl still needs to be cleaned.
Enter lemon and salt, nature's way to clean copper. Coarse sea salt,
that is.
After squeezing the lemon juice into a pinch cup and adding some sea
salt to form a paste, I was ready to go.
I just dipped a soft sponge into the lemon and salt mixture and then
gently rubbed it onto the still tarnished half of the copper bowl. And
look how it shined! I kind of felt like it worked even better than Bar
Keeper's Friend!
The badly tarnished inside of the bowl was another story. I mean, it
was really bad. I read that baking soda was a go-to method for really
bad tarnish. So I tried it.
Honestly, I was unimpressed. The baking soda barely made a dent in the ugly green tarnish inside the copper bowl. I scrubbed really hard, to no avail.
So I went back to the store-bought solution: Bar Keeper's Friend.
Granted, I still had to scrub pretty hard (with the scrubby side of a
sponge), but it worked!
I accepted the fact that I would probably never be able to restore the
copper bowl to its' original glory, but I was more than happy with the
overall results at this point.
So what other ways are there to clean copper?
Other potential copper cookware cleaners:
1. Ketchup (acidic, like lemons)
2. Vinegar, salt and boiling water
Some say you can protect the copper from tarnishing by covering it with baby oil or mineral oil right after cleaning. Honestly, I couldn't be
bothered with that. Just being real.
So, what's the best way to clean copper cookware? Whatever works for
you!
Tips For Cleaning Copper Cookware
Regardless of the cleaning method you use, be sure not to scrub too
hard or you could mar the copper finish for good.
How to know if your cookware is really copper (versus just copper
plated)? If a magnet sticks to it, it's copper plated. In that case you
won't want to use the same cleaning methods I lay out above lest you rub the plating right off. Warm soapy water is probably best for copper plated pieces.
So what of MY estate sale copper bowl?
Here she is. Is this bowl beautiful now, or what?
In its newfound shiny state it fits in seamlessly with my hammered
copper Moscow mule mugs.
Here's that gorgeous hammered copper pitcher I was telling you
about.
I think they all look fabulous together.
I am SO happy with the result of my hard work in cleaning this copper
bowl. Again, however you find your copper pieces, I'm sure you'll find a
way to bring them back to life.
- Well, that's it for today, friends!
- I hope you've enjoyed reading about
- How To Polish Copper Cookware
- and that I've inspired you in some way.
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Comments
Join the conversation
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Ketchup has always been my go to.
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Fantastic. I love that pitcher. Thanks for the tips.
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So glad I could help. And yes, that pitcher is awesome, isn't it?
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