Is it safe to cook pancakes on a copper surface?
I've read a lot about copper cookware and how it's useful for heat management and its non-stick qualities, as long as it is tinned.
But after watching this video showing a Korean restaurant preparing pancakes on a copper griddle, it occurred to me to ask, is it safe to cook this way? It looks like the original coating is gone, and the pancake is cooking on bare copper.
My further research said that it'll be fine as long as the thing I cook on copper is not acidic; is this true?
I've always wanted a pancake griddle but the cost is way out of my allowance, so I thought it might be better to just buy a copper plate and try it out.
Best Answer
Yes, copper is safe to cook on. The darker area around the edge of that plate is not an "original coating," it's just the area where the copper has tarnished over time.
The reason the copper has a "bare" look in the center is most likely because the cooktop has been maintained with a cleaning product specially intended to remove the tarnish. This is the appropriate way to maintain and use copper cookware. While copper work surfaces can be kept bare and allowed to tarnish, or intentionally colored through the application of e.g. particular acids and then sealed with a clear epoxy, copper cookware should be maintained with appropriate cleansers to keep the surface bright.
(NOTE: When I say "work surface" I'm talking about something that is not heated and usually doesn't come into direct contact with food. Commonly called a kitchen counter (AmE), countertop (AmE), worktop (BrE), or bench (AuE/NZE). When I say "cooktop" I'm referring to an appliance that produces heat for cooking, and when I say "cookware" I'm referring to the pots, pans, etc. that actually come into contact with the food.)
Natural and chemical weathering of copper surfaces can create a variety of different compounds, some of them dangerous. The only significant risk I'm aware of with naturally-weathered copper cookware is verdigris, the distinctive green patina seen on e.g. the Statue of Liberty. I manufactured my own copper countertops about ten years ago and did some research on safety to decide whether to seal the surface with an epoxy or let it weather naturally; I found only one notable incident of deadly verdigris poisoning, related to industrial cooking vats that were not cleaned and which developed a heavy patina that then leached into the food.
It's not difficult to remove patina from copper; anything acidic will usually do the trick, even ketchup. (Of course, you would wipe the ketchup away and dispose of it after using it to dissolve potentially toxic copper compounds. Better just to use a cleaner specifically designed for copper cookware. I do not recommend the readily available Bar Keeper's Friend products as they're designed more for SS and will produce a black byproduct on copper.)
All this said, I wouldn't recommend cooking on bare copper surfaces. They're a lot of work to maintain, we have better solutions in modern cookware that use copper as a conductive layer married with other metals for the cooking surface, and there is always the chance of an adverse reaction to the small amount of copper that does end up in the food.
Pictures about "Is it safe to cook pancakes on a copper surface?"
Can you cook pancakes in a copper pan?
Why Copper Pancake Pans Are Great for Pancakes Copper is great because it is non stick, and does not scrape easily like many ceramics or other nonstick surfaces.Is copper coating safe for cooking?
Copper cookware Copper can leach into to your food in amounts that aren't safe to consume. Unlined copper isn't safe for everyday cooking, and common copper cookware coatings such as tin and nickel often aren't much better.What should not be cooked in copper?
Avoid bringing any acidic foods in contact with copper: Acidic foods include things like vinegar, fruit juice or wine. The FDA also suggests that you avoid placing foods with a pH below 6.0 in contact with copper. Instead, choose low-acidic foods when cooking with copper pans.Are copper pans harmful?
These pans can leach copper into food during the cooking process, making them unsafe to use. Eating one meal prepared in an unlined copper pan likely won't make you immediately sick. However, copper is poisonous and will accumulate in your system, leading to copper toxicity or copper poisoning.Pancakes In Cast Iron - Quarantine Kitchen with James
Sources: Stack Exchange - This article follows the attribution requirements of Stack Exchange and is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.
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