Why copper cookware, a classic French kitchen relic, is making a comeback among chefs and collectors

At Atelier du Cuivre, a Normandy copper cookware workshop founded in 1850, 60-year-old Francis watches as tin melts over the fire, pooling inside a copper pan. In one practised sweep, he spreads the molten tin across the surface, sealing it in a gleaming coat.

As the resident tinner, he has practised the fading craft of rétamage (re-tinning) for 45 years, essential to making these pans food-safe. In April, he will retire, taking nearly half a century of knowledge with him.

Just a stone’s throw away, Yves Gauthier raises the shutters of his shop, as he has done every morning since 1973. Inside, polished pots beckon under the soft light, but buyers are scarce. “Now and then, an American tourist will walk in and spend €2,000 (approximately $2,800) on cookware,” says his son Herve. “But it’s rare.”

For centuries, the coppersmiths of Villedieu-les-Poêles, a town in Normandy, have been the invisible force behind France’s culinary dominance, forging the tools that powered the country’s greatest kitchens. While chefs garnered global fame, these craftsmen go without a name.

These artisans trace their lineage to the Knights of Saint John, who, in the 12th century, returned from the Middle East with coppersmithing techniques. The town’s location along medieval trade routes connecting Normandy’s seaside ports to inland France helped transform it into a crucible of metalwork.

The imported copper was used in cookware, church bells, and armour that shaped the country’s kitchens, cathedrals, and battlefields.

Now, that legacy is fading. A town that once buzzed with 39 workshops has only two.

Yet amidst the decline, a quiet resurgence is unfolding. From chefs in Michelin-starred restaurants to passionate home cooks, a new wave of enthusiasts is rediscovering copper’s unmatched performance, paying top dollar for kitchenware that once seemed obsolete. In an era of convenience and mass production, can this dying craft reclaim its place in a world that nearly left it behind?

The metal that moved the world

“It’s so nice to cook in copper because the thermal conduction is truly amazing,” explains chef Julien Royer of three-Michelin-starred Odette when asked about its allure. “Back then, we cooked everything in it.”

Chefs liken working with these pans to driving a high-performance sports car. They react instantly to the slightest temperature changes, giving the cook unparalleled control — whether warming a delicate sauce or bringing sugar to a raging boil.

French chefs are not the only ones to wield their raw power. In Japan, hammered copperware, known as tsuiki, was developed between the 16th and 18th century. It was used to craft kettles and dashi-making pots. In Turkey, Ottoman-era artisans crafted cauldrons and coffee pots that remain central to everyday life.

India’s kitchens, too, have long relied on the metal — whether for slow-simmered curries or fast cooking in a kadai. Even China’s hotpot tradition has always been tied to the glimmer of a copper vessel. And then the world changed. 

Once the backbone of the kitchen, copper became indispensable to modern industry. It conducted electricity as effortlessly as it conducted heat, and soon, the same metal that simmered stocks and seared meats was wiring cities, powering grids, and forged into semiconductor chips.

As demand soared, so did its value. In the last two decades, its market price more than doubled — catapulting the cost of copper cookware with it. 

“Copper slowly disappeared in the 20th century, replaced by cheaper and easier to maintain materials such as stainless steel and aluminium,” says Royer.

Cooking culture also evolved. “People don’t have that time and patience these days to learn to cook in tin-lined copper,” explains Melanie, who helps out with the administrative and commercial operations of Atelier du Cuivre. “Induction stoves also became more popular, but they are not compatible with copper, as they are not magnetic.”

Yet, top-tier professional kitchens, particularly in France, never abandoned it.

“We cooked pretty much everything in copper at Bernard Andrieux restaurant,” shares Royer of his former mentor’s restaurant.

Indeed, copper’s role in the French kitchen has shaped the cuisine. The country’s great chefs, from Auguste Escoffier to Paul Bocuse and Joel Robuchon, rose through the ranks on its gleaming back. The Élysée Palace — the French president’s official residence — is home to 300 centuries-old pieces bearing royal sigils that are still used daily today.

From relic to renaissance

In copper, chefs and collectors alike find a link: Cookware made in the past that still performs in the present. In an era of mass production, there’s a hunger for the handmade, a longing for objects bearing the imprint of time. What was once considered an old-world relic is now a prized kitchen status symbol. 

Online, vintage and antique pieces — many handmade before industrial metallurgy — are snapped up within hours. Restorers report that prices for usable French antique copper pans have doubled in just five years, reflecting a surging demand. They are so coveted that pieces in the €6,000 price range are not unheard of.

Despite this, its following has only grown. Facebook communities like Copper Cookware Enthusiasts have surged past 10,000 members, with home cooks and collectors exchanging tips on restoring, using, and sourcing prized pieces.

Beyond the Western Hemisphere, the metal’s revival has reached Shanghai, where entrepreneur Cherry Chang, captivated by Europe’s vintage copper cookware, set out to create her line. She turned to the master coppersmiths of Yunnan — where copper has shaped dining tables for generations. In January, her brand Silvan Cherry Cookery launched with six types of cookware available on the Xiaohongshu app and sold out in less than a month.

In Singapore, chefs like Royer, Daniel Boulud, and Sergio Herman lead the way, wielding copper in their restaurants, Claudine, Maison Boulud, and Le Pristine. Their pans, shimmering under the kitchen lights, were made in Villedieu-les-Poêles, the last stronghold of a dying craft, saved not by luck but by the singular vision of one woman.

Mauviel: The last survivor

That woman is named Valérie Le Guern Gilbert, the seventh-generation president of the family-run company Mauviel. For nearly two centuries, the workshop in Villedieu-les-Poêles made cookware for France’s greatest kitchens — even as the same fate that silenced the town’s coppersmiths knocked on its doors.

When she took over in 2006, she witnessed an industry fading away like the last light of dusk. The world no longer wanted heavy, restaurant-grade copper pans. They were too expensive and high-maintenance. Copper had become an artefact, a relic of slow kitchens in a world that demanded speed.

Yet, she understood what others didn’t: What made copper an inconvenience also made it an object of desire. Its weight, history, and imperfections were its greatest strengths. 

But survival meant reinvention. New patents allowed for stainless steel-lined copper and induction-compatible bases, keeping copper relevant in a world that tilted toward convenience. Gone were the thick, industrial-grade pots built for restaurant kitchens. 

Under her watch, Mauviel’s copper became sleeker, thinner, and refined — meant to glisten under posh kitchen lighting. The handles, once utilitarian, are now proudly etched with the family’s name as a brand.

The warm glow of copper no longer just reflected light — it reflected the deep pockets of the people using it. It was polished to a high shine and ready to be placed at high-end retailers, e-commerce sites, and soon, worldwide.

“We export to Europe, the Middle East, South Korea, the UK, China, Taiwan, Japan, Australia, and South Africa,” she says. “Exports now make up 70 per cent of our global turnover.”

In Singapore, Mauviel’s pieces regularly sell out from shelves at Tangs and Takashimaya despite being priced at least twice as much as their stainless steel counterparts.

“If not for these changes, I think we would’ve closed,” admits Clément Turcant, Mauviel’s boutique manager.

This delicate tightrope — modernising without erasing its artisanal soul — keeps Villedieu-les-Poêles’ copper-making tradition alive.

Back at Atelier du Cuivre, the future looks different. The workshop has been absorbed into the high-end Parisian bathroom furnishings company Jandelle, where artisans now craft premium metallic fixtures like sinks and bathtubs, as well as specialised art and design pieces on-demand for a different audience. 

The rhythmic clang of hammers still echoes through the workshop, but no longer for kitchens.

Later this year, Francis will retire and lay down his last pan. At his side, a young apprentice steadies his hand. Francis watches in silence. The tin swirls, the fire blazes, and the past and future exist in the same breath for a fleeting moment. The hands may change, but the metal remains — heated, hammered, and waiting for its next life.

The art of using copper

Few know copper like Valérie Le Guern Gilbert. As Mauviel’s seventh-generation president, she has safeguarded its legacy and redefined its future. Here, she shares the essential guide to caring for cookware built to last generations.

Tin vs. stainless steel: Which to choose?

“Tin-lined copper offers exceptional heat control and a naturally non-stick surface — perfect for delicate cooking,” says Le Guern Gilbert. However, tin is a soft metal that wears over time and requires periodic re-tinning. It’s also sensitive to high heat.

Stainless steel-lined copper, conversely, is more durable and withstands higher temperatures. “It’s lower maintenance and better suited for everyday cooking,” she notes.

When to re-tin?

If you spot exposed copper or notice a decline in non-stick performance, it’s time for re-tinning. “Regularly inspect your pan to prevent cooking directly on copper,” she advises.

Cooking with tin-lined copper

Since tin has a low melting point, overheating can damage the lining. “Preheat slowly, stick to low or medium heat, and use wooden or silicone utensils to avoid scratching,” says Le Guern Gilbert.

Cleaning and oxidation

After cooking, let the pan cool before washing with warm, soapy water and a soft sponge. “For tough residues, a short soak helps,” she suggests, and you should consider allowing your pans to develop the patina over time. “It doesn’t affect performance — it’s part of copper’s natural evolution. But if you prefer a polished look, use a copper cleaner or a lemon-and-salt mixture.”

Interested in copper cookware? Buy them on Amazon, Robinsons or Tangs.

This article contains affiliate links. If you buy through these links, we may earn a small commission.