11.5" Copper Fry Pan

Copper Cooking.

I've always had a deep fascination with copper pots and pans. Actually, let's call it what it is—obsession. I'm not alone. Julia Child covered the wall of her kitchen in copper pots. Most great chefs cook with copper. There are people who travel the globe, hunting down centuries-old copper pots so they can get a feel for how things were.

The technical merits that set copper cookware apart are well known—it evenly distributes heat, avoiding "hot spots," and it responds quickly to changes in temperature, so if you want to crank it up, the copper is keen to respond. Copper is even hygienic (germs and bacteria don't like it).

Aesthetically, whether it's gleamed to a pristine high polish or looking like the 1930s penny you found on Ludlow Street, copper looks fantastic and undeniably authentic in any kitchen, from the cabin in the woods (I stocked mine only with copper) to the slick, subway-tiled Midtown Condo.

Simply, copper makes me feel something when I see or use it. It has emotion. I'll dig up old rustic recipes that take days to execute before consumption is even an option just to use my copper pots. When I walk into a home and see an army of aged copper, I know someone is serious about their food and their style.

Like any good piece of art, once it's there, once it's made you feel something, you can never imagine your life without it. I know it's not just me. Maybe it's you, too.

11 ½" Copper Fry Pan (No. 6411). Crafted with a slightly thinner gauge copper for a lighter-weight pan. This piece is designed to move freely on the stove. 1.7mm copper thickness. Hand-set copper rivets. Tin-lined by hand. Substantial cast-iron handle. Weighs 4.4 lbs. Dimensions: 11 ½" Diam. x 1 ¾" H. Lifetime warranty. Handmade in USA.