Which Is Better, Copper Or Cast Iron Cookware?

Leaving out price and maintenance, and considering only performance, copper has similar heat retention to cast iron cookware and can be bought at similar weights and thicknesses. Not only that, it has incredible heat conduction as well. So you have cookware that has superior heat conduction, excellent heat retention, doesn't have to be seasoned, and last a long time. Why do people still buy cast iron? Is there something about cast iron that is better than copper?

22 Responses to “Which Is Better, Copper Or Cast Iron Cookware?”

  • LittleMe says:

    I would say cast iron just simply for the seasoning aspect. Think of all the times you hear people refer to good ol’ southern food. That kind of food is usually cooked in a cast iron pan or pot. I can remember growing up my grandmothers both always used cast iron. I have never seen any of my family use copper, but I cant see how it would give the same flavor as cast iron.

  • #1 Cast iron> Healthier and better cooking every which way…

  • Aliz says:

    I prefer cast iron, because to me it cooks better and makes the food taste better. The only copper I have uses is stainless steal with copper on the bottom and to me it is not as good.

  • lolitaka says:

    Cast Iron when seasoned well.. awesome for eggs.

  • chefgril says:

    I’d take cast iron any day. You can’t cook tomatoes in copper since the reaction will cause the copper to leach out into the sauce and it’ll ruin the pan. It’s pretty tough to ruin a well-seasoned cast iron pan.

  • bobby says:

    cast iron easily. i owned a restaurant for 32 years. sandwich shop! i kept 6 large ones on hand for daily use. i never had to season them which means cook the pan on high heat for a teflon like coating. not needed. when finished using just coat lightly with veggie oil to keep from rusting. they will last longer than uuu.u can find good ones cheap at wal-mart in the sporting goods area or any restaurant supply house.

  • CountryL says:

    First of all, properly cared for cast iron will last forever, whereas the lining in copper pots occasionally has to be replaced over time. Aside from that, whatever you cook in cast iron will absorb a bit of iron from the pan which helps add iron to your diet. A fact I did not know until my father showed a low iron count after giving blood too often. The only change that was made at home was mother pulled out her cast iron pans and began using them. In a few months, his iron level was back to normal!

  • Cheffy says:

    Copper heats unevenly, is very soft and wears out a lot faster than cast-iron, and is reactive with acidic foods.

  • faikeija says:

    Cast iron is good for frying and copper is better for sauteing.

  • bunny h says:

    i like the cast iron it last forever and everything taste better cooked in it

  • chocolah says:

    Yes.
    Cast iron is good for certain kinds of foods. Always make fried chicken in a cast iron skillet, for instance. Gravy is good from a cast iron skillet as well.
    Copper (although I’d choose stainless steel with copper clad bottoms…) is fine for sauteeing, simmering and general cooking situations.
    In my humble opinion, a dedicated cook should have both on hand.

  • Freespir says:

    i think a lot of it is because of preference or traditional use. I have a couple of cast iron skillets that have been passed down in my family for three generations, and I love them. A friend of mine has one that’s been in use in her family for over a hundred years, and she wouldn’t give it up for anything.

  • gramcrac says:

    Cast iron is superior in all ways.

  • naseldri says:

    I use both,i have a large cast iron skillet i use for heavy duty frying for chicken and fish outdoors so as not to smell up my house and copper for indoor cooking

  • reptiled says:

    I love my cast iron pans and use them for almost everything. The matinence is worth the consistency and flavor plus it a generational pride. My friends demand to eat when they see the cast iron out. And when i did use copper, every thing tasted worse than using teflon. I camp with cast iron too, as well as carry one in my trunk (I am really outdoorsey wether fishin, campin, workin on cars etc). Even a crappy (rusted pitted on outer surface) cast iron still deserves a chance

  • classy chick says:

    I have used cast iron all my life and prefer it over copper. Copper does stick easier for preparing thicker items, such as cooking puddings and creams that are delicate to prepare. I have even had my cast iron go through a home fire and came out great, copper wouldn’t, and I do find copper harder to keep clean on the exterior. The only point that copper has better is the weight. For people with bad wrists, it is more difficult to pick up a full pot of stew in cast iron than in copper. Also adds a little more iron in your diet.

  • elisayn says:

    The reason it is said to be better to cook with cast iron is that you get the benefit of iron and also the heavier the pan, the better to cook in.
    bettyk

  • dee k says:

    Cast iron is better than copper in many ways,many of which have been enlisted in answers so far,I have a cast iron skillet with a very long handle,don;t know the reason for this,I use it exclusively for frying fish,it would beat a Teflon finish pan any day,even browning of fish in a minimum of oil.

  • Diane T says:

    Copper and cast iron have their advantages but try not to forget that cast iron give an additional supplement to your iron daily requirement. In the end it is always a personal choice. Good luck.

  • mother_a says:

    Cooking foods in cast iron adds iron to your diet in the form that is most easily absorbed and used by your body. I have never used copper cookware, so I can’t make a comparison, but I use cast iron for everything except boiling. Some of my cast iron pans were passed down from my great-grandmother, and who knows how they came to her? They are still my best pans even today.

  • I like cast iron because it give a homemade taste

  • Annaluvs says:

    Cast iron, my preference is a high quality stainless steel. for healthy cooking .

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