How to clean copper pans and bring back the shine

Step by step: how to clean copper pans and bring back the shine

Safety first. Copper polishes and Bar Keepers Friend are acidic: wear gloves, rinse them off fully, and never mix them with bleach or ammonia. Tin-lined pans must not be heated empty or above about 440°F, or the lining can melt.

1. 1

   Check what the inside is lined with

   Silvery and slightly soft-looking with wipe marks is usually tin; bright and hard is stainless steel; plain copper inside means unlined. The lining decides how gently you clean the inside. If the pan is lacquered or decorative, it only needs a damp wipe.

2. 2

   Wash by hand while warm

   Let the pan cool a little, then wash inside and out with warm water, a few drops of dish soap and a soft sponge. For stuck food, soak for 15 to 30 minutes in warm soapy water rather than scrubbing hard.

3. 3

   Clean the lining gently

   For stainless linings, a little Bar Keepers Friend on a soft sponge removes brown stains. For tin, use only soap, a soft sponge and baking soda paste; dark gray tin is normal and does not need to be shiny.

4. 4

   Make a lemon and salt paste for tarnish

   Mix about 2 tablespoons of salt with enough lemon juice or white vinegar to make a wet paste, or dip a cut lemon half directly in salt. You need enough to cover the outside of one pan.

5. 5

   Rub the outside until the color comes back

   Rub the paste over the copper exterior in small circles with a soft cloth or the lemon half. Dark brown tarnish turns pink-orange within a minute or two. Work around the rivets and handle base.

6. 6

   Use copper cream for heavy tarnish

   If the pan is very dark or has green spots, apply a small amount of copper cream with a soft cloth, work it in, then rinse. Follow the label, as some creams need to be rinsed within a minute or two.

7. 7

   Rinse and dry immediately

   Rinse off all the acid and polish with warm water. Leftover acid speeds up new tarnish and can spot the copper. Dry right away with a soft towel.

8. 8

   Buff to a shine

   Buff the outside with a clean, dry microfiber cloth for a few minutes. The copper should look evenly bright, without streaks or white residue in the hammered dimples.

How to clean copper pans by lining type

The outside is cleaned the same way on all copper pans; the inside depends on the lining.

Mauviel’s care notes say to remove verdigris (green spots) from unlined copper with a vinegar and salt solution or a lemon dipped in salt, and that tin interiors can not exceed 440°F. When tin wears through to copper over a large area, a specialist can re-tin the pan.

Lemon and salt, vinegar, or copper cream: which works best?

All three work because acid dissolves the copper oxide that forms tarnish, and salt adds gentle scrubbing. Lemon and salt is fine for light tarnish; a copper cream is faster and more even on a dark pan.

• Lemon or vinegar with salt: cheap and food-safe. Made In suggests equal parts acid and salt as a paste, rubbed in and buffed until shiny.
• Ketchup or tomato paste: also acidic and works on light tarnish, but it is messy and slower.
• Copper cream or Bar Keepers Friend: best for heavy tarnish and green spots. The Bar Keepers Friend FAQ lists copper as a safe surface and says to leave it on no longer than one minute.

Copper starts darkening again within days of use. Some cooks let a warm brown patina build and only polish a few times a year; Made In describes this patina as the natural way a reactive metal like copper changes color over time.

What not to use on copper pans

Avoid anything that scratches or strips metal. Mauviel advises against scouring pads, steel wool, abrasive cleansers, bleach and oven cleaner, and says its copper cookware is not dishwasher safe.

• Dishwasher detergent dulls and spots copper and can damage tin.
• Green scouring pads leave fine scratches that hold tarnish.
• High heat on an empty pan discolors copper and can melt a tin lining.
• Brass handles can be polished the same way; iron handles should be dried and lightly oiled to prevent rust.

For brass hardware, candlesticks and decor, see how to clean brass.

Mistakes to avoid

• Scrubbing a tin lining with Bar Keepers Friend or a green pad until it wears through to copper.
• Leaving lemon or vinegar paste on for a long time, which can spot the copper.
• Polishing lacquered decorative copper and stripping the clear coat.
• Putting copper pans in the dishwasher.
• Preheating a tin-lined pan empty on high heat.