Copper Cookware

Copper has been the material of Anatolian kitchens for centuries — not because it photographs well, but because it works. Copper heats faster and more evenly than any other cooking material, responds immediately to temperature changes, and produces results that stainless steel and aluminum approach but never quite match. In the covered bazaars of Gaziantep, Diyarbakir, and Istanbul, coppersmiths still work by hand, each hammer strike slightly different from the last.

At Rootsware, we carry handmade hammered copper from established Anatolian workshops: skillets, pots, cezve (Turkish coffee pots), egg pans, and decorative copper serving pieces. The hammered texture on these pieces is not decorative — it increases surface area and improves heat distribution. The interior lining (tin or stainless steel) makes them safe for all food types, including acidic dishes.

Copper cookware requires care: hand-washing, occasional polishing, and eventual re-tinning of the interior lining. Not dishwasher-safe and not suitable for induction cooktops. But for the household that is willing to treat it properly, copper cookware lasts generations.

For diaspora households that remember copper pots hanging in their grandparents' kitchens, this collection brings that material back to an American counter.