Given that copper is one of the best heat conductors, it should be obvious that the material is also used to make some of the best quality cookware out there.
Besides excellent heat retention, copper cookware also offers many other benefits such as natural nonstick properties. But, as you shop for copper cookware, you will in many instances need to decide whether to buy Copper Chef or Red Copper.
The two are the leading copper cookware brands in the market and have a wide variety of pans and cooking pots currently on the market. While both make some of the finest quality copper cookware, you need to know how these brands and their products differ to make an informed choice. Here we explain these differences, but first, check out our overviews of the two brands.
In this post:
Copper Chef Overview
Photo: Copper Chef
Copper Chef has been making pans and pots for quite some time now. And besides the use of copper in most of their products, their cookware is also known for being tough and highly durable to ensure you do not need to replace it for many years.
Also, Copper Chef pans and pots will offer greater heat resistance than most others out there including the models that you get from Red Copper. Better yet, cooking with their cookware will also be easier and less messy as they will include some deeper sides.
The cooking surface also includes several layers of ceramic coating which besides providing a natural nonstick property also makes these pans safe to use as it is a stable material that does not leach any harmful substances into your food.
The high heat resistance and overall design of the Copper Chef pans and pots make them highly versatile and are even marketed as 6-in-1 cookware that you can use for a wide variety of cooking methods. And to top it all up, they are also oven-safe and dishwasher-safe to make them easier to clean.
But because Copper Chef cookware will have hollow handles and not solid ones like what you get with Red Copper, the handles can get quite hot and hence making the pan hard to wield when cooking. Also, when compared to Red Copper, most of their cookware will be heavier.
Recommended Product: Copper Chef B074XJ6R2B Cookware Set
Pros:
- High heat resistance
- Safe and truly nonstick surface
- Deeper sides for non-messy cooking
- Oven and microwave friendly
Cons:
- Handles can get quite hot
- Relatively heavier
Red Copper Overview
Photo: Red Copper
Red Copper is another top brand that you can rely on when shopping for copper cookware and like Copper Chef, they make some fine quality products that are designed to last a long time.
Their cookware will be typically made with copper and a non-stick ceramic coating which should explain why they are generally lighter than what Copper Chef has to offer since a copper base is much lighter than an aluminum one.
Also, the nonstick properties of the ceramic coating ensure that the Red Copper cookware will not require a lot of oil use and also makes it easier to clean up after use since there will be no stuck food that requires a lot of scrubbing.
With Red Copper, you also get better quality handles that are designed to be more comfortable to use and durable as they have more solid construction.
While this cookware might not have sides that are as deep as what you get on the Copper Chef pans, they offer the advantage of having a slightly wider cooking area that will allow you to cook more food at a go.
Most Red Copper cookware is made for use on various cooking surfaces, and so whether you have a regular stove or induction cooktop, this brand will still work for you. And their pans and pots are also more affordable.
But when compared to Copper Chef, the Red Copper cookware has relatively lower heat resistance, and when new, almost all their pans will require seasoning before use.
Recommended Product: Red Copper 10824 Cookware by BulbHead
Pros:
- Overall sturdier handles
- Relatively more affordable
- Lighter overall construction
- Slightly wider cooking area
Cons:
- Lower heat resistance
- Pans often require seasoning
Comparison Chart
Copper Chef | Red Copper | |
|---|---|---|
Materials | Several layers of ceramic coating and aluminum core | Non-stick ceramic and copper |
Heat Resistance | 850°F | 500°F |
Best Uses | Baking, roasting, steaming, and deep-frying | Pan-frying, broiling, baking and stir-frying |
Oven and Dishwasher Safe | Yes | Yes |
Handles | Hollow but still sturdy | Solid and sturdier |
Weight | Relatively heavier | Lighter |
Cost | $$$ | $$ |
Copper Chef vs. Red Copper
Copper cookware is as good as it can get as it will offer everything from excellent heat conduction to nonstick properties and long service life. You can be sure of getting top quality copper cookware by picking top brands like Copper Chef and Red Copper and to choose between these two, you should understand their following differences.
1.Materials
While copper is at the heart of the design for both the Copper Chef and Red Copper products, the two brands will combine it with different materials when making pans, and so their products will differ greatly when it comes to material.
Copper Chef
Copper chef pans and pots look and feel very sturdy, and even before you get to use them, you can tell they will last a long time. This sturdy feel mostly stems from the use of an aluminum core instead of a copper one.
Besides the aluminum base, most of their pans will also include a multilayer construction that features up to 5 layers of material. These layers will include double layers or ceramic coating, a still induction base and the aluminum core material.
Red Copper
While Red Copper cookware will often not be made from as many materials as Copper Chef, it is still designed to last a long time and to work well enough.
This cookware will be typically made with a 100% copper infusion and a heavy-duty nonstick ceramic coat. Some can also have an additional base material to make them induction cooktop compatible.
2. Heat Resistance
Heat resistance or the maximum heat that your cookware can withstand will determine what you can use it to cook and also the cooking methods that it will be useful for.
Luckily, with both Copper Chef and Red Copper cookware, you will not have to worry about things like fume emissions when cooking at high temperatures because they do not contain any Teflon. However, their heat resistance still differs.
Given the kinds of materials used to make Copper Chef cookware, it will typically have a higher heat resistance as most of their pans can withstand up to 850 degrees Fahrenheit. With Red Copper, the maximum heat resistance you will get is 500 degrees Fahrenheit which means it will not be a good brand for those that do a lot of high-temperature cooking.
3. Best Uses
Given that these brands will have more or less the same kinds of products, they will be ideal for similar uses. However, given the differences in the material used to make their cookware and heat resistance, each will excel at certain things.
Copper Chef offers higher heat resistance, and their cookware is also more heavy-duty, and this means that it will be the best brand when you want to roast, bake, deep-fry or steam food. But, overall their pans will still do everything that the Red Copper pans can do.
With Red Copper, you get cookware that is built for more elaborate cooking techniques like flambéing but also works great for other cooking methods like shallow frying, broiling, stir-frying and for whipping different ingredients.
4. Oven and Dishwasher Safe
Ovens are among the most widely used cooking appliances in most homes, and so as you choose your cookware, it is important to make sure that it can work on your oven.
Luckily, both Copper Chef and Red Copper cookware can withstand very high temperatures which will allow you to use it safely in the oven. But, if the food you are cooking requires very high temperatures, Copper Chef will be the more appropriate brand as their cookware will withstand much higher temperatures.
Besides being nonstick, the cookware that you will get from these brands is also dishwasher-safe which further makes them easier to clean as you only need to throw it in the dishwasher. However, it is still important to check the specific cookware you are buying because some can have extra materials that make them not dishwasher safe, and this is more sow when buying Red Copper.
5. Handles
Handles are what you will use to hold your pans or pots when cooking, and so they are a crucial element that you should never overlook when choosing between these two brands.
Both are designed with some highly comfortable handles that also provide a secure grip for safer cooking. However, their handles will differ in both design and construction.
Red Copper seems to have a slight edge when it comes to the handle design as the handles on their pans will be sturdy and solid which ensures they last for as long as the rest of the pan. Also, the handles will not get very hot which makes the pan safe to handle even when cooking at high temperatures.
Copper Chef will use a hollow handle design for their pans, but it is still sturdy enough and should also last as long as the rest of the pan. Also, this hollow handle has a cooler overall appearance. But, this handle tends to get quite hot in the oven or stovetop.
6. Weight
The actual weight that you get on your cookware will depend on the specific type and model that you buy. For example, larger 12-inch pans will be generally heavier than the smaller 8-inch ones whether you buy Copper Chef or Red Copper.
But, with that said, Copper Chef products tend to be significantly heavier when compared to Red Copper. Using the Copper Chef 10-inch pan for example purposes, it will weigh around 2.6 pounds which is significantly heavier than the 10-inch Red Copper pan than weighs around 1.5 pounds.
However, the extra weight that you will get on the Copper Chef products is an indication that they are heavy-duty and built with sturdier materials to ensure longer service life.
7. Cost
Like weight, how much you spend on your cookware will depend on what you buy regardless of the brand you pick as both brands have a wide variety of products in the market.
But, overall Copper Chef is the more expensive of the two brands. Their larger 10-inch pan will cost more than double of what you would pay for a 10-inch pan by Red Copper. And even if you consider the fact that Copper Chef also provides a glass lid for their pan and Red Copper does not the close to $20 price difference between the two is still quite huge.
This price difference is also reflected when buying cookware sets from these brands as Copper Chef sets are also more expensive.
Conclusion
At the end of the day, your choice between Copper Chef and Red Copper will boil down to your preferences because many home cooks already have their preferred brand between the two.
But, for the many potential buyers that are new to these brands, the choice is not always that straightforward.
However, by watching out for their key differences highlighted above that range from the materials the brand uses to make their cookware to their best uses and cost, new users should have an easy time deciding.
Using these differences for recommendations, Copper Chef is the best brand for those that do a lot of high-temperature cooking and also for anyone looking for something heavy-duty. Red Copper, on the other hand, is the more budget-friendly option, and if flambéing forms a big part of your regular cooking, it will be a fantastic option.