Gotham Steel vs. Red Copper – What’s the Difference?

Buying from a reputable brand is one of the easiest ways to ensure you get top-quality cookware. And if you are on the lookout for a new pan, the chances are you have already heard about Gotham Steel and Red Copper as they are two of the most highly publicized brands out there.

Pans from the two brands are among the best-selling in most online retail sites thanks to their massive advertisements on television and the internet. However, many home cooks often find it hard to choose between them.

Besides both being quite popular, they look quite similar, and so many people can have a hard time deciding which one to buy.

But, the good news is that the pans you get from the two will differ in much more than the brand, and in this piece we showcase some of these differences to help potential buyers make the right pick.

Gotham Steel Overview

Photo: Gotham Steel

Gotham Steel makes frying pans in different sizes ranging from 9.5 to 12.5 inches, and they will also make them in either round or rectangular shapes to ensure customers have more variety to choose from.

With Gotham Steel, you can also get a complete set of cookware which is more cost-effective than buying the individual pieces.

Their pans are also famous for their superb overall construction that will consist of titanium and ceramic coating. Besides creating a non-stick finish, this construction also offers abrasion-resistances and a more durable cooking surface.

As for the core, you get heavy-duty aluminum that will make the Gotham Steel pans almost indestructible.

Because their pans will not have any Teflon coating, they will be free of harmful chemicals associated with this coating such as PTFE and PFOA. And when compared to Red Copper pans, many users will find them a little more convenient and easier to maintain.

But, if you are looking for something for use on an induction cooktop, Gotham Steel pans may not work for you since most are not induction-compatible. Given the heavy-duty aluminum core and titanium coating, they are also generally heavier.

Pros:

• Superb overall construction
• Non-reactive coating
• Convenient and low maintenance

Cons:

• Will not work in the induction top
• Relatively heavier

Red Copper Overview

Photo: Red Copper

Red Copper pans are famous for their mostly copper construction. This top-quality line of cookware will be made from a combination of copper and ceramic. And unlike Gotham Steel pans, they will have a copper-infused ceramic for the non-stick surfaces.

What makes these pans special is the fact that copper is one of the best heat conductors and hence when using one, you can be confident of always getting excellent heat distribution. Also, copper allows you to alter heat more precisely and will hence give you better control over the cooking process.

Besides heating up rapidly and distributing the heat more evenly, copper will also be more resistant to chipping and peeling which means there is little risk of ending up with foreign particles in your food.

While Gotham Steel pans seem a little more durable, the copper pans from Red Copper as are also super long-lasting and will outlast most other brands in the same class. The manufacturer also makes them dishwasher-safe for faster and easier cleaning.

The only point where Red Copper seems to fall short a little is in the handles that they use because besides the stainless steel material getting quite hot, the handles also feel hollow and look cheap.

Pros:

• Faster heat up
• More even heat distribution
• Tougher and more resistant to chipping and peeling
• Dishwasher-safe for easy cleaning

Cons:

• Handle feels hollow and cheaper

Comparison Table

Gotham Steel vs. Red Copper

There is no doubt that Gotham Steel and Red Copper make some of the best pans out there, and so you will still have a good product regardless of the brand you opt for. But, their products are quite different and will hence work for different kinds of users, and here are some of these differences to keep in mind when shopping.

1. Core Material

While it might not be easy to tell when looking at these pans given that they are both coated, they will have different core materials which affect their performance significantly.

Gotham Steel

Gotham Steel makes their pans with durability in mind and this is clear from their choice of core materials, and so with one of their pans, you can be confident you will have cookware designed to provide many years of great service.

For the core materials, most of their pans will be made from aluminum which is a heavy-duty material that outlasts many others like copper. Also, some pans will have stainless steel as the core material which means with these types, you will never need to worry about corrosion.

Red Copper

Red Copper, on the other hand, seems to prioritize the heating capabilities of their pan and also aims to keep the weight down to make sure their pans are easier to handle.

Hence, just as the brand name suggests, they will make their products with a copper base which besides being more lightweight than aluminum ensures excellent heat retention and distribution for faster and more even cooking.

2. Coating

While both Gotham Steel and Red Copper will give their products a ceramic coating to make them nonstick for less oil use when cooking and easy cleaning, they use different materials to make the coating.

Gotham Steel, on one hand, uses titanium-infused ceramic for their coating. This means besides getting effective enough nonstick properties, you will also get a coating that is tougher and designed to be more resistant to typical nonstick coating problems like chipping.

For Red Copper, the need to make their cookware more effective in temperature distribution is also reflected in their choice of coating. They give their pans a copper-infused ceramic coating that will ensure you get more accurate cooking temperatures.

Read More: 10 Best Ceramic Frying Pans

3. Typical Pan Sizes

The differences in materials will also result in different pan sizes, and in most instances, the Gotham Steel pans will be generally wider than what you get with Red Copper.

When buying from Gotham Steel, the main pan sizes to choose from will be 9.5, 10.25 and 12.5 inches, and with Red Copper, the three main sizes are 8, 10 and 12 inches.

While the half an inch size differences might not look significant enough for some users given that the Gotham Steel pans also cost a little more, sometimes being able to squeeze in a few extra ounces of food into your pan can help save you a lot of time.

So when it comes to the size, it is all up to you to decide what works best for you.

4. Heat Time and Heat Retention

The choice of materials used for both the base and coating will have a huge impact on both the heating time and heat retention and is hence one of the key factors that will set the two brands apart.

Given that Red Copper uses copper for both the base and ceramic coating, it will generally provide faster heat-up times and will also retain more heat and spread it evenly to ensure faster and more even cooking.

The aluminum and titanium on the Gotham Steel pans will still heat up and cook well enough, but it will take the pan significantly longer to get to the ideal cooking temperature. With these materials, there will also be an increased likelihood of getting hot and cold spots.

5. Induction Cooktop Compatibility

Induction cooktops are one of the in things when it comes to cooking technology and is now almost a must-have for most homes. Because this technology will only work with specific cookware, you need to keep this in mind when shopping.

Since Red Copper makes their cookware with copper, they will have an edge here as this means that most of their pans and pots will be induction top compatible, and you will not need to modify their base with an induction-compatible base.

Read More: 10 Best Induction Cookwares

With Gotham Steel, you will have a hard time finding any of their pans that can work on an induction cooktop straight from the box which for some users might be the deal-breaker.

But, the good news is that there are a few solutions you can use to make the Gotham Steel pans induction top compatible such as using induction cookware converter disks which are cheap and easy to get online.

6. Weight

Because you will need to toss food and have to lift your pan from and onto the stovetop, you cannot overlook its weight, and when trying to pick between the two brands, the weight should be one of the top considerations.

But, given the differences in the materials used, it should be obvious that the Red Copper pan will be the lighter of the two since copper is lighter than both aluminum and titanium.

Using their larger pans, for example, the 12.5 inch Gotham Steel pan will weigh a little over 2.25 pounds while Red Copper’s 12-inch pan weighs around 2.1 pounds. While the 0.15-pound difference might not look like much, you will realize it makes a huge difference when you get to use both pans.

7. Price

While the two brands will not be as expensive as other top tier cookware brands, you can still not overlook what you pay for either, and so it is important to know which one offers the best value.

Generally, Red Copper is the cheaper of the two brands. Depending on where you are buying the pan from and the size, you can expect to pay anywhere between $10 and $25 for one pan at the time of writing this piece.

With Gotham Steel, you should be ready to part with relatively more than this as their typical pan prices will range between $19 and $45 also depending on the pan size.

However, with prices, it is important to note that you can still pay more or less than these ranges as prices keep changing. It is also worth noting that Gotham Steel also offers a more affordable mini egg frying pan for under $10.

Conclusion

A good quality pan will not only speed up your cooking and make it more efficient but will generally give you an easier time in the kitchen, and can hence look forward to making your favorite means. You can always trust Gotham Steel and Red Copper to have a good one for you.

Choosing between the two popular brands should also not give you a hard time because the products they make will differ in everything from the materials used to their weight and what you pay for them. From our comparison above, it should also now be clear what sets them apart.

When choosing between these amazing cookware brands, the Red Copper will be perfect for anyone looking for a lightweight and more affordable copper pan that heats up fast and with excellent heat distribution.

But, if you are looking for something more heavy-duty that will be more resistant to chipping and peeling, go for Gotham Steel.