In Europe, such an element of decor has long been held in high esteem, but in our country the fashion for copper dishes is just beginning to gain momentum. Which is not surprising at all, because it is much easier for them to buy it at flea markets, at a bargain price.
In the post-Soviet space, this pleasure is not yet cheap: a copper kettle, for example, in souvenir shops, cannot be bought for less than 3000 rubles.
But this can be unprofitable for many as for one little dish, especially since one acquisition cannot be enough. For such a style to appear and play, you need to have several things of the same direction.
But as everyone knows perfectly well, he who seeks will always find! In this article, you will learn how you can acquire these wonderful interior items without throwing out a lot of money.
In addition, we will consider how to care for her and how to decorate her kitchen most advantageously.
Take a look at the picture below. Well, isn’t that lovely?
Where can you buy cheap copper utensils?
Let’s start with the most important thing, because if you don’t know where to buy copper utensils, then what is the use of considering interiors with its presence?
We will not tell you about flea markets in Europe itself, there is no point in poisoning the soul.
Although … There you can get hold of a chic copper pan for only $ 3-10. But this is possible only if for you trips to Europe are an ordinary and frequent event.
After all, it is not at all a fact that once you visit a flea market, you will be able to find something worthwhile and inexpensive. As elsewhere, you need to go to the place quite often. And given the fact that they have such trading only once a week, it is not constructive to expect that you will get everything you dreamed of at once.
No, well, if your chickens don’t peck money, then why not? There is a wide choice, but the price is not often that low.
The picture shows a point of sale at a Berlin flea market. As you can see, there is a lot of copper, and quite unusual and interesting.
We do not have such a variety and cannot be, since such dishes are their national heritage. Copper in Europe has always been mined a lot and, naturally, items for the kitchen were made from it, because it was available. But cast iron is already a luxury for Europeans!
We, of course, also have antique copper dishes: samovars, basins, Tula teapots. But they are not at all so refined and their color is different, not reddish, but rather yellow, closer to brass.
But, we have deviated a little from the topic. Where, after all, can you buy cheap copper dishes, if not in its homeland? We recommend that you buy exclusively from online auctions. The prices there are much lower than in antique stores, the goods are on sale for only a couple of days and the choice is quite large.
And also, local sellers often put up such dishes there for auction, which means that the chance to buy a copper teapot at a very ridiculous price is quite high.
And where you don’t need to buy at all
Never, never buy copper cookware on Aliexpress!
Firstly, it is not cheap at all there. For example, a pretty cute set of six items, including pots and copper pans, costs 49,000 rubles for a minute! And it would be okay if the price was justified. But no.
The “lucky ones” who have acquired such sets from there sadly state: these are Chinese crooks … Not copper there, but a spraying applied so sparingly that it does not withstand cooking and peels off after the third wash, leaving terrible whitish spots.
Therefore, take dishes only of European origin, they have good ones. And don’t go after new products. The noble patina looks much nicer and more stylized.
How to place it in the interior?
There are a lot of options! It can be hung on the walls, under the ceiling, above the desk, and placed on shelves. But, you know, the whole design of your kitchen must match. If you have high-tech furniture, then copper pans are unlikely to look harmonious.
Below we will show you pictures where, in our opinion, copper dishes look “in their place”. Now, please look at how not to decorate. This picture is from the series “Make a fool pray to God, he will break his forehead.”
Where does that go? There should not be too many copper dishes, because you have a kitchen, not an antiquity shop.
Here such dishes fit very well into the general background:
And here it is good. At the same time, note that there is not so much of it at all, but it gives flavor:
And here there are very few dishes and it is located above the work table:
But, in addition to the fact that the dishes can simply be successfully placed in the kitchen, there are more original ways to decorate the room with it. For instance…
Copper basin sinks
Well, here you really do not need to chase European products. To this day, we have a lot of copper basins made in the USSR and they are quite affordable (provided that you take exactly a Soviet basin, and not a remake). By the way, the new basins are much worse in quality and are not suitable for making a sink, although they cost a lot of money.
Check out what a wonderful sink comes out of Grandma’s copper jam bowl:
Making them is not at all difficult and, as we have already said, the price will be very affordable. The only drawback in such a sink: it is impossible to throw dirty dishes there for a long time, since copper tends to oxidize and become covered with green spots, which then need to be wiped off for a long time and tediously. That is, the option is not for lazy people, of course.
However, any copper dishes need to be rubbed from time to time, otherwise it fades and loses its elegant look. How to do this correctly, we will tell you in the next subheading.
How to care for copper cookware?
Nothing fancy except occasional cleanings to bring back its shine.
Any mild acid, such as vinegar or lemon juice, combined with regular salt, works best for this. The mixture is simply applied to the dishes and rubbed well, and then rinsed.
And some craftsmen have adapted to polish copper Turks … with ketchup. Yes, you heard right, exactly to them. For what reasons they use this method is unknown, but the fact remains: ketchup removes plaque well. Can you imagine now how “beneficial” effect on our mucous membrane and stomach? We are sure that Coca-Cola will cope with this task brilliantly too.
Can I cook food in it?
Let’s put it bluntly: it is possible, but not necessary. It is good to cook coffee in a copper bowl, and make jam in a copper bowl.
And for other dishes, this is not so practical, since it is much more difficult to wash copper products than cast iron or metal ones. And, then, they certainly need to be wiped dry, otherwise dark and unattractive spots will instantly form on the surface.
And which of you wants to follow this endlessly? And most importantly – for what? It’s impossible to say that copper is so environmentally friendly and safe.
Cast iron is much better in this regard, not to mention ceramic products. So, let it be better that these cute things just decorate the interior, there they belong.
The exception is the new modern tableware, which is stylized “copper” (the inner coating is steel, and the outside is copper-plated). But that’s a completely different story.
Well, that’s it. We hope that our article has been useful to you and you now know exactly where to buy a copper kettle, pots and other vintage utensils.
