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I'd probably start with vinegar and salt, or Bon Ami. Use a sponge or very fine steel wool (#0000).

My mom had copper bottomed pots, and one year for christmas I scrubbed them all til they shined.

Within a week they were all black again, copper is only pretty if you don't cook with it imho.

The pots aren't ruined. They are still useful, but they won't look like the one in the photo anymore.

Are copper pots usually used for decor? Is that why they are lacquered? I'm so confused.
My mom had copper bottom pots that she scrubbed with copper cleaner every time she used them. I think they are very high maintenance.

They aren't at all ruined, they are just hard to take care of, and they can look just like they used to.

I've used copper for cooking exclusively for many years. Here is what I do to keep my pans looking good.

It's a two-step process...

a) Use Bar Keeper's Friend. It will get you 90% there quickly. You can find it online or in most cooking/grocery stores.

b) When you want the original shine back, follow up step a) with a polishing with Wenol. You can find Wenol at cooking shops or online.

Essentially you are cleaning and removing oxidation with a) and b) is just polishing. I have about a dozen copper pots and I do about one every week (that's a lot of labor, but I really love them) and they stay nice for a month or so.

Make sure you keep them clean and dry and the finish will last longer.

My copper is 10 years old and looks as good as new when I follow these steps.

I'm also confused about remove the lacquer... were these pots not meant to be cooked with?

Copperbrill was made to clean Mauviel copper pots, and works wonders. It's pretty easy to use, and since it's designed specifically to take the tarnish off copper, it doesn't require too much elbow grease.

I work somewhere where the copper pans (about 30 of them) have to be polished every two weeks. Takes less than 5 mintues a pot usually. I only use Bon Ami when there is a small stain I want off.

Hope that helps!

If they were the shiny lacquered kind that you can get at Hobby Lobby or Michaels (or similar store) then they werent' meant for cooking. They're probably not even solid copper, just a thin layer of copper on top of God-knows-what.

Otherwise, I've also had great success cleaning copper with Bar Keeper's Friend. Excellent stuff, that.

FYI: Copper pots have a lacquer that is to be removed before you cook with them. Even the ones that ARE meant to be cooked with. There are instructions on the pot on how to remove the lacquer (baking soda and boiling water). Mine is from Sur la Table, for example. According to the tag it says:

no metal tools for stirring, normal for color to change with heat, original color is easily restored by washing with hot soapy water rising and polishing the OUTSIDE ONLY with copper polish, never use steel wool, abrasive powders/liquids or anything that will scratch or damage the surface.

Hope that helps!

sorry that should be "rinsing" not "rising"

Hi guys that was my question posted:

yes they are true copper and I did have to remove the laqueur and did so according to company instructions even tho I truly did not know why I had to remove the outside laqueur..

I did the vinegar and salt and it worked temporarily...u would not believe but I ordered Bar Keepers friend via internet (very hard to find in Canada) and the post office lost the package and the store had no more Copper Glo...so I am still looking for that product....

However, I am glad to know that they probably look the way they are supposed to look (a far cry from their previous life) and will definitely cook with them....if I had known how much work it would be to take care of them; I probably would have hung 'em up again...so thankyou all.

blondee, if you have any Cucina Moderna's near you, they carry Barkeepers Friend. That's where I got mine.

we've always used ketchup to clean our copper pots, seems to work at least as good as copper cleaner

I've never had copper cookware, but I know that you can clean pennies with a soda like Coke. So perhaps that would also work to soak your cookware clean....

Any place that sells copper or stainless steel pots should sell the cleaners. Also, Bed Bath and beyond has it. I think even Home Depot sells it.

I appreciate all the readers' advice, and I can understand the writer of this column has minimal experience with this issue. However, I wish there was some kind of effort put into trying to answer the question. It's easy to blog Martha Stewart, or Real Simple, or some cleaning sites.

I appreciate this site being available to answer these questions, but lately, everyone on AT has just been "sending this out to the readers." Come on, guys. I used to love these blog. Please put some effort into giving us useful information. That's why we ask you.

Sorry about the rant. I actually really love the kitchen blog. It's one of my favourites.

Try checking your local WalMart. That's where I buy Barkeeper's friend. I use it on everything!

Cleaning with a little vinegar and coarse salt will make the pots "coppery" again, use Bon Ami or Bar keepers Friend abrasive only on stubborn spots on outside, and very, very carefully on inside. They will never be shiny, though. And they don't have to be clean to love them and use them. I let mine "go" so that I don't avoid using them and messing them up!

QUESTION for those who are looking at this - where can I get mine re-tinned. Most pre-date the stainless steel lining manufacture. So I need to send them somewhere, as the place I used to use in Denver has gone out of business.

Hope for help with this!