now im wondering if that copper cookware fad is causing people to slightly poison themselves from the copper leaching into their food the way cast iron leaches iron.

[–] crime@hexbear.net 22 points 4 days ago

In copper cookware the copper is coated, the part that touches food isn't copper

[–] KnilAdlez@hexbear.net 20 points 4 days ago

Generally those are lined with something to prevent a harmful amount of copper leaching. That being said, if they are not treated correctly, the lining can come off and then they would become dangerous. I use ceramic copper pans and I have felt no ill effects yet, but I am very careful with how I cook with them and clean them.

[–] ragebutt@lemmy.dbzer0.com 2 points 3 days ago

Metallic copper is safe (otherwise residential water pipes would be a terrible idea) but the salt form is not

The issue is that heat + something reactive can make salts. Copper sulfate from cooking onions for example. As a result copper pans are typically lined with a thin layer of a nonreactive metal like tin. This makes them both ridiculously expensive AND impractical because when the tin layer starts to wear away you have to get it re-tinned. This can be done at home but the bougie person with all copper cookware generally isn’t going to do that

Obviously cookware with “copper layers” embedded doesn’t have that drawback but this is marketing nonsense for the most part. “Better heat transfer” may be technically true but people have been cooking fantastic food on carbon steel pans for like 100 years and cast iron since the Han dynasty. If someone needs fancy cookware over a $30 pan it’s a skill issue

As you said cast iron does leech as well but it leeches dietary iron, which for most people is beneficial. Seasoning layer does not prevent this.