So a little background first… I’ve been having some issues with the large burner on my stove. I don’t have the money for a new stove (right now), so I picked up a Duxtop (single) induction hob/burner. I am still navigating the “learning curve” of induction cooking and didn’t want to ruin my good cast iron skillets by overheating or making other errors. So I picked up two used skillets at Goodwill to learn on.
I don’t want to use anything Teflon, as my girlfriend failed a recent memory test. I know there is conflicting information about Teflon, but I just don’t want to take the chance, so no Teflon, no PFOA and no PTFE.
I found this “Red Copper” skillet and purchased it because a magnet stuck to the bottom, so I can use it with my induction burner/hob.
For some reason, this skillet is GREAT!! It’s basically non-stick, kind of like Teflon. I checked the manufacturer’s website and they state no PFOA nor PTFE and the copper can’t leach as it is a “ceramic coating infused with pure copper”. Moreover, this thing can go in the oven up to 500 degrees (F). I’ve also found cleanup to be a breeze.
So what’s the hitch?? There has to be some down side with this “Red Copper” pan. It is fairly cheap when purchased new.
Does anyone know anything about these products?? Are they safe to use?? Does anyone have any experience with them??
I know its not a professional pan, but for a home cook… this skillet seems to check all of the boxes (for me).
May or may not be helpful but I was gifted a Copper Chef (same finish as Red Copper) 2.5 quart sauce pan last Christmas. I have use it mainly for soups and after a year I am still alive and well. And the pan is still in perfect condition.
You’ll have a hard time ruining a cast iron skillet on a 110v induction hob. I suppose if you leave it empty for a “long” time you could warp it, but that would indeed be for quite a while (something you would never do on gas or electric).
It seems like you’re very happy with the pan, so if it’s working for you that’s great.
Most of the lesser priced nonstick skillets I’ve encountered tend to be very light weight, which can lead to food burning if the heat isn’t regulated. Not sure how heavy this one is, but that would be a factor to consider for me. This is also a ceramic nonstick, and those seem to be safer than Teflon or others. However I’m not one to worry about that too much. I have one nonstick that I use for eggs and it’s fine.
This induction burner/hob does a great job at maintaining the temperature selected. I haven’t burnt anything yet, but I may have just jinxed myself… 
“Sunshine” really enjoys eggs over easy, so I make them for her when she asks. I just don’t want to contribute to her potential memory loss, if (in fact) there is a link.
This genre (Some might say “ilk”) is all about the coating. The pan bodies themselves are aluminum, and not very thick. They should not stick and will clean up well for the life of the coating, which I’d describe as indefinite and relatively short-lived.
The coating (the copper is there strictly for coloring) has no meaningful thermal effect. So the pan’s thermal attributes are the same as any aluminum pan of the same thickness. From your phopos, I’m estimating about 1.8mm. If there’s added aluminum in the disc base, the performance would be better, responsiveness worse.
Cook more in it and report.
Costco had a set of these Red Copper pan a while ago.
Tempted, but didn’t want a 14 set.
Gets good reviews on Amazon for what it’s worth.
These show up a lot at my local thrift shop, which either means they’re less durable than other nonstick pans, or they are so popular that large numbers of them exist in society and they outnumber competitors in general and subsequently also at the thrift shop.
I’m glad they’re working well for you. Enjoy!
