Skip to main content

Polishing Copper


I was considering polishing some of my copper the other day using a different method than the one I’ve been accustomed to.  People have told me that you don’t have to use lemons & salt to polish copper, but I’ve always been hesitant to reach for commercial creams.  Apart from polishes being a bit costly (I’ve seen French ones selling for over $20), I don’t like to have that many chemicals touching the implements I use to prepare food (cleaning my silver with polish is something I do only once in a great while--even then I will use baking soda & boiling water before reaching for a polishing compound). 


It’s one thing to use polishes if things are going to be kept as ornaments or be put on display, but it’s something else if you plan on cutting things with them.  After having a discussion with Michael Bonne (a superb American coppersmith) on the various ways to polish copper, I was intrigued by the information he provided.  He gave a storied background on the ways he’s tackled the issue throughout the years of working with it.  Without getting too scientific and detailed, what it came down to was using an acidic agent along with a binder to cover the surface of the copper.  Michael said that using salt, which acts as a scouring agent, isn’t always advisable, especially if you are polishing items which have a mirrored finish.

Then I remembered coming across an interesting entry in one of my books from The Culinary Institute of America on how they recommend polishing copper at restaurants.  In the section dealing with pots & pans, there was a suggestion by the Institute that an economical way for commercial kitchens to deal with polishing their copper, was by using equal parts flour & salt, and then adding enough distilled white vinegar to create a paste.  

I was intrigued by what Michael had told me and by what The Culinary Institute of America recommended.  I decided to do a side-by-side test of these methods.

Needless to say I was very pleased with the results.


For my experiment I used two very special copper cookie cutters.  The first set of Martha by Mail copper cookie cutters issued for the catalog were the ones I reached for.  The Man in The Moon & Star cutters needed a bit of polishing. 


For the straight ketchup method, I did as Michael instructed.  I applied a thick layer of the condiment on the entire surface of the cookie cutter and let it sit for a few minutes.  I then used a soft sponge & a small brush to polish it.  The ketchup was then rinsed off in warm water.  

After rinsing the entire cutter, I immediately buffed it dry with a cotton kitchen towel.


For the other cookie cutter I used what the C.I.A. recommended, however, without the salt.  In a small bowl I mixed all-purpose flour with just enough distilled white vinegar to make a thick paste.

I applied the paste on every part of the cookie cutter and let it sit for a few minutes.  With a small, soft brush I polished the paste all around the surface and then rinsed it off in warm water. I used a clean kitchen towel to buff it dry.

Polished Cookie Cutters.
Bright & Lustrous.

Keep in mind that copper does patina and it will verdigris depending on storage conditions.  No matter how much you polish copper, certain discoloration will be inevitable.  


Personally I will be using the flour & vinegar method for polishing my copper in the future because it is efficacious and economical.  I always have both ingredients at home.  The lemon-salt method is still fine, but I think I’ll save those ingredients to use in my baking & cooking.  The ketchup method is also fine.  Now that you know of 4 methods to polish your copper, choose the one that best suits you.  You can use a polishing cream, a cut lemon with coarse salt, a mix of flour & vinegar or a bit of ketchup.  

Enjoy your copper and keep it looking it’s best!

Comments

  1. Thanks for the great tips! My MBM cookie cutters are quite dull and they need a good polishing. I always hate putting chemicals on my cutters!

    ReplyDelete
  2. I know how you feel Kenn. It's nice being able to polish these treasures gently.

    Enjoy your collection!

    David

    ReplyDelete
  3. What an interesting post. I've not heard of either of these polishing methods and I like them both. Think, like yourself that I would go with the flour and vinegar paste over the ketchup method. Thanks for sharing David, great before and after pics.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Fantastic post, David! You're so right about chemicals having no place in our kitchens! I use the commercial paste polish and then agonize over cleaning (hot soapy water) my copper cutters before creating cookies with them. I'm grateful for your advice and the experiment you conducted!

    Bravo!

    xo

    ReplyDelete
  5. Paula,

    You should try using the flour/vinegar method because it works. My only problem with the ketchup version is that it's kind of stinky & a bit more costly.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Janet,

    I couldn't agree more about chemicals. I try VERY hard to keep them at a minimum at home, so this is one nice way to do so.

    Enjoy!

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Thank You for Posting!

Popular posts from this blog

Antique Salt Cellars

There was a time when salt cellars played an important role on the dining table for the host or hostess.  As a result of it being such an expensive commodity several hundred years ago, salt was seen as a luxury and it was the well to do that made salt cellars quite fashionable & a status symbol for the home.  A single salt cellar usually sat at the head of the table and was passed around throughout the meal.  The closer one sat to the salt cellar, the more important one was deemed by the head of the household.  Smaller cellars that were more accessible and with an open top became a part of Victorian table settings.  Fast forward to the 20th century when salt was no longer a luxury and when anti caking agents were added to make salt free-flowing, and one begins to see salt cellars fall out of fashion.  Luckily for the collector and for those of us who like to set a table with Good Things , this can prove to be a boon. Salt cellars for the table come in silver, porcelain, cut glass

Collecting Jadeite

With its origins dating back to the 1930s, jadeite glassware began its mass production through the McKee Glass Co. in Pennsylvania. Their introduction of the Skokie green & Jade kitchenware lines ushered in our fascination with this jade color.  Glassmakers catered jadeite to the American public as an inexpensive alternative to earthenware soon after the Depression, both for the home and for its use in restaurants.  The Jeanette Glass Company and Anchor Hocking introduced their own patterns and styles, which for many collectors, produced some of the most sought after pieces.  Companies marketed this beautiful glass under the monikers of jadite , jadeite , jade glass , jad-ite , jade-ite , so however you want to spell it, let it draw you in for a closer look.  If you want a thorough history of the origins of jadeite, collectors’ pricing, patterns & shapes (don’t forget the reproductions in 2000), I highly suggest picking up the book by Joe Keller & David Ross called, Jadei

A Tour of Turkey Hill with Martha Stewart and Friends

Martha Stewart led an intimate tour of her former Westport, Connecticut home and gardens for a few of my friends this past weekend.  From the photographs I've seen of that special day, it was an experience that will be remembered for a lifetime by those who were in attendance.  As much as I regret not going to this momentous occasion, my friends were kind enough to allow me to share their amazing photographs here on the blog. Let's take a tour of Turkey Hill with Martha Stewart and a few of my friends. Without the kindness of Jeffrey Reed, Dennis Landon, Darrin David, Anthony Picozzi and Colin Eastland, this post would not be possible.  It must also be stated that the fundraising event was graciously hosted by the current owners of Turkey Hill, the Bergs. Many thanks to the Berg family for opening up the property. Turkey Hill is the Federal style home that was purchased, renovated and landscaped by Martha Stewart and her then husband, Andy, back in 1970.  It was he