Is copper cookware dangerous?
Copper dishes have been used for thousands of years.
In the past, they didn't have sophisticated measurements, so they didn't know about the recommended daily doses, the dangers, and even the benefits of using copper.
Everything was more "by feel".
But they knew that when copper starts to take on a greenish color, it should be cleaned, and only then used again. Otherwise, food and water taste bitter.
Why is copper cookware potentially dangerous?
Today we know that copper oxidizes excessively when it comes into contact with acid.
In the kitchen , foods with a PH value on the acidic side are often used .
Some of them are:
Animal proteins ( pork, fish, chicken, lamb, beef, mature cheese), refined oils and fats such as margarine and corn oil, puff pastry, wine, lemon, vinegar, tomatoes, canned food...
It is not recommended to use copper utensils for the preparation of these foods, since in contact with them, copper is rapidly released , makes the food bitter, and is taken into the body in excessive amounts.
In addition, there is a danger that during strong heating and contact with acids, toxic copper oxides will form.
Consuming these oxides could cause nausea and dizziness.
Copper cookware is still used in professional kitchens , but trained chefs know when and how to use it.
In order to avoid complications in food preparation, copper dishes were tinned (coated with a layer of tin) in the past , since it does not react with acids.
Today, it is an increasingly common practice to coat stainless steel dishes only on the outside with a layer of copper. In this way, copper can still be used in the kitchen, as it is an excellent heat conductor.
Is drinking from a copper bottle or glass dangerous?
According to Ayurveda, the ancient Eastern science of health, copper can greatly contribute to immunity when used properly.
The point is that only water or possibly herbal tea that does not contain any acidity is consumed from a copper bottle or glass.
Copper bottles / glasses must be produced from pure, high-quality copper that does not contain admixtures of dangerous metals such as lead.
In the Enlight copper bottle , the optimal amount of particles is released into the water, which easily kills all bacteria and viruses, while at the same time it does not pose any danger to us. On the contrary, it contributes to raising immunity and is within the lower limits of the recommended minimum daily doses.
It is important to know how to maintain them.
In short, every 2-3 weeks, or as needed, it is good to do a simple cleaning before the green patina appears.
It is enough to fill the bottle with lukewarm water and add a teaspoon of citric acid. Then it is left to rest for 2 hours and the bottle is shiny again.
We, Atesa and Dario, make sure that our Enlight copper bottles are made of the highest quality tested copper and have a beautiful design.
We are regularly in India and have been working on improving them for 2 years.
With each Enlight copper bottle, you get simple maintenance instructions, and you can find them at THIS LINK.