The Eclectic Kitchen: French Copper Cookware

Posted March 28, 2011 by
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My dream set of French copper cooking pots

My dream set of French copper cooking pots: Matfer 915901 8 Piece Bourgeat Copper Cookware Set

Nothing says French country like a gleaming set of genuine French copper cooking pots. Its a timeless look that sets the tone and adds a true touch of class to your kitchen. If you have a blue and white provencal style kitchen the warm glow of the copper adds a warming touch, but more than just decorative, authentic copper French cookware is meant to be used, ideally over a real flame, it's the all time favorite of gourmet chefs.

Antique Copper Cooking Pots in Monet's Kitchen

Antique Copper Cooking Pots in Monet's Kitchen

While my blue and white kitchen was nearing completion, I began looking for a genuine set of real French copper cookware. the first place I started was at ebay.fr, the French version of eBay. There I found a selection of vintage and used copper sets that would be great if I just wanted them for decoration purposes only - you will find a selection of old used copper pots there if you don''t mind the high shipping charges and using Google Translate to communicate if your French language skills are not up to the task. But know that used vintage copper cooking pots should be considered for decoration purposes only.

Anyway, I wanted to be able to use my copper pots for cooking so when I did a bit more research on the usage of copper pots for cooking I discovered that the old vintage copper sets can be problematic if the lining has grown thin over the years making them unsafe for food use. So if you are considering buying vintage French cooking pots, think of them as decor only. If, like me, you want to use them for cooking then a new set is definitely the way to go.

To my surprise, I actually found my dream set of French copper pots on Amazon:

The Matfer 915901 8 Piece Bourgeat Copper Cookware Set more than fitted my requirements - see picture above. I consider them the ultimate in kitchen luxury not to mention the glowing feedback from other users.

The set consists of:

1. Casserole 9 1/2’’, 5 3/4 qts. #367024
2. Copper lid 9 1/2" #365024
3. Copper sauce pan 7 1/8", 2 5/8 qts. #360018
4. Copper lid 7 1/8" #365018
5. Copper flared saute pan 9 1/2", 2 3/4 qts. #373024
6. Copper lid 9 1/2" #365024
7. Copper Brazier 11", 5 1/4 qts. #374028
8. Copper lid 11" #365028

Features include:

1. 2-1/2mm pure red copper sandwiched to 1/10mm of 18/10 Polished stainless, Bourgeat polishes their copper on both the inside and outside. A polished interior means less sticking.
2. Drip-proof rims to prevent sauce from running down the side of the pan.
3. Drop-in lids that fit well.
4. Counter balanced cast iron handles with extra heavy rivets.
5. Made of copper, with stainless steel lining

I was inspired by the impressive display of copper cooking pots I had seen in Monet's kitchen in Giverny. There were the actual cooking pots used by Monet's own cook. Monet loved the best of locally grown vegetables and foods and he kept a well tended kitchen garden away from the house at the end of the village. Once a week Monet personally chose the vegetables for his stock pot that was kept continually on the go for the rest of the week as the mainstay of meals throughout the week to feed his large blended family. Copper pots and fish kettles and a variety of copper cookware in all sizes are still today lined up along the walls of his kitchen which can be visited as part of the tour of Monet's house and garden in Giverny, France.
There you can see and appreciate the quality and importance of the cooking pots, and can't help but feel that cooking was a central activity of the household. Monet loved to entertain and nothing was spared to make his guests feel welcome at the table.

The copper pots in Monet's house are the typical French copper pot with the black forged iron handle and this is the type I was looking for. The Matfer 915901 8 Piece Bourgeat Copper Cookware Set set I found on Amazon is not cheap, there are alternative Mauviel copper cookware
sets at a range of prices that can be purchased individually to collect over time, or as a set.
Genuine copper cookware needs to be cleaned with care, without abrasives and should not go in the dishwasher, copper will develop a patina over time so unless you like the vintage look, you will be glad to know that it is possible to keep it gleaming brightly, there is a highly regarded product, Mauviel Copperbrill Copper Cleaner that is very handy for cleaning copper pots and pans, it is from the same company that makes Mauviel copper cookware. There are also traditional methods of cleaning copper which I am investigating.

More about Monet's House at http://giverny-impression.com

Kitchen Floor Ideas: Tomettes

Posted September 5, 2010 by
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During a trip to France last year we visited Monet's House and Gardens in Giverny. The Garden are spectacular - you can see Monet's water garden, the location of his famous water lillies paintings. My particular interest at this time however was the house. I was looking for decor ideas for my house, and I eagerly took in the details of the decor. The floor tiles in Monets Kitchen are Tomettes. These are French traditional hexagonal clay/teracotta tiles.

Monet House Tomette Floor Tiles

Monet House Giverny - Tomette Floor Tiles in Kitchen

I was and still am in the process of renovating my house so I decided to try to create the tomette look in my kitchen, however finding tomettes online was not a simple as I had hoped. It is possible to buy vintage tomettes, reclaimed from old french houses.  The picture above is from lascombesmateriauxanciens.com a french website that supplies vintage tomettes.

In the end I got new teracotta hexgonal tiles, my contractor found a source in Portugal and had them custom made. I love the vintage look, but even the vintage tomettes were new once.

Caring for Tomettes:

This is the traditional way to care for tomettes,

 - Once a year, rub with a mixture of water and soda.
- On a weekly basis, clean with household soap and let dry without rinsing.
- Apply linseed oil to the tomettes for a rich glow

Welcome

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Welcome to my eclectic style blog. Here I will share my style finds and ideas and you are welcome to comment or share your finds.