Copper Chef Square Pan: Does it Really Work?

The Copper Chef square pan is advertised as a nonstick pan which can replace a number of kitchen cookware due to its size and special coating.

About Copper Chef

Copper Chef is a square copper-colored pan which is said to be able to go from the stove top to the oven to the table. It features a deep, square design, which supposedly allows more flexibility than standard sized pans, along with the ability to hold more food than others dishes of a similar size.

You’ll sometimes see the product referred to as “Copper Chef” while other times you’ll see it referred to as the Copper Chef Square Pan, or simply the Copper Chef Pan. These are all used interchangeably, although it appears that additional products under the Copper Chef brand will be forthcoming, meaning that the word “pan” may soon need required when describing this particular product.

There are multiple domains which have been used to advertise Copper Chef. As of this February 2016 writing, the primary domain used in advertising is copperchef.com, which was registered back in February 2007. Although the domain dates back several years, according to the Internet Archive, the pan featured here was not shown on the website until very recently – and it was parked as recently as a couple of years ago. Some versions of the commercials feature the domain copperchefpan.com, which was registered in October 2015. The website for each domain is virtually identical.

The official YouTube channel only has a number of recent videos which were posted in 2016.

How Much Does Copper Chef Cost?

The product website implies that the list price for Copper Chef is 4 payments of $24.99 with free shipping, which amounts to $99.96. The number “4” is crossed out and is replaced by the number “3” with the implication that the list price has been slashed. The new total would then amount to $74.97. It is unclear if Copper Chef was actually offered for $99.96.

As any pitchman would say, however, “It doesn’t stop there.”

There are 3 different sets from which you can choose: 5 pieces, 6 pieces, and 13 pieces. These sets all include the pan, lid, recipe booklet, steamer rack, and fry basket.

For the 6 piece set, you’ll ad a 9.5-inch square fry pan and bump the price to three payments of $34.99, or $104.97. Thus, you are paying another $30 for the additional pan.

The “Deluxe” 13 piece set adds the square fry pan, a 4-piece utensil set, a Titan Peeler, and a 10-inch round pan with lid. This set is three payments of $49.99, or $149.97.

If cost is not of a concern, the 13-piece set is probably a better deal per piece. If you are on a budget, skip the 6 piece set and just stick with the basic 5-piece option.

About the Copper Chef Warranty

It may be worthwhile to peruse the 60-day warranty offered by Copper Chef, and its lifetime warranty on the coating. The 60-day warranty begins upon receipt of your order, not from the time you receive it. To return the product, you must first call and receive an authorization number. You are responsible for the cost to ship it back to them. You can also obtain an authorization number by emailing [email protected].

The lifetime warranty states that the “non-stick ceramic coating is warranted not to peel, chip, or blister with normal home use for the lifetime of the original purchaser…”

Should you decide to invoke your warranty, you must include a check for $14.99, although this cost is not explained.

Is there copper in Copper Chef?

Although Google ads for Copper Chef claim that it is a “copper-infused nonstick coating cooking pan,” the product website’s FAQ clearly states that it is not actually made of copper:

Is the Copper Chef™ pan actual copper or copper in color? Is it a coating that will peel?
The pan is copper colored, coated aluminum with a steel induction plate.

Eric Theiss

Copper Chef is endorsed by culinary expert Eric Theiss, who has been associated with other As Seen on TV cookware such as the Power Pressure Cooker XL. He also appears in infomercials and on YouTube videos which demonstrate the virtues of Copper Chef. It does not appear that he developed the product, but he does endorse it.

Copper Chef Review

At first glance, Copper Chef may appear to be a relatively standard nonstick cooking pan, and to some users that’s probably all it is. While we take some issue with the use of the word “copper” in a pan that is merely copper-colored, and which touts a little-known technology (“Cerami-Tech”), we still need to look at the merits of the product itself, despite the advertising hype.

Design-wise, Copper Chef does boast a few advantages over standard round frying pans. The depth allows for flexibility and larger portions than round pans of a similar size. The nonstick coating is excellent, although searching for information on the touted surfaced (“Cerami-Tech”) only turns up a couple of technical pages which offer the typical consumer little useful information. The depth also allows for steaming and frying, which is a nice feature.

Aside from its general benefits of size, shape, and surface, we found the fry basket and steam rack to provide a significant increase in value. Neither a fry basket nor a steam rack are particularly new inventions, but to have them customized to fit perfectly into your Copper Chef is a huge bonus. If you have attempted to find a third party fry basket or steam rack to fit your existing cookware, you’ll know how problematic this can be. With Copper Chef, you get both extras perfectly sized to your product. The steam rack can also be used as a trivet, which is a more attractive option than placing it on an old pot holder.

Despite a lack of information about what Cerami-Tech really is, we found the surface to perform quite well out of the box, and clean up quite well in most cases.

In short, Copper Chef performs about as expected. Not every cooking job requires such a large or deep pan, but those that do will likely benefit from the product’s design.

Other Copper Chef Reviews

Because Copper Chef has only recently appeared in television ads and infomercials, it is difficult to find relevant first-hand reviews. Most other review sites simply regurgitate information they have found online about the product.

You can find a small number of customer reviews for Copper Chef on Amazon, which are primarily negative. One reviewer merely took issue with the warranty but never purchased it, while two other negative reviews were from customers who also decided not to purchase it. yet another review showed a failed attempt at making eggs in the pan. Of those, only one customer actually used the product, which is an example why some consumer-based review sites should be taken with a grain of salt. The reviewer featuring the two eggs certainly shows a valid complaint, although cooking two eggs in such a large pan is probably not an ideal situation.

Trends Report

The Google Trends chart below shows little interest in the topic “copper chef” until the very end of 2015, which search interest exploded as infomercials began airing for the product.

Conclusion

Copper Chef is an aluminum pan which features a deep, square design and an effective nonstick surface. Although the pan is not made of copper, as the name and advertising suggest, it is a pan which generally performs as well as advertised. There are other options available in this price range, although we feel that the majority of those who purchase Copper Chef will be pleased with the purchase. It is not ideal for every type of food, and may be less than ideal for some cooking projects where a small amount of food needs to stick together (such as the eggs from the Amazon reviewer). Copper Chef is a good addition to your cookware arsenal, but probably won’t replace everything as the infomercial suggests.

Your Copper Chef Reviews

Have you used Copper Chef, or are you still awaiting your order? Give us your review in the comments below.