Heavy Where It Matters: Our Approach To Thick Spun Copper Cookware Design

When shopping for ultra-thick copper cookware, weight is often cited as the market of quality. The thing is that weight isn’t the only metric that matters. High-quality copper cookware should be substantial without becoming unwieldy. While ultra-thick copper increases thermal mass, this benefit is most valuable at the cooking surface, not in the walls. By producing pans with variable thickness (a thicker base and thinner walls) we can maintain performance while reducing overall weight compared to uniformly thick cookware.

Our spun sauté pans begin as uniform 4 mm copper sheet. The spinning process creates a natural gradient, thinning the walls to approximately 3 mm while maintaining the full 4 mm thickness at the base. This concentrates thermal mass where it delivers the greatest cooking benefit—the cooking surface—without the unnecessary bulk of thick walls. Even with this optimized design, the unladen pans weigh approximately 5,500 grams.

Since the copper itself must remain heavy, we've optimized the only other variable: handle weight. Rather than traditional cast-iron handles or brass handles, we're using stainless steel forged to match the durability, texture, and appearance of forged or cast iron while significantly reducing weight. Each pan will feature both a standard handle and a helper handle, both secured with three 6 mm pure copper rivets.

The transition from the cooking surface to the walls will feature a wider radius than most contemporary pans. This design is both a tribute to traditional copper cookware, which typically featured gentler curves, and a practical improvement. The broader transition provides easier spatula access, allowing you to reach ingredients at the pan's edges without interference.

Note* Given the substantial weight of the unladen 4 mm version, we're considering a lighter spun from 3-3.15 mm stock, with walls thinning to approximately 1.9–2.1 mm during fabrication.

Have thoughts on the design of our pan? Want to see any changes? Let us know by emailing spijk@rockyhillforge.com