Baumalu 5qt. Saute Pan and 2qt. Open Sauce Pan

Baumalu 5qt. Saute Pan
Made in France
2.5 mm Copper lined with 0.5mm tin
Cast iron handle

This beautiful piece of cookware is a pleasure to the eye. Solid construction with 2.5mm thick copper. Tin lining is applied by hand according to the manufacturer's booklet, therefore, irregularity on the surface is considered normal.

The piece is not for weak arms, and it's definitely not one of those 'for show only' copper cookware. I was not able to saute the food with one arm during my test ( I can saute with a 12" Lodge cast iron pan though). The dish I made is a Chinese classic - "Red Cook Pork Chop" (A.K.A. pork chop Teriyaki). I made a modern twist to it by adding red sweet pepper to the dish. I found red sweet pepper (or paprika when red pepper is selling $3/lb.) does a good job in balancing soy sauce and bring to the sweetness of the cinnamon.

The first thing I noticed when using the pan is that it heats fast. It browns the pork chop perfectly, and left fond on the bottom for deglazing. I then sauted the Chinese five essence spice ( that I mixed myself), green onion, and red sweet pepper (diced), then deglazed the pan with rice wine and dark soy sauce. Added back the pork chop, covered the pan, and lower the heat. The pan response to the heat change very well. The sauce in the pan stops boiling right away. After 25 minutes of braising, I turned off the heat and let it sit for 5 minutes, then serve.

The pork chop came out excellent, I gave credit to the pot for excellent browning and braising capability. I didn't see any hot spot and food in the center of the pan is as "done" as the food close to the side of the pan. 2.5mm thick copper is the reason I guess.

My only complain is that 0.5mm tin lining is not much. After washing the pot that night, I have noticed couple area inside of the pan has started to expose copper. Therefore, I have to say goodbye to this pan and keep looking for a stainless steel lined copper cookware. Falk and Mauviel are the only options. However, neither of them is sold under $100.

Overall, I can only say I had a great time cooking with this pan. I do admit that I might have scrub the pan too hard when washing it. The maintenance is way too much for me to handle at the moment.

Cost: $49



The 2qt. open sauce pan is unique. It's hammered, meaning the body of the pan has dents all over. It has 3mm thick copper, again, a 0.5mm tin lining. It's gone for the same reason I described above. All I did was making soup in this pan.

It's really a pity that the tin lining didn't last. Both pans feel great in the hand and perform superb.

Cost: $19