mharpo

Actually, it is 2.0mm, but is very substantial nevertheless. And, of course it is stainless lined--we only make stainless lined cookware. The price without a lid is going to be around $299 or 239 with a $500 order. I've got one here that I have yet to cook with, but I really like the design. As for the smoking part, sorta what you'd do with a wok, like tea smoked duck or something My actual cost on this piece is $133 which is a litte high I think..

<p><font size="2" face="Arial,Helvetica,Geneva,Swiss,SunSans-Regular">Sam and others, please take a look at these images of a new pan that we are thinking about bringing to the US that seems appropriate for this thread. It is essentially a wok with a 5.5" flat area on the bottom. The diameter at the top is 11" and the hieght is 4". It will include a stainless steel grate for steaming and smoking(?).</font></p> <p><font size="2" face="Arial,Helvetica,Geneva,Swiss,SunSans-Regular">I would appreciate any feedback and will likely offer a special price on a pre-order basis for members here, if interested. I haven't established what the price will be yet though...<br> I<a href="http://copperpans.com/Media/NewPan4.jpg">mage 1</a><br> <a href="http://copperpans.com/Media/NewPan3.jpg">Image 2</a></font></p>

Well, you're last statement is not accurate. Paul Van Achter, owner of Falk, developed the process. A German company actually makes the bimetal and sells to Mauviel per an agreement with Falk. Clarification: I am not saying that Mauviel did not patent Cuprinox, but they did not patent the process for the bimetal that is used by them in their cookware. It is true that Bourgeat copper is now made by Mauviel, as someone suggested earler. Falk was approached by Bourgeat around 4 years ago to make it, but declined.

Sam, Just wanted to point out that the price of our Saute Pan that you quoted is before any discounts. If your order size is $500, the price is only $188. BTW, thank you for all you are doing to educate people about cookware.

While the cost of copper as a commodity may be dropping, the dollar has weakened significantly in the last year or so. It has a huge impact on our margins and we are likely to have to raise prices as a result. I've avoided doing it this year, but will have to strongly consider it in '05. Michael Harp CopperPans.com

I think the reasons for copper cookware prices being relatively high have all been touched on except for the cost associated with bonding stainless steel to copper. This applies to almost all stainless lined copper since Falk bimetal is used. To permanently bond the .008" layer of stainless to the copper, it is first rolled together under 850 tons of pressure per sq. cm. Next, the sheets are placed into an oven and over a three day period are heated to 1,100 degrees centigrade and brought back to ambient temperature. The bimetal is manufactured in Germany for Falk and is sold to other manufacturers like Mauviel. (Bourgeat no longer make their own copper cookware). So, you have the bimetal cost, manufacturing costs, shipping costs from Belgium, import duties and taxes, warehousing costs, and shipping cost to the customer. And, as someone mentioned, it is a low volume product making it necessary to get a higher margin. OTOH, good copper cookware will last you lifetime, unlike many other types. It is a sizeable investment, but one well worth it. Michael Harp Falk USA http://CopperPans.com

Just to add a quick bit of info to this thread, in no particular order. You do have to pay customs duty and taxes on imported items. Bourgeat no longer makes their own copper cookware. Both Mauviel and Bourgeat are made using Falk's bimetal technology. Falk has various discount levels that make prices quite competitive: http://store.falkculinair.com/builyourowns.html Another concern someone had was that the stainless detracted from the copper. You should know that the stainless is only .008" thick. Hardly thick enough to present a thermal barrier. This is my first post here and I hope I haven't broken any rules yet. Michael Harp President Falk USA

As a couple of others have posted, I think that special taste you're missing is the Sesame Oil. A little goes a long way...