Chocolate and copper

[paulraphael]

I usually use a copper egg white mixing bowl for melting chocolate. Its conductivity helps the chocolate cool down quickly.

But it just crossed my mind that chocolate is somewhat acidic. Does anyone know if it's so acidic as to disolve enough copper ions to interfere with flavor (or good health)?

[chefpeon]

One would think that if a copper bowl was in any way dangerous to use with foods other than egg whites, there'd be a warning label on it, given that as a society, we're a bunch of warning label freaks.

The only cookware that I've used that has delivered an off-taste to my food was aluminum.

[paulraphael]

I made the mistake once of making an infused syrup with blackberries in a copper pan that had most of the tin lining worn away. The result tasted more like pennies than blackberries!

Berries are more acidic than chocolate, but I don't know the chemistry involved ... how strong an acid has to be, or what particular types of acid, before you start leeching signinficant amounts of ion into the food.

I'm wondering if the bowl could be effecting the flavor of the chocolate in some subtle ways ... and hoping to find some conventional wisdom on the subject, so I can avoid doing yet another science experiment.

[andiesenji]

I melt chocolate in my unlined copper sugar pan, candy makers and bakers have been using them for centuries.

I have one similar to copper candy kettle only mine was made in France in 1896.

Edited December 20, 2007 by andiesenji (log)

[alanamoana]

I melt chocolate in my unlined copper sugar pan, candy makers and bakers have been using them for centuries.

I have one similar to copper candy kettle only mine was made in France in 1896.

←

i think there's a reason it's called a 'sugar pan' and not a 'chocolate pan'. candy makers have been using them for centuries, but mostly for sugar and egg white mixtures. the chemical reaction of the copper helps to keep the sugar from crystallizing and helps to produce stable meringues. i don't recall ever seeing a professional chocolatier using a copper pot for melting or holding chocolate.

which isn't to say you can't use it for chocolate, but scientifically, i'd like to hear from someone (Patrick S) who might know whether it is harmful or not.