Copper Coffee Machines

It is not the most common material, but the coffee maker industry is so broad that it can accommodate all kinds of options and finishes to suit all tastes. Copper coffee machines have a very strong personality of their own, and almost all the models on the market share common characteristics (for example, they are almost always manual brewing methods: they do not need to be plugged in).

Nor can we forget the old copper coffee machines, which are no longer on the market, but which resembled copper stew pots. They were often used to make pot coffee, replacing the traditional earthenware coffee makers.

As a curiosity, there is a brand that almost always includes a copper coffee maker model in all its lines: Bonvivo.

Turkish copper coffee machines

If there is one type of coffee maker that stands out above the rest and is clearly identified with this material, it is the Turkish copper coffee machines, erroneously also called Arab copper coffee machines (because not all Turkish-style coffee is made in Arab countries).

Turkish coffee machines are mainly made of copper. In fact, they are the only type of coffee machine that uses copper as a material in most of its models, and not only in a few secondary parts.

When buying a Turkish copper coffee maker, you will find that most models have a wooden handle. They are usually around 300 ml capacity.

Copper French presses

Copper plunger coffee machines are the other major group of coffee machines where copper is one of the most common materials. Although they are not as numerous as the Turkish ones, there are enough copper French coffee machines on the market to choose from. Some of them even come from leading brands such as Bodum.

Almost all plunger coffee machines have a borosilicate glass brewing vessel (to withstand the sharp contrast in temperature when boiling water is poured over the coffee), but the exterior finishes can vary greatly. They are almost always plastic or stainless steel, but this is where copper comes into play in some cases to give them that touch of originality and distinction.

If you want to buy a copper French coffee machine, take a look at the following examples:

Italian copper coffee machines

In the segment of Italian coffee machines, copper is a much more residual finish. Almost all Moka coffee machines are either made of aluminium or stainless steel. Copper Italian coffee machines are a minority in this group, and they are not really all copper parts: only the upper body of the coffee machine is made of copper. The boiler, or lower body, will always be made of aluminium or steel to transmit the heat and to be able to put it on the fire safely.

The final result is usually a two-colour finish that is quite attractive and original from an aesthetic point of view.

Copper pour over coffee machines for manual filtering

We finish this review with copper pour-over coffee machines. Pour-over coffee makers, which are really just drip cones, are made from a wide range of materials: plastic, aluminium, steel, ceramic, glass, porcelain… and of course, in such a wide range of materials, copper must also be included.

The most emblematic model of this type of coffee machine, the Hario V60, has in its catalogue several finishes with copper as the protagonist. But, as you will see in the following gallery, it is by no means the only one.

Copper coffee jugs

We have already talked about coffee jugs at length on our website. These utensils are not used to brew coffee but only to serve it on the table once it has been brewed. What happens is that we often refer to them – erroneously – as coffee makers when they are really coffee jugs. There are not many copper ones on the market because most of them are made of glass or stainless steel with a lid, but if we look hard enough, we can find some:

Other copper coffee makers that you wouldn’t even know exist

Astute readers will have noticed that so far, we have only talked about kitchen utensils and manual coffee machines. Copper is not a material that is commonly used in the manufacture of electrical appliances.

However, we can find some “rarities” on the market in the form of copper-coloured or copper-finished coffee machines. In these cases, the copper plays more of a decorative role than anything else because the inner casing remains as usual (usually ABS plastic), but there is no doubt that the end result is spectacular.

For example, copper espresso machines have a much more exclusive and distinguished appearance than the usual stainless steel or grey plastic finishes.

Maintenance: How should I cure a copper coffee machine?

As with most kitchen utensils and kitchenware made of any material, it is necessary to periodically cure copper coffee machines to extend their useful life and prevent them from deteriorating with the passage of time. It should be borne in mind that deterioration is often not only aesthetic but can also affect the properties of the metal.

What do you need to cure a copper coffee machine? The best thing is that the cure is done with ingredients that we almost always have on hand at home … so to cure your copper coffee machine, you will have no excuse other than laziness.

  • Baking soda.
  • Salt.
  • Lemons.

Basically, the process consists of mixing the juice of the lemons (acid) with the bicarbonate and salt and rubbing the entire copper surface with it. The amount of these elements needed will depend on the surface you are going to clean.

And just so you don’t have any doubts, here is a practical demonstration of how to cure a copper coffee machine:

The video mainly talks about pots and pans, but of course, the process is the same for any copper surface. You only need to adjust the amount of lemon juice according to the size of the pot or surface to be cured.