Lacquer must be removed from eating and cooking utensils before use. To remove lacquer, place the item in 2 gallons of boiling water to which 1 cup of washing soda has been added. The lacquer will peel off. An alternate method to remove lacquer is to rub with a cloth saturated with acetone or alcohol.

Copper items, be they copper-base steel bowls or decoration pieces, have become popular as gifts

Copper utensils with copper interiors should never be used for acidic foods, with pH of 6 or below, since toxic compounds can form if food is cooked, or stored, or served from such containers. Even if copper pans are lined with tin, they should not be used for acidic foods such as fruits, fruit juices, salad dressings, tomatoes, vinegar containing foods, etc.

Copper bowls may be used for beating egg whites, or copper kettles for cooking high sugar foods like fudge, for these foods are alkaline. Utensils with copper on the bottom, or outside, and stainless steel, aluminum, or a porcelain enamel interior finish are safe to use and conduct heat well. Avoid high heat which discolours copper bottoms.

Ideally, you should clean copper bottoms after each use, even though the tarnish does not affect cooking results or the pan's efficiency. Do not use an abrasive cleaner or steel wool to clean copper bottoms.

Wash tarnished copper utensils with soap and warm water and polish with a cleaner of equal parts of salt, vinegar and flour. After rubbing the item with this mixture or any polish, wash it carefully, rinse thoroughly and dry.

Copper pots: To remove tarnish from copper pots, rub with lemon halves dipped in salt.

Vinegar and salt: If copper is tarnished, boil article in a pot of water with 1 tablespoon salt and 1 cup white vinegar for several hours. Wash with soap in hot water. Rinse and dry.

Salt, vinegar, and flour: Dissolve 1 teaspoon salt in 1 cup white vinegar. Add enough flour to make a paste. Apply the paste to copper and let it sit for 15 minutes to 1 hour. Rinse with clean warm water, and polish dry.

Lemon and salt or baking soda: Make a paste of lemon juice and salt, and rub with a soft cloth, rinse with water, and dry. Or use a slice of lemon sprinkled with baking soda. Rub copper with the lemon slice and rinse with water and dry.

Vinegar and salt: Pour vinegar over the surface. Sprinkle salt over the acid and rub in the mixture. Rinse with warm water and polish dry.

Lemon juice & cream of tartar: Make a paste of lemon juice and cream of tartar. Apply, leave on for 5 minutes, and then wash in warm water. Dry with a soft cloth.

Home-made polish: If using a commercial polish for copper, follow directions on the container. Polish can also be made at home by moistening salt with vinegar or lemon juice to make a paste for a bright finish or a paste of rotten-stone and olive oil for a dull finish. After polishing decorative items, spray with lacquer to preserve colour if desired.

"Bronze disease"

This disease also attacks copper. Use hot vinegar and salt, or lemon juice and salt, copper cleaner, or buttermilk to remove these patches of corrosion.

After treating, wash promptly with soap and water, rinse and dry.

— Compiled by Chetna Banerjee