Containers: Cooking Containers: Brass and Bronze

“Brass” was the name given to a range of copper-based metal alloys. The two main categories include copper-zinc alloys and copper-tin alloys. Both types normally contain a small amount of lead to improve working characteristics. The zinc alloys are usually softer and yellower in color while the tin alloys are reddish. Both are normally cast in sand molds and subsequently filed, scraped, or polished to give a smooth surface. These alloys are good heat conductors and are well suited for use in saucepans, skillets, and posnets. Forged brass sheeting (copper-zinc alloy) is used for lighter vessels, such as teapots, kettles, and small utensils like ladles, graters, and tinderboxes. Brass is also used in combination with other metals (such as knobs or finials on iron tools). As the end of the eighteenth century approached, the technology for rolling thin sheets improved dramatically, leading to machine stamping as an economical production method.