Sarah Dahmen

Old World Kitchen: Sara Dahmen on the Art of Forging Historical, Ancestral Cookware

Season 2
Episode 4

Sara Dahmen is a coppersmith and the founder of House Copper cookware. When Sara was researching a historical fiction novel, she realized much of our kitchenware is no longer available as it once was and no one was making American copper designs. She created the House Copper American copper cookware line using historical references from original American coppersmiths.

Not only does Sara hand-drill, rivet, hand-tin and polish each of her wares, but she also spends time with a tinsmith, where she works weekly with tools from the 1700 and 1800’s to recreate vintage reproductions of tin and copper and build custom copperware designs from scratch. She is the only female coppersmith working in the United States. She lives in Wisconsin with her husband and children on a micro farm.

Things discussed in this episode:

The benefits of cooking with copper, clay, and cast iron

What's in modern-day cookware

The origins of copper, clay, and cast iron as cookware

Being the only female coppersmith in America

Creating with your hands

Creating a life that resonates with your values

The importance of community

Embracing your ancestral culture

Resources:

Dry Farm Wines: Use link dryfarmwines.com/bellafigura to receive a bottle for just a penny in your first order!

Sara's website