[jyl]

The unlined copper stuff you see is usually just decorative.

Nowadays you can get copper pots with a stainless steel liner that doesn't need renewing like a tin liner does. This supposedly also allows you to use higher heat that you wouldn't do with a tin lined pot. (Tin melts around 450F). The steel is also more resistant to scratching, with tin lining you are supposed to use wooden utensils.

However, I've read that excessive heat is still bad for the steel-lined pots because copper and steel expand at different rates when heated. So, bottom line, when you want to apply nuclear heat, use a cast iron skillet. Copper pots are valued for their even heating and heat retention, not any ability to simulate a jet engine.