1) Because copper is such a good conductor of heat, you should always use low to medium heat, this is equivalent to medium or high heat.   2) Never put an empty pan on a burner, always have something in the pan first.   3) Never use metal utensils in a copper pan, use nylon or wood only.   4) Copper pans should always be washed by hand and never put in a dishwasher.  Use a nylon-covered sponge and a dish soap that is non-abrasive.   5) Try to cook acidic product in another pan then one tin lined.  Example tomato sauce is high in acid.  We use acid to strip the old tin off; tomato sauce does the same thing at a slower process.   6) To help keep the "fresh polished" look we use two products.  First the polish "Wenol", it comes in a red tube, a little goes a long way with this product.   Next we use the  polish "Wrights", we like the "brass polish" for copper items.  We prefer the liquid form.