How to check whether brass, copper or kansa is genuine

• Magnet: none of the three metals is magnetic. A firm pull means a steel or iron body. A slight pull at a handle may be a steel rivet.
• Scratch: on the underside, a light scratch should show the same colour. Grey or silver beneath means plating.
• Colour: copper is reddish-pink, brass yellow-gold, kansa a paler gold. Paint or lacquer looks unnaturally even and glossy.
• Weight: solid metal feels heavy for its size. Weigh the same size from two sellers.
• Ring (kansa): tap the rim with a fingernail or coin. Good kansa rings long and clear; a dull thud suggests another alloy or a crack.

This is the most common doubt. Kansa is paler and less yellow than brass, and it rings longer when struck.

Video tests that break a piece to look at the grain are no use in a shop. Instead, compare colour, ring and weight against a piece you know is kansa.

Odisha's kansa cooking ware is traditionally left sooty black outside and scraped to gold inside. Judge such pieces by the inside.

Home checks separate solid metal from plated steel. They cannot measure the copper, zinc or tin percentage.

They also cannot detect lead. Some brass contains about 2% lead, added to make it easier to machine. Only a laboratory test, such as XRF analysis, measures composition.

A claim is only as good as the paper behind it. Ask to see the test report, and check that it names the product and the laboratory.

When we read marketplace reviews in October 2026, kansa buyers doubted “certified” sets that showed no certificate. Some also reported pieces turning black or cracking.

Online titles are stuffed with keywords. In October 2026, six of the top ten Flipkart results for “brass kadai” had only brass handles; several titles said iron. Some “brass parat” results were stainless steel.

Read the stated material and ask for the weight. A seller of solid brass or copper can give both.

• What is the metal, and what does each size weigh?
• Is the cooking surface tinned (kalai)? Is the outside lacquered?
• Is the piece cast, spun, sheet or hand-hammered?
• For food use: what can you document about the alloy and its lead content?