Kalai

What Is Kalai?

Kalai (also called kalai-karna or tinning) is the traditional craft of coating the inside of brass and copper vessels with a thin layer of tin. For centuries, kalaiwalas travelled from neighbourhood to neighbourhood re-tinning household pots and pans.

Why It Matters

Brass and copper react with sour, salty and acidic foods — tamarind, tomato, curd, lemon, pickles. A tin lining sits between the food and the metal, which is why brass and copper cookware has traditionally been kalai-lined before it is used for cooking or for holding such foods.

Vessels used only for water, dry storage, pooja or décor are normally left unlined. Kansa is traditionally used without kalai.

How It's Done

The vessel is cleaned and heated over a fire. Pure tin is melted onto the hot surface with a flux, and the kalaiwala spreads it quickly across the inside with a cotton pad until it forms a bright, silvery layer. The vessel is then quenched and cleaned.

When Does Kalai Need Redoing?

With regular cooking the lining wears thin over time. When you can see the brass or copper showing through the silver layer, it is time to have the vessel re-tinned.

Kalai at Rustic Elements

Our copper goblets are made from copper with a tin coating — a modern take on the same idea.