I have the Sam's/Member's Mark tri-ply clad cookware. I would use nylon or wooden utensils, rather than metal utensils. This will help keep the scratches to a minimum. Also, purchase Bar Keeper's friend (usually can find it in liquid cleaner form) for regular cleaning. If you clean the pieces after each use, they will stay looking like new for the life of the set. Keep in mind that they will get scratched to a degree, since you will be moving them around on your cooktop (unless you have ceramic or smooth cooktop). But with care and upkeep you can keep the scratches to a minimum. As far as any residue left after use, you can soak them in hot, soapy water and scrape any residue off with a non-metal utensil. I wouldn't submerge them in water immediately after taking them off the heat source. Let them cool down for a bit before you fill them with water or wash them. Enjoy...it's a wonderful set and performs beautifully.

what wouldn't you cook in them? are there any foods that would stick to them horribly?

I have SS and use it for everything. I do have one non stick fry pan. Great for eggs and cheese.
Starchy foods may leave a film but it comes off in the DW. All of my SS goes in the DW daily. Remember to heat your pan first, then heat the oil then add the food.

Eggs are the main reason to get a non-stick skillet. Other than that, and possibly cheese as Eandhl said, cooking and cleaning SS is easy. I have had my huge set of Al Clad stainless for about 6 years now and they still look new.

When cooking where you are using water, such as boiling, you may get dull areas from hard water deposts. A couple of drops of vinegar, and they are gone. If the pans ever start to dull, you clean with Bar Keeper's Friend, a mild cleanser. But for me, most of the time a trip to the DW is all that is needed.

Lynne

I used a Tramontina tri-ply pan for the first time tonight, made a stir fry on a relatively low heat (an oxymoron), but the pan stayed hot enough that it didn't matter. Still, i think the sides got too hot, b/c some of the oil baked into a gunk layer onto them and it took me forever to get it off w/a scotchbrite, trying several different soaps including BKF. Is this normal, or did i make the pan too hot?

I have SS and nonstick and prefer to cook eggs in the SS. The pan has to be very clean or they will stick. I use a little butter and sometimes a little olive oil and once the eggs start to set just shake the pan a little to loosen them. If one gets a little stuck just use a spatula to help it a bit. When using SS dont try to turn food until it's ready to be turned. Like when you put in a chicken fried steak, leave it alone until you see the bottom edges browning usually after 5 minutes on medim high heat. I almost always use BKF on my stuff and then Dawn.

dogboy, i did as you describe, not turning the food until it was brown (i was stir frying tofu, of all things...). Some of it stuck anyway, and i felt like i was using more oil than i'd usually like, and i don't usually cook in nonstick pans, just my seasoned cast iron or a wok. I wondered if i had the pan too hot b/c i'm not used to the whole tri-ply thing, and the oil seemed to cook off really fast. What stuck to the sides was the oil that didn't have any food on it, i guess i swirled the oil in the pan when i added it to spread it around, and some of it went up the sides. That's what was hard to clean off; the bottom was no problem at all. Anyway, i'll try a lower flame next time, maybe?

msrevise, I have to admit I've never stir fried in my SS. I would chose cast iron personaly. I'm really just an amateur cook. If you get good results tell me how you did :)

I use my stainless steel for everything, (with the exception of a non-stick pan I use for eggs and grilled cheese). I will tell you by experience...these pans heat fast and stay hot for a very long time. Because of this, when I first started using my SS I nearly burned everything. I learned by trial and ERROR when I have food stick to the bottom of the pan (such as speghetti sauce, refried beans, etc.) There is an EASY solve (I learned on accident)...put the lid on the pot, remove it from the heat for a couple minutes and stir....remarkably what WAS stuck to the bottom comes off. I personally love the SS. Hope this helps you.

I just purchased my 1st piece of All Clad cookware. I heated up my pan and then added the oil but it was way too hot...(I see what you mean about adjusting the temperature) but now I have high heat marks on my shiny new pan. How do I get rid of them and make it look new again?

durrable2, moisten the pan then use Bar Keepers Friend on a paper towel. This should clean up the high heat marks.