If you know you'll actually use the pieces in a set -- or if you'll keep what you'll really use and give away the rest -- then a set can be a very good deal. But if you buy it as a "great deal" and then realize you don't have a big pot you want for boiling pasta water or that you want a tiny pot for melting butter or chocolate or such, then it's not such a great deal.

Personally, I don't believe any cookware material is ideal for all kinds of cooking; a clad product like All-Clad or Multiclad probably comes closest to "universal" in my view, though that kind of cookware usually comes at a price.

Serrante, I think it's a very good deal. Great cookware, and compares favorably to All-Clad. Nice bonuses with it too, and free shipping. Open an Amazon charge, and get another $20 off!

Serrante, hope you were talking about Amazon, as it's actually $184 there ($25 off a $125 purchase). You also get a Cuisinart free santouko knife, and a small mini Cuisinart processor + free shipping!

Thanks for the responses, very helpful... And yes it was the amazon deal, I found through a connection at slickdeals.net... It sent me to the amazon site where I saw the 12 piece pro set on sale... and I did see the extra $25 discount... It looks like I will be owning a new set of cookware...

Steve...