I'm going through the same process and decided upon one-at-a-time purchasing without commiting to a manufacturer. I'm limping along with a cast iron pan and have ordered the Apollo 9.4" covered saute pan - undoubtedly from the same web site that you are looking at. Now that I have ordered it I realize that the handle configuration may not be best; the proline style might be better although it doesn't have a helper handle.

Returning to the heart of your question, Demeyere "rates" the Multiline as 4* and the Proline as 5*. The former has a 3 mm thickness and the latter 4.8 cm. Note that the Proline handle, from what I see, is different from the 7-piece set displayed at that web site. Judge for yourself and/or send a question to the internet vendor. Select the fry pan "ranks" at the Demeyere link for some details.

Here is a link that might be useful: Demeyere fry pans

You mention liking the idea of a nonstick surface. The Demeyere ControlInduc frying pans are non-stick, and are designed with a magnetic layer that changes to non-magnetic at a temperature below the temperature at which nonstick coatings are damaged. When it becomes non-magnetic, the induction waves no longer are able to heat the pan. Thus, it is impossible to heat the pan hot enough to damage the nonstick surface. (This protection of course only works on an induction cooktop--on any other kind of cooktop, it is still possible to heat the pan too hot.) In theory, these nonstick pans should last much, much longer than others, because nonstick pans usually "die" because someone overheats them.

As DBAGuy says, Proline is Demeyere's top-of-the-line frying pan that doesn't have a nonstick coating.

DBAGuy, I have the 11" sautepan from the Atlantis line. It's great! I'm really impressed about how things don't really stick to it. For example, when I brown meat in it, the meat of course sticks for the first couple minutes, but by the time I'm done cooking the dish, I can rinse out the pan and it's pretty much clean. That Silvinox finish is quite impressive.

If your looking at purchasing a set of Apollo Cookware, then there is only one 5-star skillet available in that line and that is the Proline skillet. As dbabuy said, it has a 4.8mm thick core that runs up the sides of the pan.

As for Restoglide/Duraglide, I would stay away from these. Its not that they are "bad", its just that they are not even remotely comparable to the Apollo cookware. If any retailer is offering these as an option for an Apollo set, they are undoubtedly trying to pocket the difference.

Now we move on to the 4-star pans and how they compare with the 5-star. Because of the thicker core, the five-star has a greater mass which helps in regulating and controlling heat. With that said, though, 3-mm thick is pretty comparable to alot of other brands like All-clad stainless, Calphalon Tri-Ply and Cuisinart Multi-Clad. So unless you are a REALLY demanding chef, I would wager that most people wouldn't notice much of a performance difference.

However, I did notice you said that you had an interest in non-stick. If this is the case, then 4-star Multiglide is really your only choice. They don't make a non-stick Proline. And, like I said, I wouldn't go for the Duraglide.

I should mention that I have used the proline and selectine skillets, with the Silvinox and Brinox coatings. The Silvinox/Brinox is such a refined and pure form of stainless steel, that it is virtually non-stick, and in my opinion builds flavor better than non-stick cookware. Just my two cents, though.

As for sets/versus individual pieces - I always go individual. Whether its knives or cookware, you're going to come out on top with individual pieces that are specifically suited to what you use, rather than having a couple pieces from a set sit in a drawer because you never use them. My advice is to shop around for the best deal, as well. Good shopping and if you want more details, let me know and I'll do my best to help.

Thank you so much for your valuable information! I do not have any induction cookware, so am starting from scratch. I am not a gourmet chef, but would like to buy a set that will last and work well with my induction cooktop. My budget is about $400. It sounds like I should buy the items separately, not as a set. Could you PLEASE recommend to me which pieces I should buy to start out? Sauce pan, pasta pot, frying pan. I don't make much soups or stews.
Any advice on essential pieces I should get, or what works for you, would really be appreciated! I have read about Tramontina pasta pots (with the locking lids for draining), but not sure if they work on induction.

Sadly, Demeyere is a bit on the costly side. Here are my recommendation for pieces that I get a lot of usage out of: My 3.2 qt. Atlantis saucepan gets a huge amout of use. The steamer that stacks on it also is used a lot. I just recently bought the 11" Altantis sautepan, and it also is getting heavy use. Plus, the advantages of the Demeyere cookware really shine in sautepan usage.

I note that YourCookware.com is currently running a special on Demeyere covered sautepans. (Linked)

Here is a link that might be useful: Sautepans currently on special

Also, regarding your budget and list of items, I would suggest something less expensive than Demeyere for a pasta pot. For just boiling water, you don't need a lot of sophistication in your cookware. I picked up an induction-capable Tramontina 8 qt. stock pot/pasta insert/steamer insert set at WalMart for, IIRC, $38.

I recently bought 3 Apollo frying pans. I have only used the small one and have had mixed results. The meat didn't stick so that was fine, although I wouldn't say it was super easy to clean up.
My biggest problem is that everything else sticks like glue--fried potatoes, eggs, etc. I have read and re-read the instructions and I don't know what I'm doing wrong. I'm starting to think this cookware is not for vegetables or something. Can anyone help? This was expensive and my husband is understandably not very happy about this.