My All-Clad stainless pots and pans have served me flawlessly for going on 20 years, and I expect them to last indefinitely. I love how evenly they conduct heat and wouldn't use anything else. Vastly better than low- to mid-range stuff, IMO. High end cookware is definitely more expensive, but you'll have it forever.

It really depends on what you're cooking and how. If you regularly make sauces or custards that must not scorch, a good heavy pan that conducts heat well, is worth the extra money. If your sauce pan is used to cook frozen peas, it really won't matter. I do like my Calphalon saucepan but it's very heavy for me to lift if it's full.

My favorite small skillet is one I purchased at World Market for under $10.00. It is perfect for making an omelet and has a non-stick finish. I am devastated that it has been replaced by a ceramic one that is $29.95!

I don't ever buy a "set" of pans. I buy the best pan for my specific need. My larger skillet is also from World Market and was under $20.00. One that is big enough to fry chicken (no, I have NOT used it in years!) was from K-Mart.

I would never be without a Le Crueset big dutch oven. They are simply the best for anything that must be cooked at low heat and slowly. They're terribly heavy but it's worth the inconvenience.

My daughter has had All-Clad now for 22 years and loves hers.

With the responsiveness and control you get from induction. . . . For example the 17 levels from Miele and Bosch.. . .I find heavy, well made well bonded(for no buzzing) multi-layer stainless cookware at mid level pricing is more than adequate. Even when up against copper pots which cannot be used with induction. You've got all the control you could want. I've got some Chantal pans that are heavy with a mixed copper melted into steel mid layer core. Not cheap but mid. They are very responsive. . . . . .De Buyer carbon steel and cast iron can be part of your collection at good pricing though not stainless.

Pans perform better with induction. This makes getting every last bit of performance no longer something I notice or care about.

You can signup to be on All-Clads outlet periodic sale list.

I have All-Clad, and am not a fan, and am slowly getting rid of them. The handles are uncomfortable, and the pots and pans are very heavy. While I think a good weight is needed in order not to scorch food, the All-Clad for me are too heavy.

You also need different types of pans for different things. I love my Le Creuset pots - I have two - the 5 qt and 7 qt, which is perfect for me. I have heard that the Lodge enameled cast iron pots are just as good for a third of the price. For smaller 3- and 4-quart pots, the best IMO is Demeyere. For fry pans, I like carbon steel, but they do take practice and some getting used to, but now I can’t use any other fry pan.

I like to have a cheap nonstick skillet around for scrambled eggs - the T-Fal Professional nonstick work very well and are cheap. You could spend a fortune on a non-stick pan - But it will lose its nonstick-ness just as fast as a $25 pan.

You cannot make a sweeping statement about what to spend on your cookware. It depends what you want to do, and the types of cooking you are doing.

Thanks so much

I've always had gas ranges and have:

a set of old Demeyere pots and pans that are about 35 years old (a gift from my parents when I graduated from college lol) and cook beautifully and look almost brand new;

some vintage copper-bottomed RevereWare pots and pans from the 1960s (maybe even from the 1950s) that are amazing. The pans especially, even though they are NOT nonstick, function almost like nonstick pans and are incredibly easy to clean;

two Le Creuset enamelled cast iron pots -- a Dutch oven and a braiser -- that are wonderful and I would never be without them. They cook beautifully and look pretty much brand new. I have a KitchenAid enamelled cast iron Dutch oven that is not as old and is in much worse shape, inside and outside. I'm grateful that I got them through an Air Miles program because I probably couldn't have afforded them otherwise; and

a set of three Ikea +365 stock pots, small, medium, and large, from about 10 years ago. They're not very heavy, but they're decent quality and are often my go-to for cooking pasta, potatoes, making rice, etc.

My advice is to read reviews, and to buy the best quality you can afford for the least amount of money : ) .

I thought they would be. Years ago I was planning on buying high/er end cookware eventually. But instead I've bought some early cast iron pans, copper pots from TJMaxx that I wouldn't live without, and was gifted a large amount of vintage Farberware. Between those ,a stock pot or two, and a few dutch ovens I'm set. No more cookware for me unless I finally bite the bullet on some $$ copper items. Oh and a nonstick egg pan I replace every few years.

Induction can highlight uneven heating in a pan. Cast iron needs to preheat for quite a while before it's fairly even across the bottom. All-Clad is okay, as is Tramontina, but I have hot and cool spots with mine. My most used pan is A-C because of the floor space, so it's obviously not a deal-breaker for me. I love using my 9.5" Demeyere Proline skillet and the 11" 5+/ Industry5 twin that's called Zwilling Sensation. They're much more even than any of my A-C and respond quickly. Proline are very heavy, though.

Different cooking methods have different requirements. I'll spend the money on any skillet, sauté, rondeau, or saucier. They're my workhorses and I want them to perform so well that I hardly need to check. You can go mid-range for saucepans but look for a nice, thick conductive base for even heating. Inexpensive for stock/pasta pot (I'm thinking Ikea here because enameled steel will scorch pasta), cast iron, carbon steel, and non-stick.

That's not to say I wouldn't upgrade any of my mid-low range cookware if I came across a deal. I absolutely would!

I have a mish mash of inexpensive to nice. What I don't have is any sort of teflon/non-stick garbage. I mostly cook eggs in a carbon steel pan, but I'll use any pan that's handy. My eggs don't stick.

I have a lot of cast iron. Food doesn't stick in any of 'em, and I don't baby any of it. I've read articles that talk about stacking cast iron with special pads between 'em, never using metal utensils on 'em to 'preserve' the seasoning, etc, and I just shake my head. The point of cast iron is that you can use and abuse it, and they'll always bounce back.

The best bang-for-the-buck cookware I've seen is Ikea's 365 stuff. Solid thick bottoms for good heat dispersal, and easy to clean.

It does really depend on how and what you cook. I do a lot of pastry-type cooking/baking and for that I prefer the heavy, even heating of the good stuff. All Clad, as a general rule. Yes, it's heavy, but I don't usually move it around that much, so it's not an enormous issue. I have some Revereware, and I'll say my set from ca. 1990-ish is not nearly as heavy and useful as the vintage pieces. And my husband even managed to scorch the largest stockpot and cause the copper to bubble. It's an even bigger problem for even heating, now.

I'd agree that "sets" are to be avoided. I have a hodge podge of All Clad, the Revere (which mostly gets used for reheating or occasionally boiling something), cast iron, the requisite Le Creuset stock pot, and a smattering of vintage pieces - mostly skillets, some copper.

Watch for sales (Sur La Table is running one now), buy one pan and see how you like it. Then add to your collection as you decide what works for you.

I think Holly Stockley makes a good point about just buying one at a time. I say that because over the years I gathered quite a collection of pans. And just like a clothes closet, I used 10% of them 90% of the time. I have culled the duplication of fry pans, sauce pans, specialty pans I never used, etc. What a relief. So I would caution you not to buy a whole bunch, but just one or two here or there, and you may find that is enough.

When I culled, I will say that I got rid of most of my All-Clad because I had discovered Demeyere, which are so much better. Demeyere is very expensive, and I think they have a couple of lower-price lines that are not as good, so if you are interested, do your research.

I think at least one Le Creuset stock pot is required; make sure to check out Le Creuset Outlet Stores. I bought mine there, and one of the pots I cannot find the flaw, and the other is a teeny mark on one side.

This is very helpful. thanks so much.

Zwilling will have good sales around holidays and will occasionally clearance some really nice things. With Easter and Memorial day coming up, it's worth checking them out! Right now, there's a 20% off Demeyere sale but I've seen select pieces marked down even further. Proline and Atlantis are the top tier. Industry, 5+, and Zwilling Sensation are all the same pan with different handles.

Franz from Chowhound has done some nice tests of different cookware. You can check out his opinions are a variety of lines. Here is a post about choosing cookware. Scroll down for a rundown of induction compatible lines. There's a lot of helpful info on his site to help you choose.

I agree to purchase base on performance needs and not a set. I do the same thing with appliances.

Not sure what your budget is - but the OXO Stainless Steel cookware is a very nice "mid-range" line, I received the set as a gift a while ago and am enjoying it. You can buy the pieces individually too.

I do love my Le Creuset and Demeyere pieces as well, but they are not cheap. Definitely invest in a Le Creuset dutch oven - perfect for making great pot roast!

Be careful which pieces of All Clad you buy. They used to be a US company with all pieces made in the US. They were bought (by a French company, I believe) and don’t have the same commitment to US manufacturing. Many pieces are now made in China and aren’t the same quality.

If I lived in the US rather than Canada, where shipping and duty costs can be so high that they're more than the item cost , I would look into buying reasonably priced vintage pieces via Etsy and eBay. It can take some time until you find the right price, but it's worthwhile.

I have an induction cooktop and love my Allclad and Lecreuset. I also have some of the tri clad in less expensive brands that I like equally as well as well as some lodge cast iron that is great and affordable.