For some reason, decided to take a tour of mid-range makers while doing it. I am moderately good cook with occasional flashes of brilliant balanced by the occasional fail.

Honestly, I had crap. Some of it I got for free by collecting coupons at the grocery store. I kept a few things - the huge stainless stockpot I keep in the basement except for turkey time. One small Italian fry pan. It has good heat distribution and inertia - good for single person omelet but mediocre for scrambled or individual eggs. Also kept a 5 qt Sur La Table enameled cast iron braiser - I once jammed a 22 pound spatchcocked turkey in it.

To be clear, everything I bought made me a better cook (well, except for "The Disappointment"). I hadn't realized how awful my stuff was until I had the opportunity to use something better. I was stunned. I am in no way in the price group of all All Clad 3 or all LeCreuset but I understand why one might want better stuff now.

FRYING PANS

The egg pan - 8" All Clad essentials. Gas or Electric but not induction. This was the first pan I bought (Home Goods $10). Oh my, yes. Non-stick works well and the pan heats and cools really rapidly. The coating dents if you look at it wrong but so far, it doesn't affect it's nonstickness.

The flat, round griddle-like thing for tortillas and Grilled Cheese. This replaces the $6 cheapest imusa coma pan that was made from aluminum foil. SENSARTE Nonstick Crepe Pan (Amazon $33). Does induction as well as gas & electric. It has a little bit of an edge with a tiny well all around the rim. Heats up well, heat is even, dumps heat in a reasonable time. Tortillas do well as does pan toasting just about anything - including a pile of cheese & jalapeno. Fits two grilled sands. I should try pan seared veg on it. I hope it has a long lifespan.

Fish for dinner - 10" sear-fry. Cuisinart Multiclad Pro tri-ply non-stick saute. Exterior is Tri-ply, Induction Gas Electric. About $45 with a lid. Even heat - takes a while to heat up and retains heat well - a characteristic of all heayweight tri-plys. Sears really well. I may someday get the higher sided 5 quart, no coating. The handle is a little odd and that can be uncomfortable. I "fixed" it by changing my grip a little after I noticed that it was fine in my left hand.

Big saute - 12" (get ready for it) Food Ninja Foodie Neverstick Premium Everyday pan with a lid. About $80. Induction, Gas, Electric. Be careful about the label, the not premium ones aren't as nice. Oven safe - even with the lid - up to 500 F. Insanely even temperatures after preheating. Stays hot longer.

POTS

Cuisinart 1 qt French tri-ply - really nice, heavy weight but tiny. Needs care with 12 oz can of soup, About $55 with a lid. Induction, Gas, Electric.

Cuisinart 2 qt Multiclad Pro. About $50 with a lid. This is a tiny bit lighter than a French version and also wider and shorter. When the pots start getting big, this is my personal preference. Really can contain 2 quarts. Same minor handle issue.

The Disappointment. Breville Thermal Pro Hard Anodized Nonstick Saucier 2.5 qt. Sigh! About $85 with a lid. Induction, gas or electric. The practical size is about 1.5 quart (a few curse words deleted). It's sort of inverted bell shaped - the top wings out and then chokes inward before flaring out again - just enough to make it a little bit difficult to stir. It's induction capable by a small plate imbedded in the bottom. Using with gas, the plate is enough to change the characteristics of how the pan heats. The sides curve up from the plate and get hotter than the plate does. So its hard to stir and has uneven heating in a Saucier. Probably works better on induction. Can do oven up to 500F.

Cuisinart Enameled Cast Iron 3 qt covered casserole. Induction, gas or electric. Home Goods for $25 if they still have any. It's taller and narrower than most casserole style pots. Heats evenly, sears great on it's little bottom. Interior color is cream (keep it cream with oxiclean). Of course, it does oven. It's become my 3 qt go to pot.

Hestan Probond try-ply 3 qt soup with lid. It was on sale and still the most expensive thing I bought at $125. All those cheers for Nanobond were contagious. It's less than 1/2 the weight of the cuisinart cast iron, but equal performance with a bigger bottom - UNLESS you want to simmer for a long time. Then, you might need to add a simmer plate. Is it a really good tri-ply? You betcha. Is it perfect? The handles are a little small.

Tramontina 5 qt casserole with lid - a.k.a pasta water. We had a very small turkey and it did well as a stock pot too. It sears well and did a good job at keeping a constant, pretty even temperature. It doesn't have a rolled edge, so pouring is difficult.

It's fun being able to rely on your stuff to keep an even temp when you walk away from it for a little while. I'm still looking for a wok.