Serious Eats - seriouseats.com

I love how evenly all aluminum pots and pans conduct heat, as well as how quickly they heat up, and then cool down when removed from flame. I much prefer Calphalon to All Clad for these reasons. However, it is advisable to wash Calphalon by hand as the dishwasher will remove the coating in not too long a time; I do wash my Calphalon by hand and they are like new after at least 10 years even though I use them daily.

One important suggestion - if you've got limited storage space, as I do, do not get anything with glass covers. My kitchen is way too small for someone who loves to cook, bake and entertain, but it is in a rent stabilized apartment, so I need to be creative about stacking and making use of every inch. You're likely to have breakage if this is the case. So I stick to metal covers.

Think about what you will be cooking to decide on the mix of sizes and types of pans. I make a lot of soup and enjoy cooking for crowds, so I probably have more than the average mix of larger sized pots and pans.

For baking, I suggest sticking with light colored pans and cookie sheets. Dark pots and pans will brown, or even burn, too quickly on the bottom. I like light colored aluminum for cakes, cookies, pies, etc. But for lasagna, mac and cheese and other deep dish cheesy/gooey casseroles for a crowd (or transporting), go for stainless steel, which isn't as fast a heat conductor and won't overcook the perimeters as much as aluminum might.

Don't forget some glass casserole dishes and pie plates too! Years ago, I got a set that came with serving racks - it's so handy that I often give similar sets as shower gifts for years, and everyone tells me how they also end up using them more than they think.

I saw a good sale on Calphalon Dutch ovens today and will be headed out to buy one later. There was a recent thread here about Le Creuset Dutch ovens here, and out of many posters, I was one of the few who was unhappy with mine. I think it's way, way too heavy, esp. if loaded with ingredients - I usually need someone to take it in and out of the stove for me, esp. when hot. I'm not crazy with my Le Creuset gratin dish or frying pan either.

I have a 5.5 Le Creuset dutch oven that is the most used pot in the house. If you have kids, maybe a bigger one would be better. I also have a couple of smaller size dutch ovens that are handy but see less use, such as for side dishes. A big dutch oven would be the first thing on my list.

I also just bought a 8 qt LC stockpot that to replace my cheapy, and it is getting lots of use already. A 12 qt is on the list, but I think it will see much less use; just coming out for huge soups or such. The 8 qt would also go on my list.

I have a LC cast iron skillet. I wish it were deeper to allow more stirring action w/o slopping over the side, but it is great for searing steaks and other no-stir cooking. I'd put it on my list, but I'd trade it for a dutch oven if I did not get all the sizes I wanted.

I have a huge Le Creuset dutch oven and it is just so versatile. I've used it for a super-slow cooked bolognese sauce for lasagne and it even makes easy work of a risotto too. I love being able to take it from stove to oven to table.

Do be aware that they are super heavy. I actually keep my big one on my stovetop because I use it often and I find it difficult to lift it from the cupboards below.

All-Clad's 8" and 10" LTD skillets are indispensable. I use mine 2-3 times a day (almost every meal), and they are workhorses.

The black exterior is a sleek, sexy finish that looks great in any kitchen, and the non-stick feature makes cooking and cleanup a no brainer.

The handwash thing is a total drag, but I crank up iTunes and try to make it fun!

I too just ditched my cheap non-sticks for All-Clad Copper Core, the 10 piece with 8" and 10" skillets, 2- and 3-qt. saucepans with lids, a 3-qt. sauté with lid, and an 8-qt. stockpot with lid.

I kept one non-stick omlette pan, and have a Lodge cast iron skillet for quesadillas (Texas staple!), an oversized Le Creuset skillet, and a Le Creuset French oven. For baking and casseroles (since there's only two of us), I bought the kiwi green Le Creuset square baker set at Sur La Table - a 2-person and 1-person meal sized combo. It's the cheaper LC version (that you usually find at a Marshall's, etc) at $35, but still does the trick.

I really pared down and took quality over quantity! Just make sure to get a can of Bar Keeper's Helper (think that's what it's called!) if you go with All-Clad - great cleaner!

I have lots of All-Clad pieces, and five LeCreuset Dutch ovens.
All-Clad stainless steel has the largest selection of pans amongst their product lines, and is dishwasher safe, except for the nonstick. To start, get a 12" nonstick frypan, a 2 qt. saucepan, a 3 qt. saucier w/cover, a 4 qt. covered sauté pan, and an 8 qt. stockpot.
In LeCreuset, get a 5.5 qt. or 7.25 qt. round Dutch oven. A useful second piece would be the 6.75 qt. oval or 6.75 qt. wide.

I don't own any All-Clad cookware but I did recently buy a few Le Creuset items from MissionRS.com. I found their prices to be really competitive and they offer free shipping. Here's a link:
http://www.missionrs.com/mm5/merchant.mvc?