I don't have a ton of new information to add to what others have already said but, I started out buying most of my cookware in college and I thought I'd just share what I found out from experience. In general, I think you get what you pay for in cookware, and one high quality item usually ends up being a better buy in the long run than 2 mediocre ones. The pieces of cookware where I have no regrets/could not live without are: 10" Lodge frying pan 12" All Clad frying pan 3 1/2 quart Le Creuset dutch oven 4 quart All Clad sauce pan w/ steamer and double boiler inserts Big, cheap stockpot Universal lid I use for the frying pans and stockpot Most other folks would add a saute pan to this list, but frankly both frying pans are deep enough that I use them for most of the things normally done with a saute pan. The things I bought and now don't use are the 8" or 2 quart sale items that cookware lines put out in an attempt to get you to try their products. Each time I move I find that the kitchen I end up in is larger and there are more people to cook for at one time, I've never ended up regretting buying the next size up cookware (12" vs 10" frying pan, 4 quart vs. 2 quart saucepan, 10" vs 6" chef's knife) even though it usually feels less wieldy in the store.
