i guess i agree with fat guy. i've got a combination of calphalon (two 12" non-stick omelet pans + old anodized pans) and allclad (10" omelet and 5qt high-sided saute pan) in stainless. i've also got a 5/12 qt cuisinart stainless, (the clad, not the biscuit-on-the-bottom-type, which i think sucks), which works just fine. i use the non-stick when i don't need the brown bits on the bottom of the pan for color or flavor, and the stainless when i do. good quality in both cases, calphalon seems cheaper, and non-stick's easier to clean and requires less oil. we (my wife and i) still use calphalon anodized saucepans and stock pots that we got for our wedding gifts, which was.....um......20 years and 1 month ago, so that should speak to the quality of these implements! we don't use the fry pans, though, and really didn't like them all that well even back when they were new......food stuck way too easily. were i to set up my pan selection right now, i'd have: 1 8" or 10" omelet pan, non-stick (for crepes and small omelets) 2 12" omelet pans, stainless 1 12" omelet pan, non-stick 1 4 or 5 qt saute pan with lid, stainless 2 massive aluminum or stainless stockpots (as big as will fit on the cooktop!) - the cheap ones are fine for stock couple of smaller saucepans (personally, i don't use these much, so i have no idea how many cups are 'small') couple of larger saucepans (same caveat as above - but prob'ly 8 cups or larger) 1 le creuset dutch oven (big as you can afford) 1 carbon steel wok (NOT non-stick, NOT electric! that you'll NEVER wash with soap) 1 crock pot then, give me a martin yan cleaver, a santuko, a good paring knife, a bread knife, a thin slicer and a boos cutting board, and that'd just about fill out my cutting/stovetop needs, in terms of registering! all this stuff should be available at the major cookware stores (w-s, chef's catalog, fields, crate&barrel etc.). good luck! matt (this is very cool to find a board like this!)
