Another R2D2?

If you're not worried about price, Le Creuset and All-Clad are a great place to start. I also find Anolon products to work well when I'm looking for non-stick (although I recommend you baby them ridiculously, as I do for all non-stick pans), and the older Revere copper bottom pots were always dependable for me when I didn't require a non-stick surface.

I have a few items from IKEA. Its about 2 years old and I use them several times a week and they are all holding up well. Pretty cheap too.

I'm thinking Bender.

How many of these can go into a dishwasher?

Fissler, Mauviel, All-Clad and Demeyere are some of the better constructed pans out there.

Bang for the buck, the Cuisinart Chef Classic line is pretty darn good, as is the Kirkland/Costco stainless steel set.

I usually buy one inexpensive non-stick skillet knowing that it's going to be tossed in three to six months.

If you are going to purchase a cast iron pan, I'd recommend that you take a look at the nickle plated ones.

You got a Costco membership?

I'm in the market for pots and pans too. I'm curious as to what the restaurants use because they get the most use out of a pan. I'm gonna be checking out the restaurant supply store here soon.

They use dog shit because it gets beat to hell on the grill and then additionally murdered by the dish crew.

Anthony Bourdain was talking about some pots and pans to consider at a restaurant supply shop. I figured I check them out because he said on ones you can beat to shit and they'll last 20 years. So I don't plan on beating them to shit and maybe they'll last 40. :shrugs:

I like the new calphalon set I bought about a year ago and if you want cast iron I recommend Lodge pre-seasoned.

Yeah, I kept 2 of my nonstick skillets (my mom advised this when we got the SS set)

I have a set of their knives and I love them. They are very sharp, they balance well, and they just feel like quality knives but they aren't so expensive that I'm afraid to use them.

I do. Do they have something decent?

Calphalon is good stuff. I've had mine for probably 19 or 20 years and It still looks and functions like the day I got it. It's all metal handles go in the oven, and its extremely heavy duty. You gotta have a couple of cast iron pans too though. I"ve never cooked with anything that holds and distributes heat as well as cast iron.