Interested in copper but don't want all copper due to maintenance issues. Also, prefer stainless steel over aluminum due to health concerns regarding the aluminum. Cookware needs to go from stove top to oven.

Calphalon and All-Clad will meet some of your needs. They are about equivalent, and each line has many, many pots. They are not inexpensive. They won't discolor the way stainless steel does.

But cast iron will also be extremely useful, but there are not nearly as many different kinds of pots in cast iron. The Lodge brand is very inexpensive — a fraction of the cost of Calphalon or All-Clad. It's excellent, indestructable stuff, but not stylish. Another brand is Le Creuset — French, very high quality, attractive, and very expensive.

You may wind up with some of all three, like I did. Cast iron frying pans are the best for some things — making corn breads, for example, or frittatas, and the Dutch ovens are wonderful. But for sauteeing, Calphalon and All-Clad saute pans are superior — for one thing, cast iron pans is very heavy and have short, uncomfortable handles, so they're difficult to manipulate in the way you must for a good saute.

I suggest that — as with knives — you have clearly in mind what you want to do with a pot, then get the size, type, and material that will best suit those needs. You won't have a chic, all-one-brand-of-glitzy-pots-and-pans kitchen, but you'll be a more successful cook.

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Received a set of Tabletop Unlimited Cookware for Christmas, always use plastic utensils on it, now it is showing signs of scratches! What kind of cookware, preferably non-stick, do you have and what would you recommend. Cook everyday and need durability plus ease of clean up. Don't want to spend a fortune.

Go to a wholesale club like Sam's, BJ's or Costco. They have great cookware and csts much less. Got a very nice, versitile Wolfgang Puck sautee pan that I really love.

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Received a set of Tabletop Unlimited Cookware for Christmas, always use plastic utensils on it, now it is showing signs of scratches! What kind of cookware, preferably non-stick, do you have and what would you recommend. Cook everyday and need durability plus ease of clean up. Don't want to spend a fortune.

Go to a wholesale club like Sam's, BJ's or Costco. They have great cookware and csts much less. Got a very nice, versitile Wolfgang Puck sautee pan that I really love.

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I suppose knowing the best with no regard to price is good. But it would also be good to know some brands that are good yet affordable.

I have tried a lot of brands over the years, and really love Farberware. It is not the most expensive out there, but in terms of the pots and pans staying very cling-free and very easy to clean, this is my favorite.

Another favorite is Calphalon, which I only buy on sale because it is a bit pricier than farberware.

One brand I recommend avoiding is ScanPan. VERY expensive. I bought just ONE large pot, and while it is a good pot, the non-stick qualities are just not there. After about two uses I found that EVERYTHING STICKS to this pan. It's as good as a good cast iron pan, but that is not what I was looking for.

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what is the best cookware in the world?

In my opinion, Lodge Cast Iron Cookware

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I have a $100 gift certificate to Macy's, and I want to buy some cookware with it. The only problem is, I'm not a cook (I want to learn) so I have no ideal what kind to buy as a basic kitchen set. Should I get non-stick? I'm clueless.
What kind should I get, non-stick, stainless steel, etc?

In my humble opinion I like stainless. Right now Macys has a big sale on and most everything is half price. Since you're just starting out I would get the Tools of the Trade Basic starter set that they have and get a couple of pieces of pyrex bakewear with the rest of the money. Later on you can go to a more expensive set. I have a Westbend waterless cookware set I bought about 30 years ago and have been using I paid a premium price for it but I haven't had to replace it. I expect it'll last another 30 years at least. I have no idea how much it sells for now. It's mostly sold at state fairs. In the meantime you can buy a piece of non-stick at Wal-mart and try it out. I'd suggest a skillet. You'll need to use plastic or silicone utensils with it or it scratches up. For cooking lessons or classes you might check to see if your local community college has classes once in a while if you don't know anyone else who can show you and give you tips.
There's also a good selection of beginning cook books. One last thing(sorry this turned into a book) depending on whether you have a gas or electric stove you'll need to cook slightly different. A gas stove burner will get hot immmediately and you can control the heat better than electric. An electric stove burner takes longer to heat up and then stays hot for awhile after you turn it off. Don't cook anything on high heat unless you're boiling water or cooking stir fry otherwise you'll probably burn stuff.

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