I used to work in a kitchen store, but I’m not sure what is on the market today. I love All-Clad, but it is super expensive. What you want to look for is something that has an aluminum core and evenly thick sides. Revereware has a line with either aluminum or copper (best conductors of heat) reinforcement on the bottom, and they work fine. My problem with Revere is that the thin sides make it easy to scorch if your fire is too high.
Go to Bed Bath & Beyond or Target and compare the feel and the thickness of the different pans. Also, you’ll know you have a crappy pan when you tap the side and it sounds super thin and light.

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The following is recommended:
Stainless Steel
Heavy weight Aluminum
Cooper Bottom
Porcelain Enamel Covered Cast Iron

Glass-Ceramic is usable but not recommended
Stoneware is usable but not recommended

BUT IT MUST HAVE A FLAT BOTTOM!

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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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