I cooked for many years on an electric coil range and now have a smoothtop. Used many different sizes and types of well seasoned cast iron both on top and in the oven for most of my cooking. Also used non-stick for eggs and things that did better with it. I only had to get rid of one cast iron that didn't work on the smoothtop, the others are ok. Before and during a small kitchen remodel, I purchased some Calphalon hard anodized cookware pieces on sale and also a SS disk bottom stock/soup pot from TJ Maxx and some new non-stick including Calphalon commercial from Amazon. I am not that thrilled with the Calphalon but have never tried the Calphalon One. Gave one hard anodized away and replaced it with SS. I listened to the advice about not buying a set, but after getting my smoothtop, I had to replace all my saucepans, a midsize stock pot and some frypans as they were old and rocked on the glasstop. Costco had a Sitram set, Profisserie I think, on sale online and it had sizes I needed and the price was good. So I purchased it and have used most of the pieces. It cooks well. I think BB&B has Emerilware, Calphalon and also Cuisinart, plus various non-stick and other brands. I have some Cuisinart and like it although just one pan and think they have discontinued that line. I have some Calphalon tri-ply that has worked well. Also have some individual SS & non-stick pieces I have picked up, most from TJ Maxx and Amazon. Decide if you would like glass or metal lids. The glass is nice to see through, but I think I prefer metal for how it affects the cooking process. Watch for sales and go to various stores and just handle, lift and move around the pots and pans. Find what feels good in your hand and how the pan is balanced etc. how long the handles are (that affects what fits in my oven). A disk bottom or copper or aluminum sealed inside the bottom of the pan will cook better. All clad or tri-ply or more is not necessary, but nice for when you do want it. A plain cheaper aluminum stock pot works good for boiling water, pasta etc. That said, I love the disk bottom 6qt pot I picked up at TJ Maxx that has curved shaped sides and nice handles and can go well from stove to table. Good luck and congratulations on the upcoming wedding!

Hi Anne_in_SF, I have seen your comments in various websites regarding stainless cookware recommendations and would like your advice on a few I'm considering. Member's Mark Tri-Ply, Costco's 5-ply by Kirkland (I don't think it's tri-ply or 5-ply up the sides) and another set from Costco, the Sitram Profisserie set. I'm moving away from Calphalon hard anodized to stainless and don't want to pay for All-clad or Demeyere. What are your thoughts if you're familiar with these sets? In terms of aesthetics, I like the look of the Kirklands set the best, but I'm looking for quality of materials and cooking performance, I cook a LOT.

Weed, There are two tricks to cooking with stainless steel cooking surfaces that will optimize the performance. First, always preheat the pan to the temperature you want to cook at and at the same setting, i.e. don't try to hurry this process by pre-heating the pan on high. Then preheat the oil. This will make foods stick less, release better, and let you get a good fond. Second, keep the cooking surface scrupulously clean. This is easy if you wait until the pan is warm until you wash it and finish with a little Barkeepers Friend applied with a paper towel, rinse thoroughly, and hand dry the pan. Any residue left on a SS surface will make food stick and progressively harder to get off with each use. It only takes an extra minute or so per pan to keep them really clean and it's worth the little bit of effort required.

Pecan: Thanks for the update. I'm disappointed as well. I thought we could have lunch at Sample House, which is close-ish to the Moss Farm fields, if that's where you might have had your tournament. It's a sweet little shop that sells gift items and kitchen things, Crocs, baby gifts, candles, gift wrap, cute pet stuff and lots of other unusual things. It's a fun place to wander around. They have a little restaurant called the Soup Shop in the store that's open from 11-2 every day (except Sundays). Lake Highlands High School seems like another soccer tournament location, but I know that there are fields everywhere (I've been to most of them). Keep me posted if your plans change. Thank you. Fly: Someone told me that Hormel is making nitrate-free lunch meat. This friend also told me that Monsanto "invented" sodium nitrate, which is a preservative, and that Monsanto knows this substance causes cancer, but Monsanto makes so much money off of sodium nitrate that it does everything possible to make certain that it stays on the market. How sad.