I only have experience with Kirkland Stainless but it has served me well for a couple of years so far. Cooks well, easy to clean, doesn't burn or scorch on the bottom which means the heat distribution is even (if you keep the temperature at a proper level). It is the only thing I will use when making pudding, as my other pots have a tendency to stick. You can also brown meats very nicely. The 5-ply bottoms are magnetic, so I assume they will work on induction cooktops. I don't have one, so I can't try it out. Of course, Kirkland is not open stock but if I needed other pieces, I would just add from a set that is. I also do not patronize Wal-Mart or Sam's Club as I understand they ask good brand name manufacturers to produce lower quality items so that they (Wal-Mart) can sell them cheaper than the competition. So I feel you never know what you're really getting if you shop at a Wal-Mart or related store.

Here is a rundown of each of the links above. http://www.ewg.org/reports/toxicteflon "In two to five minutes on a conventional stovetop, cookware coated with Teflon and other non-stick surfaces can exceed temperatures at which the coating breaks apart and emits toxic particles and gases linked to hundreds, perhaps thousands, of pet bird deaths and an unknown number of human illnesses each year, according to tests commissioned by Environmental Working Group (EWG)." Sorry about youtr bird. Don't overheat the pans\. http://www.ewg.org/release/epa-science-panel-says-teflon-chemical-likely-cause-cancer "On January 30, the EPA posted its outside panel's draft report suggesting that the Agency strengthen its study of the Teflon chemical PFOA and call it a "likely" human carcinogen." PFOA is used to manufacture Teflon. it is not present in the finished product. http://www.ewg.org/release/epa-fines-teflon-maker-dupont-chemical-cover "Today the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced it will fine Teflon maker DuPont $16.5 million for two decades' worth of covering up company studies that showed it was polluting drinking water and newborn babies with an indestructible chemical that causes cancer, birth defects and other serious health problems in animals. The chemical is in the blood of over 95 percent of Americans." While the article ss so bad it does not even name the " indestructible chemical that causes cancer, birth defects and other serious health problems," it is PFOA. NOT PRESENT IN FINISHED TEFLON. http://tuberose.com/Teflon.html "Teflon and the chemicals used in its production have grown into a $2 billion-a-year industry. This includes ammonium perfluorooctanoate, known as C-8,..." " Even DuPont says that it cannot rule out that Teflon-connected products, such as Stainmaster carpet treatment, give off the chemical" Since you can NEVER prove a negative hypothesis this is pure hysteria and bovine scatrology. " Now the unexpected discovery of the almost universal contamination of Americans' blood from C-8, combined with worrisome laboratory studies, has led to a high priority investigation by the EPA of the chemical's risks" PFOA is not presnt in finished teflon. UIf teflon was such a huge risk all the folks with implated teflon in their bodies wupold be getting cancers at huge rates. They ARE NOT. " A Teflon pan reached 721°F in just five minutes..." " For the past fifty years DuPont has claimed that their Teflon coatings do not emit hazardous chemicals through normal use. In a recent press release, DuPont wrote that "significant decomposition of the coating will occur only when temperatures exceed about 660 degrees F (340 degrees C). These temperatures alone are well above the normal cooking range." These new tests show that cookware exceeds these temperatures and turns toxic through the common act of preheating a pan, on a burner set on high." Sounds like gross incompetence on the part of the cook. If you burn MANY 'plastics' they emit toxic chemicals. Like cyanide, carbon monoxide, PVC, lead vapor, and a whole host of other things. This is hysterical stupidity. Probably directly driven by the very poor education system. Teflon is implanted in thousands of peples bodies every year in artificial joints and a multitude of other uses. Every IV catheter is a Teflon tube. The catheter is on the outside of the needle used to get it into the vein, than the needle is withdrawn leaving the Teflon behind. The Teflon catheter is finally removed when the IV is no longer required.

I still use my Mom's old stainless steel Wearever pots and pans. They are almost 70 years old. The frying pan is a bit warped though but cooks up the best steak. I also have another set of stainless steel pots and pans from Sears but they aren't as good or as thick as the old Wearever are. I have a couple of Silverstone frying pans that I like but I don't use high heat when using them or metal utensils. I stopped using my almost new George Foreman grill and my Black and Decker Dutch oven frying pan when the Teflon started to flake off. I never used a metal utensil on either of these things but the Teflon still flaked off. That Dutch oven frying pan cost more than $80 too and I used it less than 10 times over the years I have had it. Anne

@Shawn Hoffman For non-acidic foods, I think stainless is probably okay, but you might want to focus on high-end brands that take out all the surface impurities. The Silvinox treatment by Demeyere is an example of that. Doing some heavy metal testing through a functional medicine doctor now and every few years will help you monitor your status. For acidic sauces, an enamel cast iron dutch oven and braiser are good choices. But the further complication on that is you probably want a white or very light-colored paint, and a newer product, because the older enameled pots test very high in lead on the exterior paints. Paint pigments are often high in lead. Even though these are "sealed" behind the enamel, you still wonder over time as the enamel develops micro-cracks how that might leach out. You can use an enameled cast iron saucepan for everyday cooking, but the heat distribution will never be as good on a cooktop - and especially on an induction cooktop - as a multi-layer stainless design with a thick base.