Thanks Randy North of Florida palms has the best deals on Princeps I have seen,that's where I got the 3 I have -one is planted. Seeing them up close might leave you a little more torn between the two. That said,I love Waggies too! Here's the One I have planted- chadec I know exactly what you mean about Aloifolia! Mine snapped(in high winds)2 years ago or it would be 6' right now at least! They root easily so,no worries there-mine is secured to a small post now...probably would have been halved anyway when the "G-house collapsed in the blizzard last winter. Here's a picture(s) of the Cactus cover - Note how tall it is in respect to the railing- and check put what it looked like collapsed under 15"+ of snow! Here is a link that might be useful: Princeps

We use the 3qrt and 1 1/2 qrt copper/stainless Dansk saucepans just about everyday. Along with a 10 1/2" Wagners's cast iron chicken fryer. A 12" Tri-Ply frying pan rounds out our most used cookware. When we steam fish or veggies we use our old carbon steel wok and a bamboo steamer set inside it. We are doing a lot more steam cooking lately. Interesting to see that a lot of cooks don't just buy sets of cookware. There is mixing of this and that brand. Holds true to what I have been seeing in the cooking store I work in. People are buying pieces instead of sets of cookware. Which I think is the way to go. Whenever a customer comes into the store and wants to buy a whole set of cookware the first question I ask is will you use all the pieces included in the box? Don't spend money on things you won't use all that frequently. NancyLouise

I don't have Tramontina Tri-Ply Clad Cookware. I am only guessing. Any container, as long as there is water in it, the temperature will not go beyond water boiling point (normal atmospheric pressure). That's why you can actually boil water with a paper container. However, do go with the Manufacturer's recommendations. My "tip" for clad cookware is when you are cooking on a stove, over heating the pot and you can delaminate the cladding or cause the metal to warp. Aluminum and S Steel have different thermal expansion coefficient. dcarch

I think the takeaway here is to not put all your eggs in one basket. Each material has it's pluses and minuses. I like a variety of materials and the following is a quick rundown of what I use and a brief observation of them. SS for induction is great because it's reasonably responsive with an aluminum or copper core. Getting as much of that core material as possible will make the induction really shine when a recipe calls for rapid temp changes. One of my favorite things is that they can go in the dishwasher and you can use some heavy duty cleaners in case of an oops. I've had one warp on me, but the others are nice and flat. You'll also be looking at clad base vs fully clad. What and how you're cooking will enter into the decision making. Skillets and sauciers really use the heat that radiates up the sides. A stock pot doesn't, and the big ones are usually clad-base, only, anyway. Cast iron is great for maintaining a temperature. Braising, frying in oil, and such. Wonderful for stovetop to oven cooking and searing. It doesn't heat evenly and is not responsive at all. Whether enameled or seasoned metal, it's a good tool. Carbon steel needs seasoning and reapplying it is a given. Metal tools will scrape it off. Great for high heat cooking. You'll find very reasonably priced woks at an Asian market. Lots of cooks will use this material in place of non-stick. They do warp, and that can be a pain on glass when they start spinning. Cast iron and carbon steel are at their best when they're used regularly to maintain their seasoning. Acid in food will wear on seasoning, so simmering something like tomato based dishes isn't advised. They are hand wash only. Non-stick is awesome for scrambled eggs, fish, and other delicate preparations. It's best for low to med-low cooking. The coating will wear over time and the dishwasher speeds that up. I would get an inexpensive one.