First: don't throw away that old teflon yet. If you want to fry an egg for breakfast and not spend a lot of time scraping and cursing that you didn't have the pan at the right temperature, that teflon will come in handy. Lesson learned: the steel surface of All Clad pans heats differently from other pans, and is simply not designed to be "non-stick."

Second: this cookware leaps from the box glossy and dazzling. Yet I tend to scratch things. A lot. The mirror finish will not last in the average chef's kitchen. (This does not, of course, degrade the cookware's functionality.)

Finally, this set is Hard To Clean, no matter what. The instructions caution against using steel wool on the interior. I recommend that owners with average to low patience remove all steel wool from their homes.

An option: All Clad makes a sister set called the Master Chef Two. One of the pans is non-stick and the exteriors are a very attractive brushed aluminum, not meant to shine at all. Happy cooking!!

Two things make a kitchen...good knives and good pots/pans (Rating: 5.00)
Review : For a good even heat, excellent quality of workmanship, and a dependable name, I can't think of anything better than All-Clad. For years, I used cheap cookware store non-stick skillets and hand-me-down pots and pans my mother used when she first got married. What a difference it makes.

Most cookware is way too thin, which leaves you with hotspots. For years, I would make up for this by using a cast iron "defuser" to even out the heat and keep the direct flame off the bottom of the pan. I don't have to do this any more. With the triple-layering, you get even heating, regardless of whether it's the middle of the pan or the outer edge.

Personally, I like the stainless. MC2 wasn't around when I bought mine, and I might have chosen that because of the low-maintanace exterior, but I'm not regretting it either. I don't have to be worrying about scratching through the coating with it and it cleans up easy enough with a little water and even less elbow grease.

Cooking will always be a chore, even if you enjoy the act in itself, if you never invest in good cookware and good knives. This is the first step on at least one of those. You might also wish to add a double-boiler, the steamer insert and a 1 qt. saucier; and maybe a larger stock pot (12 qt. if you can afford it), but this really lets you hit the ground running.

foolcontrol (Rating: 5.00)
Review : I recommend All-Clad. I work at a cooking school and everything we use is either All-Clad or Le Creuset. I have cooked with Jeremiah Tower, James Peterson, Johnny Carabba, Damian Mandola, Guiliano Bugialli, Ann Willan, Stephan Pyles, Susanna Trilling, David Rosengarten, Crescent Dragonwagon, Peter Reinhart, Robert McGrath, Bill and Cheryl Jamison, Aaron Sanchez, Rosemary Barron, Stan Frankenthaler, Michael DeGrigrio, Natalie Dupree, Gordon Hammersley, John Demers, Kathleen Dalaemens, Mark Bittman, Rosemary Barron, Mary Cech, Diane Morgan, Jennifer Bushman, Molly Stevens and a whole lot of other chefs. All comments about All-Clad have always been positive.

When it came time to upgrade from the Calphalon Commercial Nonstick set that I have at home, I considered All-Clad, Mauviel Professional and Demeyere Sirocco. I chose All-Clad because it is a good and inexpensive compared to other cookware in its class. I have this set along with a 12" Nonstick frypan. I also have 9 pieces of Le Creuset. All-Clad skillets and saucepans are awesome. If you are making an omlette, use an All-Clad nonstick frypan. All-Clad does heat up very fast; however, it cooks very evenly. Buy All-Clad and you will never have to upgrade. Almost every chef on TV uses All-Clad and Le Creuset.

BTW: Zojirushi makes the best bread machines and rice cookers. Kitchen Aid and Cuisinart make the best of the other appliances. Wüsthof, Henckels, Global, Boker and Kyocera make really good knives. Use Ateco for piping bags and tips. Use Wilton for baking pans. I would also recommend two Silpats or Exopats and two half sheet pans if you like to make cookies.

For those who enjoy cooking (Rating: 5.00)
Review : What is with the people who bemoan the fact that this cookware is not non-stick coated? I enjoy driving; I drive stick. I enjoy cooking; I don't use non-stick much. If you want to cook merely to get some mildly palatable food onto a plate and into the family, and want to expend as little effort as possible cleaning up afterward, then you should best look elsewhere. All-Clad stainless is not designed for the harried individual seeking the quick and easy cooking solution. If you take pleasure in crafting fine food with fine cookware that provides control and consistency, then look no further. Yes, the cost is a bit more effort afterward. The good things in life don't come cheaply or easily. A word of advice though: use Bar Keeper's Friend or Bon Ami to clean up. It makes cleaning so very much easier. The difference versus regular soap is night and day.