There are various types of cookware to choose from however, the most important thing for you to consider is what types of foods do you cook and how much of an investment do you want to make? Here are a few types to choose from: Non-Stick (healthy foods/easy cleanup) Stainless Steel (Traditional cooking/Better heat control), Cast Iron (Pan gets hot and stays hot)

How do you choose?

What types of foods do you typically cook? If your cooking style is more toward the healthy side you may want to consider the non-stick versions of cookware. Little to no butter or oils are needed with non-stick cookware and cleanup is very easy. However, if you tend to cook more traditionally (making gravies and glazes) stainless steel will work for you. The best of both worlds is a product called Infused Anodized. This cookware has the ability to cook more traditional dishes and it does not take much oil or butter to make this cookware non-stick.

When choosing cookware, you want to know a little bit about the construction. The best cookware will have three layers, or more, of metal (whether it be cooper or aluminum) covering the entire surface of the pan. Some less expensive products will have the cooper or aluminum only on the bottom of the pan. The problem this creates is the heat will be much higher at the bottom of the pan rather than even heat distribution through the entire cooking surface. Think about making soup in a saucepan, you will want the soup to heat evenly with minimum stirring, a pan with only the third metal layer on the bottom will be much hotter at the bottom (and most likely burn) yet just barely warm on the top and sides of the pan. Copper and aluminum are the two best heat conductors (copper being the best-but can be quite expensive). You also want to look at the handle application. Most handles are now constructed in a way to reduce heat transfer to the handles- stay cool vents or V-arch is two examples of this. Most cookware is very versatile and can go from stovetop to oven. Make sure you follow manufacturers recommendations for degree limitations of your cookware.

Trade secret- most people think that lids should fit tightly over the cookware, that's not necessarily true. Lids should "rattle" just slightly when placed on the cookware, this means the manufacturer allowed room on the sides of the lid for food to vent properly. Some manufacturers also provide small holes in the top of the cookware to allow steam to vent.

Dishwasher safe? Not necessarily. Most cookware will claim to be dishwasher safe in order for it to sell better, however, it's not recommended for most cookware. Good cookware is an investment that can last a lifetime, so make sure you protect it even if it means pushing up your shirt sleeves and washing it the old fashioned way.

Induction cook top? Then you must be sure you have cookware compatible with the induction cooking system. The material the cookware is made of is important to get it to heat on an induction burner. A simple test is to see if it is magnetic, as magnetism is used to heat the cookware. Normally if a magnet is attracted to the cookware it will work on the induction burners. The cast iron cookware will work as will some of the stainless cookware. We found the Viking Professional Cookware Set to be a very good product on the induction cook top. They also manufacture the induction cook tops for home as well as professional use. If your going into a store take a magnet with you. When shopping on line be sure it states for induction cooking or email the manufacturer and ask.

Make sure you choose the correct cooking utensils. For nonstick you want to use ONLY nylon and wood. Stainless steel utensils can be used for ONLY stainless steel cookware.

What's in a warranty? More than you think! The best cookware will have the longest warrant, a lifetime for most!