best pots and pans set under $500?

looking for the best pots and pans set for my new home ideally under $500. my budget is only slightly flexible but i really want to focus on quality. ive used hand me down mismatched cookware sets my whole life so i dont really know which is best: ceramic nonstick or stainless steel? i need the basic ones at least like the frying pan, sauce pan, sauté pan, stock pot and a cast iron skillet, other things would be a big bonus. i have basic requirements apart from whatever material they are to be made of (idk much abt that tbh so all insights are welcome) i read a post here about separating pans and pots by their purpose so i wanna take that approach. also skimmed through this blog for some budget picks. please help me pick a long lasting set my top pick for now is GreenPan Valencia Pro Ceramic Nonstick bcs its for like $450 on amazon and the reviews are really good across the charts. I do think its more susceptible to the coating coming off with harsh usage tho to be honest im a little frazzled since i found out pots and pans can cost as much as a fancy mattress lol like the Mauviel M'Heritage fits most of my requirements mentioned below, but the 10 pcs set is for a whopping $3000!!! thats a crazy price to pay for pots and pans that will get burned to a crisp in the next 15 yrs. same with Rufoni Historia. I definitely DONT want smth like that. cant be taking out a mortgage on my home for some copper core utensils caraway is another non toxic nonstick cookware that im seriously eyeing. this one is for $455 on amazon and its all-clad, triple ply and everything. But the ceramic coating is very scratch prone esp if you use metal utensils to stir the pot Another Reddit fav: All-Clad D3 Everyday Stainless-steel. This is a different category altogether since it's stainless steel, still non-stick if you know how to work around it. The trick with a stainless steel pan is to heat it up enough so that when you sprinkle some water on it, the water droplet forms a ball and starts jumping. Then you add your oil and start cooking. The learning curve with cooking with non coated steel can be a real challenge tbh General requirements are the same for what i need from my cookware good heat retention nonstick properties (ceramiv vs aluminum vs stainless steel idk) induction cookware glass lids please! i think they look soo classy Learning that you go with ceramic if youre going to stir with the right utensils and stainless steel if youre willing to get over the learning curve of making a nonstick pan, non stick. please suggest your top picks and which material would work the best for long term usage?? submitted by /u/GroundWerm [link] [comments]