If you're willing to put up with the hassle of developing a good patina, a steel pan (they're traditionally French) is a real joy to use. All the perks of cast iron and a quarter of the weight.

I've got a couple of Calphalon pans, a 10 inch and a 12inch. Couldn't tell you which 'edition' but they are department store not professional and look a lot like the ones in the post 2 up. I'm really happy with them - I bought a couple of really expensive non stick pans, but someone always seems to end up using a metal knife or fork and trashing them, so I went cheaper this time, and they work just as well as the more expensive ones (although the bottoms are perma-charred!) had them about 5 years and still doing well.

Instressing. Though I generally stick to cast iron, I've never had a moment's frying trouble with my All-Clad. Technique matters though.

Costco in So Cal has the Bialetti set mentioned upthread. $99 for 8 or so pieces, looked pretty nice for the price. (But they didn;'t have AA gift cards on display :eek:)

Consider Vollrath Tribute line
 

Vollrath makes restaurant equipment, but you can find it online. Their Tribute line is a 3-ply heavy-duty line of excellent quality, and about 1/2 the price of All-Clad. Try Ka-Tom restaurant supply.

I intend to replace all of my cookware with Vollrath, and have been very happy with the items I already have. Superior quality.

I have one All-Clad pan and, while I know it's all personal preference, I don't love it. The weight doesn't feel right in my hand and I don't love the stainless surface of the exterior. Frankly, it seems to be less than "stainless", and I'm pretty retentive about keeping stuff clean. The coating on the interior hasn't held up all that well, though I will, sadly, attribute most of the blame on that front to my wife and mother-in-law, who I don't think get the concept of using silicone or other non-scratch utensils on the teflon.

Cordelli's wisdom applies as usual. There are some foods for which cast iron is indispensable, even on an electric range(top). Additionally, they last forever. We're still using two, an 8" and a 12" inherited from one of my grandmothers, back when we married in 1964 (along with a cast iron Dutch Oven), and they were certainly preWWII, maybe preWWI. We've run a range of non-sticks since their intro, and the Calphalon anodized seem the best (if pricey), although they too have a predictable eventual loss of surface, even with careful chice of pot scrubbers.

So is it teflon or stainless cooking surface?

Exterior is stainless. Cooking surface is teflon-coated.

Another vote here for cast iron; I use them as much as possible. I'm also an all-Clad acolyte, especially the LTDs. Even after almost 15 years, they still clean up really easily. For non-stick, my T-Fal has been surprisingly durable- scratch-free even after several years. I only use it for eggs and reheating grains (pasta, couscous, rice).

That is such a great deal. Those Bialetti pans are terrific^

We use a combination of All-Clad stainless, enameled Le Creuset, and old school cast-iron fry pans at home. The recipe dictates the pan IMO. Bacon and eggs on the weekends are in the cast-iron fry pan. So are pan seared beef filets and the sauce to follow. Last Friday's pot roast was slow cooked in the Le Creuset enameled 9.5 qt. oval for over 5 hours. And tonight's chicken thighs will be seared and then finished in the oven in a covered All-Clad pan while my daughter's grilled cheese (oat bread and Irish Cheddar) is always in a small All-Clad non-stick (we actually use very little non-stick).

I feel the same about knives - there is no one set that completely covers the spectrum of cooking. Our knives, like the pots and pans, are a mixed collection as well.

I LOVE my Scanpan pans. I have a set of All Clad stainless, also a Calphalon nonstick and a cast iron skillet. All have their uses. About a year ago my wife got me a Scanpan and it's my new favorite and my go to panss. I now have 3.

They have a great nonstick surface that is 'metal utensil safe', but my older pan is starting to show some wear so it's not truly metal utensil safe. The coating is ceramic, not teflon so it's much more durable but still has great non stick properties.

What I like best about it, though, is it has great heat transfer. I'd do stir fry dishes in my Calphalon non stick and the heat wouldn't hold up as well. The scanpan cooks very hot when I need it.

The All Clad's are great, but are a lot more work to keep them seasoned after use/cleaning. Food tends to stick a lot more to those unless I keep them up.

I think a single 10" or 11" cast iron skillet is a great addition (and cheap). It's my go to for meats when I want a good sear or will slow roast something (look up thomas keller's chicken with root vegetables from Ad Hoc, and do it in your cast iron pan).

Overall, I would be perfectly content with 3 various sized scanpans and one medium/large cast iron skillet. Maybe throw in a large All Clad saute pan (looks like a frying pan with vertical deep sides.

I really wanted a Scanpan too, but I tried a Danish Greenpan at a friend's house and wound up finding a set of Miami Greenpans online for the same sort of price as UK1's beloved Nesbit Vogue pans.
I love them!
Tarte Tatin, Okonomiyaki, tortilla de patatas, all come out beautifully and the pan is the easiest to clean I've ever owned. They look great too.
As I now have 3 Greenpans for under half the price of what I could get a Scanpan for I'm content with my choice. I'd love to know if anyone has made a side to side comparison on these pans.

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EDIT TO ADD - were fine for a while, but, whilst they still look good, the non-stick quality just isn’t there. I now use them for acidic foods like tomato sauce that would ruin a non-stick pan.

Since the OP asked about FRYING pans, I say get a good cast iron pan and season it correctly with flaxseed oil. You'll never go back.