There is not too much more for me to add concerning stainless steel pots. It is really the most practical choice I have found. Be sure to read the information concerning the pots construction before buying them. Look for the word "clad", meaning the bottoms are clad with a layer of copper or aluminum for the best and most even heat conductivity and distribution.

I don't use my stainless steel pots in the oven, I have steel oven pans or cast iron pots for that. I would never buy a stainless steel saute pan because steel and aluminum work much better. So what I have is 2-1 liter stainless steel sauce pans, 2-2.5 liter stainless steel pots, 2-4.5 liter stainless steel pots for boiling, steaming-one has a steamer basket, soup making, 2-9 liter stainless steel pots for pasta and stock making, canning and jam making, all of them have lids and all have metal handles.

Remember the rules about handles:

Pots larger than 3-4 liters should have 2 handles to make moving them around when full easier. Handles should be heat resistant so that you can touch them without burning yourself when used on top of the stove. Pick them up and imagine them full of something. Make sure the handles are comfortable and large enough so you can get a good grip on them for safely reasons? If handles are wood or some kind of plastic they should be replaceable if damaged.

Prices:

Stainless steel pots come in such a variety of shapes and sizes that it is relatively easy to find the right size pot. Prices are the same. If you want to by exclusive Hackman stainless steel pots expect to pay the highest price for them. There are a huge number of shops and web sites that sell stainless steel pots. Shop around you can find good quality pots very reasonably priced if you hunt a little for them.

Cleaning:

Stainless steel really requires nothing special to clean them and don't stain under normal use. The interiors of the pots can be soaked in hot water if something is burned. In the extreme you can resort to oven cleaner. Never use steel wool on them, use a heavy gauge plastic scouring pad. I toss mine into the dishwasher all the time which keeps them looking pretty good.

Their usually shiny exteriors can be cleaned without scratching with a heavy gauge plastic scouring pad. If extremely dirty with burned on bits you can resort to oven cleaner without damaging the shine.