I don't know the brand you're looking at, but I LOVE stainless cookware.  I have some plain copper, one straight stainless and most stainless-clad copper, which is my fav.  I also have one non-stick "teflon" or whatever flavor-of-the-month skillet which I use for omelets and such.  mostly eggs because they are so much easier in non-stick. No matter the price I have always had to replace the non-stick ones at least once a year or every 6 months.  That sounds like I'm hard on cookware, but no.  I do cook everything from scratch, so I cook lots!  but mostly I find that non-stick stuff eventually starts to come off and I don't like using it after that.

With my regular pans, I use the med/low heat setting for most everything.  works great, low stick, no burn, thorough heat.  I have not utilized a microwave in almost 7 years now, by choice, so I reheat the occasional leftover with about 1/2 cup of water in a small stainless skillet.  I use lots of lids.  I have glass lids for every pan & skillet, some with vent holes, some without.  When the pan I have does not have one, I go scrounge one at some discount store.  I mostly steam/stir-fry.  don't remember the last time I "fried" although I do occasionally brown stuff in olive oil to combine with other stuff for stir fry.

basically i'm trying to give you an idea of my kind of cooking to see if that's how you cook also and whether these pans would work for you.  I took forever deciding what kind I wanted because I was thinking I wanted LeCrueset, but they are just too heavy for my wrists.  I don't like working in the kitchen with them.

whenever my stainless gets to looking a bit peak-ed on the inside, I take it out to the shop and use a small electric orbital sander on it.  takes off all the cooking marks in seconds, makes it look brand-new, and I'm happy again.  I do use copper cleaner on the ones w/copper.

I think if I ever need more pans though, I'm going to buy Revere Ware.  It is old-fashioned, but it lasts forever and is very light-weight.  I have two pieces of this which I really like.  My very fav pan is a large 13 qt stock pot which is stainless-clad copper.  even though it is really deep I cook all kinds of things in it (brown chicken, etc) because it keeps spatters from going anywhere else.

hope this helps ... good luck!

The really nice thing about stainless cockware is that it gets black after a ong time of use. I think it makes the cockware even more atractive. Besides things don´t stick so much when your cockware has aged and turned black och use.

Regards Erik

Having iron, steel, or copper gives you better heat for cooking, but you don't have to give up the non-stick. 

I've cooked with all kinds, and am in love with the coated pans from Food Network [available at kohl's & mall stores].  The harder coating on these is explicitly safe for cooking with metal utensils which damage most non-stick pans.  The stainless handles/no plastic allow me to shove them in the oven for broiling as well.  I've been using them for a couple years now with no sign of the lining wearing out.

I can also recommend their non-coated pans, as well as the clad copper Revereware mentioned above.  The downside with uncoated pans is, you have to use more oil or butter in the pan prior to the food to help prevent sticking, and you will still get sticking, and have to do some scrubbing with steel wool occasionally.

i should add though, that if the lining of your pans is coming off, ie looking dull, no longer shiny, throw it out! it is no longer safe!

I think that nonstick is fine for low-med heat cooking but for higher heat applications like frying, uncoated is the way to go.

2 things cause teflon failure: too high cooking temperature and temperature 'shock', that is, when you add a cold ingredient to a hot pot/pan.

Modern coatings are pretty durable until one of these 2 conditions are met.

For cleaning uncoated pans, I either soak for a few hours or add water to the pan and boild it for a few minutes to loosen burned on food. It really saves a lot of elbow grease and makes it less likely the pan will get scratched.

I have had stainless pans for decades and not one of them has turned black.

I use cast iron a lot. Once seasoned it is as close to nonstick as you can get.

I love my stainless steel pots and and pans for cooking and they have a life time warrennty, my son burnt the bottom out of one of my saucepans and was going to through it in the bin, no way cost too much and after a bit of scrubbing its back to new. I also use nonsick frying pan and wok as they can deal with high heat. I also use my microwave to reheat, defrost and help me cooking sauces. Love stainless steel, great to heat, cook and clean.