Other pots: I like a narrower, deeper 3-quart sauce pot for blanching small amounts of veggies and pasta. I also recommend one 8-inch skillet (or fry pan) for eggs and one 10-inch for everything else. If you take my advice and get the big braising pan, you don't really need a 12-inch. Nonstick is another big question. I'm squeamish about it, but it is the bomb for eggs and certain tricky pan-flipping procedures (potato straw cakes, for example). But don't spend a lot of money—yours or anybody else's—on nonstick, because you should toss your pan as soon as it gets scratched up. Do go ahead and get one cast-iron pan, which is unbeatable for searing, even though you'll have to get used to washing it (without soap). I also like having one big, heavy pot—enameled cast iron or the like. Everyone loves Le Creuset, but it's hell on your wrists, so if you want to splurge on a piece of the pretty enamel ware, go for a big pot that can double as eye-candy on the stove. Shape doesn't matter much here as long as the lid fits tight. You do need a huge (6-quart and up) pot for soups and pasta. You certainly don't need one of fantastically high quality or price.