I like the Visions for casual cooking, but I found them to be really difficult to get a good browning of meat or a roux going in.
Banana, when I say 'non-stick', I don't mean with a coating like you're probably thinking. There are Calphalon (and other anodized aluminum lines) with Teflon coatings. They're rubbish. The anodized Al just sticks less than stainless steel. You still have to scrub it sometimes, but not *everything* sticks to it. We've had our pots for 7 years now, and we have one (the one we use daily) that is just now starting to look like it has gotten some wear and tear. I'm going to hit it with some enzyme cleaner and see if it's simply a microthin buildup, or if the coating is thinning. If the latter, we can send it in for re-coating.
But yeah, we have a few inherited cast-iron pieces, and they rock. If you can get them properly seasoned (or better - an old one with a nice solid coating), they're wonderful. Lodge now sells pre-seasoned ones, since so few people know how to do it properly any more. They're not perfect, but they get you going. The enameled Le Creuset roasting pan is my wife's favorite for whole chicken and pork shoulders. We even have a MASSIVE Mauviel copper pan that was a wedding gift that I think we've used once. We simply don't have a stovetop that can handle it.
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