Actually....
It's easier and cheaper to buy decent cookware today than ever before. I spent most of the 1980s in the housewares biz, both on the buying end and teaching cooking. At that time, buying premium cookware was a very expensive proposition.
Today, whatever one's opinion about Chinese manufacture, it must be said that overseas manufacturers have made expensive processes affordable. In the 1970s, Cuisinart came out with its first tri-ply bottom cookware; a heavy aluminum disc was brazed onto the bottom of a stainless utensil, and then another disc of stainless brazed over that. The technique - outlandishly expensive then - gave wealthy consumers performance and easy-clean characteristics. Later, Cuisinart went to a copper ply instead of aluminum. A one-quart saucepan was around $55 back then.
This construction is now very widespread, in both aluminum and copper versions. It has even been improved upon with what is called a "full cap" base, meaning that the outer stainless layer now wraps around the edge of the copper or aluminum one, improving cleanability even more. You can find cookware like this at most discount stores, at very affordable prices.
There are still some things to avoid, though:
1) Non-stick. It's fine on a couple of inexpensive pans you can afford to replace readily. It's silly on expensive cookware, because it doesn't last any longer on an expensive pan than it does on a cheap one.
2) Glass lids. They're touted as "see-through," which they aren't; steam produced in cooking makes the feature fairly useless. They exist for one reason: You will break them sooner or later. When you do, you will almost always find that an exact replacement is no longer available. This makes you a little less happy with your cookware, hastening the day you will buy new cookware, which is what manufacturers want you to do.
Stainless ply-bottomed (or full cap) cookware is an excellent choice for your "base" cookware. You need other types of cookware for certain jobs - perhaps nonstick for eggs, enameled cast iron for slow simmers and braising, that kind of thing.
This is personal preference, but I don't personally recommend anodized cookware like original Calphalon. The anodized layer is prone to wear-through, and there's no way to renew it. Also, it's not happy in dishwashers; it's very resistant to acid so long as the anodized layer is not breached, but it's fairly sensitive to the alkali in dishwasher detergent. Alkali will turn the grey surface whitish, and can make it very prone to sticking. In fairness, I will say that people who understand the characteristics of anodized cookware and are willing to take good care of it can extend its life dramatically.
What do I use personally? Vintage aluminum-clad Farberware. James Beard used to say it was the most cookware for the money, a sentiment I totally agree with - it performed about equally with Cuisinart, at a quarter the price. I don't mind shining the bottom with a bit of Brillo. New Farberware (the "Classic" line) has a full cap base, making that unnecessary.
I am also very fond of Corning Ware - the real Pyroceram stuff.
