Hello! We are getting ready to make our registry and I have been reading up on different types of cookware - having an aluminum core on just the bottom or up the sides also, etc. Where I'm stuck is the difference between hard anodized and stainless steel (other than being different materials lol). What are your opinions/preferences for the two? Any brand/type recommendations? All-Clad is a little pricey for us, as we'll be just regular at home cooks. We will probably register at Bed Bath & Beyond and Target; possibly one more place.
One other add-on question: for a stock pot, if I would mostly use it for pasta/potatoes, will it be fine to just pick something with an aluminum core bottom? Or is there another piece of cookware that would be better and pull double duty?