Stainless is my weapon of choice - a complete set of the slightly heavier kind.
Got a set on clearance about twenty years ago - made in Italy. It has style and turquoise accents plus well fitting glass lids.
Came with a small double boiler for chocolate etc plus a colander which fits into one of the pots (space saver) and can be used to steam veggies too.
The only drawback, it came with just one frying pan - 10 inches.
So I picked up a heavy duty 12 inch, much deeper frying pan - Wolfgang Puck:) - at a discount store. Perfect.
Then I added a medium size oval dutch oven - cast iron and enamel and the last addition was a stock pot, also cast iron and enamel. I do hate cast iron because it hurts handling such a heavyweight pot (arthritis) and I never figured out how to properly season and re-season a real iron skillet. I finally gave up on that. The enamel coating works just fine.
Definitely not a fan of alu either. Tends to burn the food yet hasn't cooked it through in the center. Cheap junk!
There is something about a good heavy pot that can hold its heat and perform beautifully on low heat over an extended period of time - improves the flavor a thousand fold.
Oh, and of course there is a Teflon type skillet set about to be replaced once again - ugh - used primarily for omelets. The good news is that I've figured out how to make pancakes in the stainless steel pan without sticking as I am really not happy about using any sort of coated pan.
I can't easily lift a cast iron skillet, it is too cumbersome and hurts my hands and wrists. I cook pretty much every day, twice daily on the weekend.
I just leave the bright red dutch oven on the stove - it looks nice and intentional. I rarely move it but I've figured out how to maneuver it (and rest it in between) if I want to put it in the fridge overnight for instance.
Mr. R. got a taste of how painful maneuvering such a pot can be when he recently had back surgery and wasn't allowed to lift anything heavy, much less tackle the refrigerator double doors while holding the pot - I showed him how I do it and how I rest it on the shelves until I maneuver it into position.
Anyway, TMI:). Bottom line I am a fan of stainless, but you can't beat a cast iron enamel pot for stovetop cooking a roast or a whole chicken. It is like a slow cooker, only much better, infusing flavor and browning up beautifully.
Pots and pans are nothing but tools, get good ones that work for you and how you prefer to eat and cook. I doubt I'd buy a used pot, but you can find good deals on clearance online and in the stores.
I gave away the nice electric wok Mr. R. had - not my thing, I just don't cook that way. Although I did change my style of cooking when I met Mr. R. since he has different likes - I never owned anything cast iron much less a dutch oven before I met him.
It's not like one couldn't fix the roast in the oven, but it is admittedly much easier to monitor, add seasoning and ingredients along the way when it is accessible right there on your stove top.