Outlet stores, discontinued cookware and store closings are your best bet for quality cookware at a great price.
Fine tools that are a joy to work with are a good thing:)
Cheap cookware is a nuisance at best, it doesn't last, it is impossible to cook evenly or avoid burning your food or your fingers. If you cook every day it makes sense to have quality tools.
Since you already have a set of cookware you probably know which pot sizes you use the most - let that be your guide. While an entire set is always the cheaper option - I do hate to go that route when I know I only really "need" certain sizes and pieces. So the last time I hunted down only the specific pieces I wanted - which cost so much time and effort I question the validity of that move.
Dutch oven
One red Cuisinart 7+? quart oval cast iron dutch oven with enamel interior. Used for roasts, whole chicken, stews, stovetop casseroles and lasagne (instead of the oven) and any time I don't want to use the crockpot, because I am at home.
Skillets
One 11" skillet - Cuisnart (but a cheap version) with non-stick interior - to be replaced soon with a "green" version. I have two smaller stainless steel skillets - one 8in and a 10in deep skillet which I rarely use.
Pots:
Stainless: at least 12 gauge - some are hybrids and have copper infused bottoms
3 different size pots - 1 really small, 1 sm/med and 1 large - I use all 3 - all the time.
Steamer
What we also use all the time is a steamer - for ears of corn - potatoes and heads of cauliflower and cabbage.... It's heavy duty stainless steel and I found it on sale at the military base one day. $35 bucks - the best deal I ever made.
Mixer
Hands down my favorite, the one thing I couldn't live without and always wanted is my heavy duty Kitchen Aid mixer - I love looking at it, it's red:) and a must have for baking.
Crockpot
Only gets used a couple of times a month and sometimes for parties.
Mandolin
For slicing, dicing and shredding - potatoes, turnips for sauteeing and shredded raw veggies like carrots and sliced cucumbers and sweet potato fries:) I love the even slices, clean up is a snap and the blades have stayed sharp. The shredded carrots look impressive on a salad plate:)
Blender
The least used item at present is my Cuisinart blender - sometimes I use it daily for smoothies or hot soups, it has a thick glass jug - other times I forget about it for a while until summer - makes quick work of chopping veggies from the garden. It is the one gadget that is totally frivolous and not really necessary, because you could do without:)
I went through 5, yes five blenders to find one that had the settings, motor and power I wanted at the price I wanted to pay (60% off at Tuesday Morning) - incl. a Black and Decker blender which literally exploded all over my kitchen, I was lucky I didn't get seriously injured.
Quality knifes
and a couple of good cutting boards are essential. My preference is two diff size paring knives - one curved, 1 small/med butcher knife, a filet knife, a big all round knife plus a bread knife, a cheese knife and good quality scissors - the kind you use for fowl.
We are overstocked in that department and yes they are all high end, (long story) but what good is a knife unless it lasts a lifetime.
I'm an old lady now, but I wish I had allowed myself the joy of that red Kitchen Aid mixer when I was in my thirties. Back then I considered it more of a wishlist-status item- one I could do without. Well, one can do without a lot of things, but it was stupid to deny myself that pleasure - we were always foodies and those do last a lifetime.
It was on my Christmas list about 8 yrs ago and still does get a fair amount of use - I have the one with a stainless steel bowl, a dough hook and a regular whisk/beater. Love.
Well, that's it from this foodie ... I hope you find some great deals, go for quality kitchen tools and you will not regret your purchase.