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I have been in this industry for ^&#* years.. LOL I know what some of the rumors are about Aluminum stuff being deadly, and that dear girl is, lets just say, BS.. I know dozens of doctors and scientist that use them and I asked that question from many qualified sources, and all they say is that there are paper thin garbage sold years ago that may have been a cheap and dangerous.. Not the stuff that Chef's use.. and ahem.. am a Chef, indeed.. Ha!
As for Stainless Steel, and Hot Spots, which are frequently found low-grade cookware.
Hot spots are a weakness in the steel, and will never repair itself, and as far as I am concerned a lost cause.
I use Calphalon Pro Nonstick, and they have Stainless and Aluminum (which I use), and have for a very long time. I represented another major company as a spokesman, but received only one small Calphalon skillet as a gift for doing a demo for the Chicago Junior League, and feel in love with it. It's easy to maintain and cooks evenly. Also and for a professional chef, an important feature is that it isn't too heavy.. So you can consider it as an option.
This is where I would check if you were really going to price Calphalon!
I also have a full set of ENAMELED, and I really love them, as a 2nd choice.
Finally I have a large Cast Iron bean pot, that I also make my cornbread in.. I would fight a divorce lawyer to keep this ugly Bad Boy.. LOLOL
Here is the caring and handling of whatever good stuff that you purchase...

CARING AND USING - STAINLESS STEEL POTS AND PANS
It’s surprisingly easy to keep stainless steel clean. A simple wash and wipe dry is generally all it takes.
For best results, wash or wipe over your stainless steel with a hot water solution containing mild detergent or washing up liquid, rinse with clean water and wipe dry with a soft, dry cloth.
'Wiping dry’ is the secret to maintain those gleaming good looks, so don’t leave your pots and pans dripping on the draining board or water droplets on your appliances or accessories.
The ‘wipe dry’ routine is especially important in hard water areas as it will prevent the build up of a gray colored film caused by lime scale deposits.
Avoid using abrasive cleaners, scourers and wire wool as they will leave scratches. Non stainless steel wire wool pads are particularly damaging as they often leave behind tiny fragments which can rust onto the surface.
SSA Recommends:
The E-cloth – a really clever cleaning cloth that consists of millions of tiny ultra-microfibres, which collect and trap the smallest of dirt particles, including grease. Many of our members including Neff and Belling have tested the E-cloth in conjunction with their products and say it works a treat!
E-Cloths are sold in packs and contain a general purpose cleaning cloth and a glass/polishing cloth. All you have to do to keep your stainless steel looking ship-shape is wet the general purpose cloth, wring out the excess water and wipe over your stainless steel surfaces. Then, rub over with the polishing cloth to wipe dry. The polishing cloth can also be used on its own when the surface is only lightly soiled. It really is as simple as that.

CARING AND USING - CAST IRON POTS AND PANS
Seasoning
When you season cast iron, you are embedding grease or oil in the pores of the cookware. Without proper seasoning, cast iron will rust when exposed to moisture or water. To season your cookware, first warm your cast iron, then rub a thin layer of shortening, corn oil, olive oil, or the oil that you prefer all over the the surface of the pan, inside and out. Warming the cast iron opens the pores. Lay the pan upside down inside a 350 degree oven. Most cookware manufacturers suggest heating the pan for one hour, while some cooks suggest twice that for just the right amount of seasoning. The shortening or oils will turn in to a non sticky, hard coating. Allow the pan to cool overnight as it will be quite hot. Some cooks recommend repeating this process a couple of times. Seasoning should be repeated after each use of the cookware.
Note: Acidic foods, such as tomatoes, can deteriorate the seasoned coating of your pots and pans.
Remember that most of the pots are Pre-Seasoned when you buy them these days.
Rinse with boiling water before use.
Cleaning the pot - Fill inside of the pot with warm water, let soak and then scour clean. Always dry the pot over a heat source.
Lightly grease with either olive or vegetable oil. Leave a dry paper towel inside to absorb moisture

Using Your Cast Iron
Preheat your cookware before preparing your meal. Water droplets should sizzle, then roll and hop around the pan, when dropped on to the heated surface. If water disappears immediately after being dropped, the pan is too hot and will surely burn your food. If water only rests and bubbles, the pan is not quite hot enough.
Caution: Do not pour significant amounts of cold liquid in to a hot skillet or pot, this can cause the cast iron to break.
CLEANING AND CARING FOR - CAST IRON POTS AND PANS
Everyone has their own methods for cleaning cast iron.
Some people never use water to clean their cast iron ware, they just wipe or scrape out he cookware and re-season as needed. When the cookware is re-heated, it will kill any bacteria so this is not necessarily a bad thing.
Cleaning your cast iron ware can also be done using conventional cleaning methods using dish soap, scouring pads and rinsing. After doing this kind of cleaning, you should always heat the cookware to evaporate any water left and re-season to prevent rusting.
Cast iron can be dried quickly by heating on top of the stove until the water just stops sizzling. For new cast iron pans, it is a good idea to rub a little oil into the clean pan before putting it away. Do this the first hundred times the pan is used and you will never have to do it thereafter.
The following instructions must be used with caution and at your own risk. We provide this as information only.
The method below can be used for black cast iron, nickel or chrome coated iron, but NOT porcelain coated or aluminum.
Lye Wash Cleaning Method for extreme cleaning:
Soak cast iron pieces in lye water. Mix 1 can of lye (i.e., Red Devil) with 4-5 gallons of water in a plastic container. A large heavy plastic laundry tub works very well. Suspend pieces utilizing steel coat hangers. Usually several days to a week for really dirty pieces will be enough. Pieces can be left in the tub for months and they do not rust and are not damaged by this method.
Lye is environmentally safe, but very dangerous/caustic and must be used with care. Keep away from small children and animals/pets. NEVER NEVER NEVER add water onto lye. ALWAYS ALWAYS add lye to water. It may not seem important, BUT IT IS. The reaction of lye with water is exothermic (in other words, very violent and hot). It can get so hot that it will boil. So remember, respect the lye and add lye to water.
The solution will feel "soapy" when you have a good "working" solution, BUT, if the solution comes in contact with the eyes or skin, it must be washed off immediately. This stuff will "eat" your clothes and skin. Always wear eye protection and where rubber gloves (Use dishwashing gloves).
As a safety precaution, the container should be covered. This will prevent evaporation, minimize the chances of spills, and protect against foreign objects falling into the vat.
The lye wash can be used for more than one "batch" of cleaning. In fact, the water will turn REALLY black but that's OK, just add more lye when it stops working.
Remove pieces after soaking and rinse with hose and relatively high water pressure. If grease does not wash away, try wiping with stainless steel souring pad or brush. Repeat the lye bath as required.
After piece(s) are dry, brush with fine steel brush on drill or wire wheel. Do not use a brass brush.
Repeat the lye bath if necessary.
Wash the piece in dishwashing soap and warm water and rinse thoroughly. Dry. You can speed the drying by placing in the oven at 200 degrees.
Removing Rust:
LYE does not remove rust, do the following:
Soak pieces in solution of 50% white vinegar and 50% water for several hours. Now this will depend on each piece, BUT remember vinegar is an acid and acids EAT metal You will ruin your piece if you let it stay in the bath too long. This is NOT like the lye bath.
Remove from vinegar solution, rinse and rub/brush to determine if rust has been removed. Repeat vinegar bath if required.
Rinse off and dry, oil, wipe, and buff with a soft cloth.

HOW TO CARE FOR ENAMELED- POTS & PANS
Remember - only use VEA approved cleaners on your enamel.
Recommended Cleaners
·         Do not plunge hot pans into cold water immediately after use.
·         Clean your pans with hot soapy water.
·         For removing really stubborn marks you will be safe with any cleaning product which bears the recommended symbol of the VEA for general use on vitreous enamel.
·         Save fuel and prolong the life of your pans by using a gentle heat when you start cooking. This will also help to prevent food burning on to the base of the pan.
·         If a vitreous enamelled pan becomes stained (after boiling beetroot, for example) first fill it with water and then add a teaspoonful of household bleach. Soak for a few hours and clean in the usual way.
·         In hard water areas, drying pans immediately after washing will prevent a whitish film forming.