John
I am not a fan of buying anything in sets. I think its kind of silly. Most people always have unused pieces. Are you buying this stuff to really use or to look pretty in the kitchen? Just you, a big family, lots of dinner parties? Function before form is my take. I pick out individual pieces for my usual fare. I don't care if it matches. All-clad is great. Le Creuset and Calphalon One are very good too. I would avoid made in China stuff (most anything at Target). Just pick up a 'starter' piece and see how it treats you. Copper core and copper plate is very nice but unless money is no object than it is generally a wasted investment on the typical home cook. The things heat up so fast a novice cook would burn everything. Also, gas is the only way to go for me. Those pretty designer cooking surfaces are for people that don't really cook in my book. Sure they boil water fast but whats the hurry? It's home cooked food, not Iron Chef competition. Old fashioned cast iron skillets are indispensable for many dishes and you would be out of luck on an induction range. Fire roasting bell peppers would be out too without a torch. Go to eBay and Amazon before you go to the mall. You can save several hundred dollars.

chefcherie
Actually, all AllClad pieces are induction stove friendly. As are all cast iron pieces. Both sets are excellent quality and you will be happy either way you go. I'd go with the allclad. Not only do they give away some freebies with their sets, but you can go down to Bed Bath & Beyond with one of those coupons and save $100. Also, they have so many more open stock pieces available when you want to add to your set. Two things, though.... you said you are tired of scrubbing out your nonstick target pan, and you should know that stainless steel pans will need to be scrubbed even more so. Also, your cheap cuisinart pans are wobbly because they are thinner and more lightweight, but even the CIA or AllClad pans will begin to wobble if you wash them or rinse them while they are hot. Let them cool completely before washing. The extreme temperature change can warp even heavy duty cast iron. I also agree with the other answer when they mentioned Calphalon. Cook's Illustrated recently tested the Calphalon Stainless Contemporary line and found that it's performance equaled AllClad in every way and had more comfortable handles. I have one piece from that line and I totally agree. They cook beautifully, are comfortable, and are less expensive. They are also offering some freebies and can also be purchased with that big blue BBB coupon. I just checked the website and it looks like you can get a 10 piece set for the same price as a 7 piece allclad set. (but NOT induction friendly)