When answering the question, "What is the best cookware?" it is important to establish a baseline.
Personal preferences for one material over another (say, Teflon vs.
Cast Iron) are just that...
personal preferences, so if you happen to like cast iron better than Teflon or other coated materials, then your ultimate choice will undoubtedly reflect that, and that's fine.
Leaving aside such subjective considerations, at the end of the day, the best cookware will do two things: 1) It will offer good cooking performance, defined by quick and even heating of the cooking surface, and 2) it will be quick and easy to clean afterward.
Pretty much everything else is subjective, so keep the two points above in mind when shopping for the right set for you.
Another key consideration is your budget.
It's all well and good to say, for example, that Swiss Diamond Reinforced nonstick pans are among the best rated cookware out there, but if you don't want to spend five hundred bucks to get a set, then this clearly isn't the answer you're looking for.
So in terms of striking the right balance between price and performance, there are still a lot of great options out there.
For example, Calphalon offers solid cooking performance at a reasonable price, as does a brand called All-Clad.
If you are looking for dishwasher safe cookware, then Berndes is an excellent brand to consider, while if your preferences run toward nonstick, then Emerilware is an excellent entry that won't break the bank.
According to the most recent Consumer Reports study on the matter, don't be wowed by a high price, and assume that more expensive is always better.
The most expensive pots and pans in the latest test came from All Clad (their copper core line), and at $830 for a set, they delivered only middle of the road performance.
Similarly, at more than $300, the ceramic Mercola Healthy Chef is a ceramic based line that heated unevenly, leading to frequent burning, and suffered a from a high incidence of breakage.
In the end, you'll find the best cookware for you by factoring in what your budget can handle with your own personal preferences where materials are concerned, keeping in mind the two key features that good cookware must have (good performance and quick cleanup).