Hi, chiming in a bit late here, so I hope I’m not too late to give a bit more insight on tri-ply. As far as my personal experience goes, I’ve used a lot of tri-ply pans across a number of different brands (Tramontina, Kirkland Signature, Misen, All-Clad, Bonjour, Calphalon, Cuisinart, KitchenAid and Great Jones) on both induction and gas cooktops. The good news is, I don’t think that the brand that you choose to go with will have a dramatic impact as far as performance goes. If you cook on induction ranges, one thing to note if you choose to go with a lesser known brand is the type of steel used on the bottom layer. This has only happened once, but in my random hobbyist testing, one of the pans used 18/8 steel for the bottom layer, which is not magnetic and therefore does not work on induction.

In my personal opinion, probably the most important factor the pans that you end up buying is the design. Particularly, the comfort of the handle, since you will be using these pans for the rest of your life. I love the way that the standard All-Clad D3 handles feel, but I know that the handle design is probably the biggest drawback of All-Clad to some people. Make sure that the skillets are a weight that you feel comfortable handling, since those are probably the pieces that you’ll use the most. Also check the amount of flat surface area on the skillets, since that will vary by brand. This will change the amount of food that you can fit in the skillet, but a gentler slope will also give you more control when pouring a pan sauce.

As far as recommendations go, if you are looking for a cookware set, I would strongly recommend the tri-ply set at your local Costco. At mine, it’s the Tramontina set, but I know that some warehouses still have the Kirkland Signature set. Both of them perform admirably, and the price point is impossible to beat ($200). You would be hard pressed to find a set with a better value proposition, and it’s a great way to build out a kitchen if you’re starting from scratch. These pans will last a lifetime with minimal care.

If you’re looking for individual pieces, the biggest determining factor is going to be your budget. If you’re in the US, HomeGoods and TJ Maxx will often have both Calphalon and Viking 10-inch tri-ply skillets ($18 and $30 respectively, if I remember correctly) and 1.5-3qt saucepans (I do not remember the price of these unfortunately). Another great option if you’re open to it is secondhand marketplaces. I’ve found some All-Clad skillets at thrift stores for ~$15, and Facebook Marketplace will occasionally have people letting go of barely used pieces for low prices. If you’re looking to spend a bit more money, All-Clad will often have factory sales which can be a great way to score some great pieces at a lower price. You can find those at https://homeandcooksales.com/, and there should be a way to sign up for the email list to be notified when the sales go live. If you want some very expensive pans that are ostensibly easier to clean, Hestan Steel and Demeyere have either flush rivets or rivet-less designs.
Actually, now that I think about it, there is also a KitchenAid pan that has a rivet-less design, and it should definitely be cheaper than either of the premium options.

I hope this long and somewhat unstructured word salad has been helpful, but I wouldn’t be surprised if it wasn’t. If you have any additional questions or want some more specific comparisons or pictures between the pans that I do have, I would be happy to provide them.