I have had another name brand set of pans for years. I liked those well-enough, and we actually contemplated buying this set years ago. To be honest, a sale on the other brand is what swayed our purchase. These seem to be a bit easier to clean, though. The only issue being the screws/screw covers for where the handle attaches to the pan itself, but that's an issue with the previous brand we owned, too. It's so hard to get all the "gunk" off of/around those screw covers. It's only been few weeks, so I cannot speak to the durability of the surface, but all seems to be good. The pans cook/heat evenly. They are super attractive; I may need one of those fancy pot hangers for the ceiling to show them off. Though I'm not an avid cook, I do use the pans about 3 or 4 days a week. I highly recommend these pans.