The oven takes longer to preheat but retains it better even when I open and close the door. A potato ricer makes short work of turning cooked potatoes into piles of soft, light fluff. Exactly what you need for great mashed potatoes and gnocchi . A plunger forces the potato through the holes of a basket. You don't even have to peel the potatoes.
Heavy pans hold the heat and distribute it evenly.
I like heavy, glazed cast iron, too, especially for soups and stews. When it comes to stock pots and pasta pots, I always buy them bigger than I think I need and choose ones with inserts for cooking vegetables and pasta. They are so handsome though that you might use them for display. It's the easiest way to get an evenly caramelized crunchy top. Ask in your local hardware store for a propane torch.