Pots and pans, substantial in weight and often in cost, sit atop the wish list of many brides and bridegrooms. In fact, they sit atop the wish lists of many consumers.

In 1998, sales of cookware sets costing $325 and up grew by 24 percent. Calphalon was the No. 1 brand based on dollar sales and All-Clad was the fastest growing brand, according to the Home Track division of the NPD Group, a market research firm. The cookware market is so lucrative that the Meyer Corp., maker of Farberware, Circulon and Analon, has just introduced Kitchen Aid Stainless Steel cookware to compete with All-Clad.

In addition, Target stores have jumped in with Kitchen Essentials by Calphalon, an exclusive line of nonstick anodized aluminum designed to attract the customer who wants a quality product at a more affordable price. Engaged couples have bridal consultants to navigate them through the process of selecting pans by price and composition, and we may all do well to take some of their advice. The choices are dizzying: nonstick, all-clad, try-ply, stick-resistant stainless steel, aluminum and anodized aluminum. And that's just the beginning. Five-piece sets, seven-piece sets, saute pans, frying pans, omelet pans. You need a manual to buy the stuff.

When Hecht's bridal consultant Linda Cook meets a couple, she tries to determine what kind of cooks they are, what price range they should be looking at and which features are important to them.

Generally, she tries to steer couples away from pots and pans with a nonstick finish to those with a more conventional finish. She recommends nonstick for omelet and grill pans, but not for the majority of cookware since nonstick can scratch or wear out if not handled properly.

The composition of the pans is another important factor. Generally, the highest quality pans are all aluminum or have an aluminum inner core. Aluminum is a good heat conductor, meaning it will heat evenly. Most lines of Calphalon are made from aluminum only, with exteriors that have been hard-anodized, giving them that charcoal-gray finish. In "clad" cookware, like All-Clad and KitchenAid, the aluminum pot is sandwiched between two layers of another metal. The cooking surface is stick-resistant stainless steel and the exterior is either stainless steel or anodized aluminum. Less expensive lines, like Chantal, Cuisinart and Farberware Millennium have an aluminum or copper layer sandwiched between another metal but only on the bottom of the pan.

Differences in exteriors are both aesthetic and functional. The pots with stainless steel on the outside can be washed in the dishwasher-which for many people is a big advantage. The hard-anodized surface gives the pans a professional kitchen look that others prefer but these pans should not be put in the dishwasher.

Complicating matters, the pots are sold in sets and separately. Cook usually recommends that couples ask for a small starter set. The sets usually contain the basic pieces at a very economical price. Then she has them add individual pans. Two typical add-ons are a wok and a grill pan. If the couple wants to keep the items more affordable, Cook recommends choosing a few better quality individual pieces and pairing them with a more affordable set.

The accompanying box gives an overview of some of the top brands available, but this is just a sampling. Almost all manufacturers offer complete nonstick lines and often a variety of exterior finishes. Some lines have smaller and larger sets. And sets, even within a brand, vary among retailers. Don't be afraid to ask questions: Sales people and wedding registry staff in major department stores usually have a good knowledge of the products.

Happy hunting.

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