My saucepans are stainless steel, and must be about 20 years old now. Food only occasionally sticks to the bottom (usually my fault when I have walked away from something that needs continual stirring), but I just put them to soak in washing up liquid and hot water for a while, and they are never a problem to clean. Like a lot of us, I would find le Creuset far too heavy to lift now, especially the bigger pans, so I'm quite happy to stick with stainless steel. As MoS said, hopefully they will last a long time whatever you choose. A set of good pans is an investment, and needs careful consideration before you buy.