All, It really depends on how you cook and what you cook. I use hard anodized aluminum non-stick for alot (Anolon & Circulon made by the company I work for and Calphalon Commercial by the competition) and some clad metal (aluminum on the outside and stainless steel interior - KitchenAid cookware {ours under licence} All Clad {the competition}. Both types are even heating. The Non Stick is easier to clean up and you can use little or no grease - the clad with stainless is better if you are going to deglaze the pan (add liquid and disolve the bits that stick to the pan - usually for a sauce).
Again, it comes down to how you cook, what you cook and personal preference. Other non-stick aluminum should preform comparably with the hard anodized, for a time but will not last as long. Plain stainless with a large impact bonded base (a disc of aluminum encased in stainless bonded to the bottom of the pan) performs nearly as well as clad metal at a much lower cost.
