[Ductapemaster]

I highly recommend trying a restaurant supply store, like Chef's Toys. Most of them don't require a business license to go to (the ones that do typically sell food items). They sell primarily to commercial kitchens and restaurants, and often have a wide selection of "bare bones" cookware at various levels of quality to meet your budget. A lot of my kitchen items are from there — stainless bowls, a big stock pot, metal + wood cooking utensils, some knives, heavy-duty whisk, some glassware, my one non-stick pan, dry food bins, etc. The stuff lasts forever, and you can almost always get an exact replacement if you need it.

Another suggestion is to try is IKEA. They tend to have minimalistic kitchen stuff at very reasonable prices. My basic cooking utensil set (spoon, ladle, spatula, etc) is from there and if I remember right, cost around $10. Had it for years. Great for glassware too.