Cooking novice here, I have been reading that titanium skillets are the best of all.

Where did you read that?

It kinda depends on what you are cooking. I use stainless steel and cast iron.

Lodge cast iron is very reasonable on price. I have an all clad skillet that was a tad pricey but it's very durable.

If you're just starting out, go with a stainless pan (look for one with a thick bottom) and a dutch oven. You shouldn't need much more than these 2 other than generic pots/pans for sides.

For day to day cooking, nothing is more versatile and easy to use (overall, which includes cleaning) than stainless steel. You can cook, saute, pan fry, make pan sauce, and use in the oven with high heat (don't get one with a rubber handle. All stainless). You can't break it without trying and you can use whatever utensils you wish.

Decide what kind of cooking you intend to do most often. I have Green Pan which is ceramic over metal. I love it for low heat cooking, eggs, ground meat, it handles acidic foods well and is non stick. However you can’t use it on higher heat settings, and you must use wooden or silicone utensils with it. Also cannot use any kind of harsh abrasive cleaning sponge. I also use carbon steel pans (Made In brand) for searing, blackening, or other higher heat applications. They work great, just as good as cast iron, but treat it like cast iron (no acids, no soap cleaning, always use fats or oils to keep it non stick, heat the pan before dropping meat to cook or it will stick). Finally I use a Dutch oven for braising.