To me, someone who celebrates a bit more of the spectrum than most: Metal hot. Make food hot.
Non-stick means easier cleanup, but my wife seems to think cast-iron is necessary for certain things (searing a prime rib roast, for example.).
After I figure those out, then I gotta figure out gas vs. electric vs. induction vs infrared…
Cast iron is vastly superior to non stick. You can get it hotter, it stays hot when you put food in it, you can use metal utensils, no horrible chemicals like pfas.
they also last significantly longer. I’m using pans I got from my grandma. She got them from her mom. and If i had kids, they’d probably get them after I was done with them.
My favorite pan is from the 70s and I got it out of tge trash.