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…


All technically true & correct.
I’ll add that cast iron consistently works better for longer: My ceramic or PTFE pots start great, but after a while become so terrible they’re useless in spite of silicone spatulas etc. I cook almost daily, so I found the new tech pans fully degraded within a year or less.
Cast iron, I’ve car camped and daily stove topped, no problem. I season it once every couple of years, works great.