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…
The best argument against Teflon has absolutely nothing to do with cooking with it and everything to do with how it’s manufactured. The chemicals used for manufacturing are incredibly bad for every part of the environment, have been proven over and over to cause cancer and are impossible to contain. Of course there are good arguments against using it for pans as well, but nobody ever listens to those, I’ve tried.