The cast-iron I’ve been using for the past 16 years was probably made in the 1940’s in Ontario and will likely still be around after I die, unless someone leaves it in the rain or something. With coated pans I’d have to buy new ones every four years or so (which is not only costly but environmentally unfriendly)… not to mention the health risks of using non-stick, which are negligible IF you never forget it on a hot burner; it will overheat and the coating will break down and leach into your food.

Gas ranges also release toxins into the air which can only be properly extracted if you cook under a fume hood, like one you might find in a chemistry lab… even the best kitchen exhaust fans can’t exchange the air that well and you’re left breathing in carcinogens everyday when you cook your meals. So, if one uses a coated pan on a gas stove… well.

IMO the best choices are anything except coated pans on an induction stove. I read somewhere induction stoves are more efficient but I’ve never actually looked into it. Cast irons can certainly be a pain in the ass to maintain, but once you get a good coating on there it’s smooth cooking until something acidic is cooked with it, or a roommate puts it in the dishwasher for you… which is why it’s good to also have a steel pan also. I’ve never eve heard of copper pans lol, sounds expensive.