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…
I have no idea when these pans of mine were made, but boy howdy will I be giving them to my children, and my children’s children (and their children after that). I like to hope that every time they cook with them, they’ll think of me, even after I’m long gone.
https://www.castironcollector.com/index.php
Try digging through this site if you want. It’s how I found out when (appr.) and where mine was made. It was pretty cool learning the history of my ~80 year old pan.