I got a set of 4 pans and 4 pots on my wedding registry 8 years ago. Mid-range for non-sticks, and way cheaper than any other reasonable option would have been at the time. Of course, some get used a lot (usually the smaller ones) while some get used very little, but all of them are still very much non-stick.

It's also worth noting that, supposedly, by 2015 manufactures stopped using PFOAs in non-stick surfaces. They use other chemicals instead.

It's interesting to note that several manufacturers filed a lawsuit against Caraway this year, alleging that their advertising claims that today's non-stick coatings are toxic are incorrect.

So that's the question. Are these non-stick coatings actually terribe, with chemical companies hiding how dangerous they are (which is very possible)? Or maybe they genuinely do not know that, and the health impaxta are the kind of subtle long-term influences that will take decades to identify solidly? Or maybe... They're actually safe?

For now mine seem to be functioning properly. I baby them- handwash only, no metal utensils, stovetop-only, do not heat them empty. When I go to my local restaurant supply store, almost all of the pans there are non-stick, which indicates to me that most restaurants are probably using non-stick pans in my area.

So for now I don't see a reason to throw away my existing cookware and spend a bunch of money on something new. Once they start to stick I'll look into replacing them and seeing how the technology and market place have evolved.

I do have a couple of cast irons. It is nice to be able to use them in my oven or on my grill. Theoretically it would be nice to use them with metal utensils. But I do not buy metal cooking utensils so that point is moot. And my wife does not use them because they are so heavy. And they are a pain to clean and season.

I'm interested in getting a stainless steel pan of some kind, mostly for searing meat. But they need high-heat to prevent sticking, and I do a lot of stuff with low heat, so I don't think I would want all of my stuff to be stainless.