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…
This. A cast iron pan just stores so much more heat than anything else. IDK the sciency chef-talk but if you like meat to look crusty and golden on the outside but tender on the inside then this is the way.
I basically just completely disregard any bullshit “seasoning” advice, and I’ve never had any rust or whatever. I don’t scrub it with steel wool or whatever but I don’t scrub anything with that. Sometimes I put a few cm of water in it and let that boil off any crusted on whatever.