74vwsunbug Loc: Northern Arkansas

Another vote for the heavy-weight enameled cast iron, like LaCrueset, or others similar.

Outrageously expensive, but worth it.

Granddad always said: "the good stuff ain't cheap, and the cheap stuff ain't NEVER good.

zonedout Loc: Central California

Definitely T-Fal for price and performance. Took my wife over five years to scratch the coating on the frying pan, and no, she doesn't read my posts here.

singleviking Loc: Lake Sebu Eco Park, Philippines

The LODGE Cast Iron products are pre-seasoned and inexpensive.Just don't wash them in the dishwasher. They also have a double duty dutch oven that has a cast iron lid that doubles as a skillet. I have one and it's proved it's worth. I also have a few heat dissipation plates to spread out gas or electric heat across the full bottom of pots and skillets to you don't get those middle burned spots in the bottom of pots or skillets when using a low flame

All of those anodized pots still need oil or butter or they have food stuck to their bottoms as well, but sometimes it's font which only requires a splash of wine to release it for all pots and pans. The newer TriPly design pots and pans have a heat spreading copper center sandwiched between 2 layers of stainless steel and I recently bought a set from VIKING for my wife. ( I just couldn't resist the BRAND. LOL.) Expensive but very well made. There's cheaper versions of them though.
The LeCruset pots and pans with their ceramic coating over the cast iron are excellent, but you need to use some oil or butter and only use plastic scrubbers for cleaning. I understand that the Racheal Ray comes close to LeCruset but I haven't tried them.

Just a suggestion though...Go to the America's Test Kitchen website and see what their equipment testing has to say. At least they use real cooks and real world testing parameters.

George II Loc: Fayetteville, Georgia

Stainless steel, I spray Pam to prevent sticking, bout the set at Costco. I also have the Lodge cast Iron which are my favorites but with the new glass top surface unit (my wife's idea) i have to use them outside on the gas stove. Actually I trust nothing with a surface coating that you cook on.

The old adage, that's the reason they make Fords and Chevies.
Just sayin, the "G"
"Regulae Stultis Sunt"

singleviking Loc: Lake Sebu Eco Park, Philippines

Check out Amazon's Bar Keepers Friend Cleaner and Polish for stainless steel pots. Great stuff.

teesquare Loc: USA

Anything coated....will not be coated always.
It is just inevitable that such dissimilar materials as teflon and steel or "ceramic coating" and steel will not remain 100% cohesive for long.Just the way it is...Is that important? It is a personal choice

singleviking Loc: Lake Sebu Eco Park, Philippines

T-Fal is aluminum core and not commercial grade. The best skillet/frypan I've ever found was the 12" VIKING 5-ply and it's available on Amazon for only $200. Needs a bit of oil or butter for cooking and a good cleanser after use but for most applications the font releases with a plash of wine when making a gravy or sauce. 'Bar Keepers Friend" cleaner and polish keeps it spotless and looking new.

For eggs, bacon, grilled cheese sandwiches and other quick stuff, I haven't found anything better than a well seasoned cast iron fry pan though. Just don't use cleansers or soap and just super hot water and a DOBIE PAD or plastic scrubber and they clean up. Also store it with a light coating of vegetable oil after drying on a hot burner to avoid rusting.

Good pots and pans and skillets will last generations if maintained and stored well.

Steve_m Loc: Southern California

It is damn hard to flip an omelet on cast iron pan. So, there is no show off. :-) :-) :-) :-) :)

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

I have the on-the-stove kind.

singleviking Loc: Lake Sebu Eco Park, Philippines

Actually it's not if you have a well seasoned skillet and a bit of finess in your wrist. Just watch them do it on America's Test Kitchen. Even the woman can flip omelets with ease if the pan is either oiled, greased or buttered slightly and it really is all in the wrist. Maybe you have cast iron fry pans that don't have the graduated sided. The LODGE 10" has no problems flipping omelets when it's well seasoned. Besides...you flip half the omelet onto the other half before turning it over or the fillings will go all over the place.

rickerb Loc: utah

As I get older my cooking skills are diminishing too. I have always been frugal in what I buy. Raised by a Mormon mom.
I really enjoy my cast iron skillet and use it often and, it has got a nice surface on it. However, I still find it useful to have a nonstick pan for cooking eggs and possibly fish. I have found out that I am not going to get out of this life alive and I'm surly not going to take what little money I have with me. Therefore, I am not afraid to throw a pan away and buy a new one. Once you accidently overheat one of these not stick pans, they are just not the same.
I did buy two ceramic lined cast iron pots and I use them to bake my sourdough bread. They are great. And I now use them for roasting, or for stew, or braising. I would recommend these to anyone.
You do not, I repeat do not need to pay that top line money to get a foodnetwork type brand. In cooking, these products are marketed to make a lot of money and lesser named products can be just as good.

2Dragons Loc: The Back of Beyond

I have a couple of Tramontina skillets that I picked up at T.J. Max and they do clean up a lot easier than the older SS pans. After cooking with them, spray them with Windex that you've added about 1/4 Ammonia to the bottle, and they will clean up very easily after your meal is done. I've had teflon pans for years that look brand new because I never cook over medium heat with them. Take a trip through Amazon's reviews on various brands and types and generally you can get a pretty darned good idea of what really works for the average cook.

BBurns Loc: South Bay, California

I must admit that I am prejudiced because I am using cast iron that has been passed down for 3 generations.
I have personally had it for over 50 years. Various size skillets, griddles, Dutch ovens and more
Few good cooks I know have really mastered electric stoves. The new induction stoves have their own idiosyncrasies as to what works best.
That being said, there is some criteria that was not clarified:

Are you cooking on Gas or Electric?
Do you use trivets under your pans to evenly distribute the heat?

I have found that a lot of sticking occurs when heat is concentrated in one area. That can even burn Teflon if left long enough.
A lot has to do with your personal cooking techniques and how your tools work for you.
Older folks tend to back away from cast iron because of the weight. I dread that day.
I will then probably go to Teflon. I doubt that I will ingest enough to hurt me in my remaining years.

Cootie 24 Loc: Richfield Springs , NY

I have several different kinds of skillets. When frying foods I add oil and butter and the food doesn't stick to the pan, but if the teflon is wearing off I would just discard the skillet and that goes for your sauce pans also. As for what kind of cook wear I would go with stainless steel or T-Fal that wears very well.

Tommg

switched from Teflon to stainless a few years ago ... found that when food sticks to the pan after you are done cooking just put some water in the fry pan and reheat ... the food comes of easily using a spatula ... pretty easy, really