I’ve been happily making the switch from the nonstick frying pans my husband and I got as wedding presents to cast iron frying pans. I have a small one and a large one now. The large one really makes me happy because while it’s lightweight for a cast iron pan, it used to belong to my grandmother.
I also got some of her cooking pots. I think they’re stainless steel over aluminum or some such. But still a great improvement over my nonstick ones.
I’ve just come to mistrust nonstick of late. They say it’s safe when used correctly, but you know it wears off, meaning the Teflon does get into food, just a little. I don’t like that, especially since it means that you have to replace them when it wears off.
I got a bit of teasing for being so interested in such practical things when we went through Grandma’s house, but it allowed me to replace things I had been waiting to replace. It’s the usual conumdrum you face when you don’t want to consume more, but don’t like what you have. This was a chance to get things I knew I wanted without shopping.
I must say, I love how cast iron
For other cookware, there are a lot of options beyond nonstick if you look around. Silicone is all over the place, but I don’t know enough about it to want to use it for muffin pans or other baking supplies. On the other hand, those rare occasions where I make muffins or cupcakes I use the paper liners anyhow. Nonstick seems kind of redundant with that. I’m rather fond of Pyrex baking sets
My suggestion when you need to get cookware is to look for pieces that are safe to use and will last just about forever. Cast iron is good, high quality stainless steel can be good. Try to avoid anything with a nonstick coating that will wear off over time or has questionable safety. It can be a real pleasure owning thing that will last a lifetime.