inb4 'cast iron skillet'
I've always had bad luck with fresh cast iron, so I'm not interested in that. Just looking for a good nonstick pan. I was thinking about the ones with the hexagon stuff on it, but I just looked it up and its $180, so thats gonna have to wait.
Who got the recs?
Good choice not springing for the hex-clad. I'm a cast iron guy now, but I promise I'm not being dismissive about non-stick in in the next few paragraphs, I just have strong preferences from cooking for a while and owning many pans over the years.
I wouldn't spend that much on a non-stick, they're disposable no matter what you do with them. Don't spend more than $40 on nonstick. The only thing you need to look for is a sort-of thick bottom on a pan so that it heats up evenly. Very thin/cheap $5-10 pans tend to have hot/cold spots. If you need one for something specific like french-style omelettes, then buy like a $5 super cheap tiny one you don't feel bad about throwing it out one day.
The non-stick part and the metal part are two different materials that expand and contract differently under heat/cool, so the non-stick layer will eventually peel no matter what prevention you do (silicone/wood utensils, low heat, etc). Also ceramic non-stick lasts basically the same amount of time, shit's just a gimmick and is only slightly better than classic Teflon for longevity (can't speak on food safety, idk shit about that stuff).
I completely understand why you don't wanna get on the cast-iron train. I love it, but cast-iron is kind of a pain in the ass since it takes a while to pre-heat, and you need to be careful what you cook in it until it's well seasoned. I fucked up one of the seasonings on mine so it's got stick-spots and smooth spots and it's a pain to re-season.
I've owned Teflon (PFAS), Ceramic non-stick, cast iron, stainless steel skillets. My non-sticks now stick so I've been phasing into cast iron for stuff I need a good sear on and for frying, and uncoated stainless steel with enough oil for everything else like tomato sauce and whatnot.
One day I might buy a carbon steel pan, but I really need to make some kitchen space for that, and maybe sell one of my cast iron pans. Also might buy an enameled cast iron one day (the type you don't season). I have a small Dutch oven that is enameled cast-iron and it's good for stews you simmer for a while like bourgignon and french onion.
That's exactly the issue I'm starting to notice re: my non-stick. I don't even fucking remember what sort of pan it is, most likely a teflon. I'd like to avoid PFAs if at all possible, but if the pan is quality enough I'm not gonna be TOO picky here. Any particular models you like? I would definitely be doing a lot of eggs in it, but aside from that, just sort of general purpose stuff. I don't have a lot of specific things I cook regularly outside of breakfast, the rest of my meals are "huh, what sounds good? lets see what i can make here"
I have no specific model recommendations because usually I buy whatever looks good at a discount Marshall's/TJ Maxx type store or the thrift store. I just gave general principles of pans I've owned over the years, so if you do go non-stick don't go super cheap or super expensive. The thickness on the bottom matters for avoiding hotspots, if you're shopping for cheap pans IRL.
Right now I'm liking my Lodge cast-iron, Lagostina Cast Iron, and Paderno stainless steel for pretty much all of my cooking on skillets. Two of those brands are Canada only (I think) in big-box retailers so I'm not much help on that. It's probably not worth importing something heavy like a pan from Canada lol. Lodge stuff never goes on discount, but the two Canada brands regularly do.
If you don't usually make scrambled eggs or french-style omelettes then it's pretty easy to switch to cast-iron or carbon steel. I'd probably buy a carbon steel pan if I had a do over, even though now I'm very attached to my cast iron pans.
If you do go non-stick, then maybe see if you can find a decent thickness stainless steel skillet to save some durability when you're cooking that "what sounds good" type stuff. Stuff sticking on the bottom of the pan slightly is an opportunity for deglazing that crust back into the sauce (aka splash of wine where you cook most of it off to unstick stuff)