I love cooking with cast iron and have built up a decent collection over the years. More recently, I’ve also gotten into carbon steel cookware.
However… I always keep one nonstick pan in the kitchen, and it sees a fair bit of use. My practice is to buy something cheap, since I’ve found that the nonstick coating will last only so long, even on an expensive pan. By not spending much, I avoid feeling upset when it’s time for a replacement. (My current one came from IKEA, for about 15 EUR. I expect to get a year out of it.)
However… I always keep one nonstick pan in the kitchen, and it sees a fair bit of use. My practice is to buy something cheap, since I’ve found that the nonstick coating will last only so long, even on an expensive pan. By not spending much, I avoid feeling upset when it’s time for a replacement. (My current one came from IKEA, for about 15 EUR. I expect to get a year out of it.)