Cookware that outlives you

Non-stick pans are replaced when the coating fails, not when the metal does; a scratched or overheated PTFE surface has been shown to shed Teflon micro- and nanoplastic particles, and a single crack can release thousands of them. Cast iron and stainless steel pans, by contrast, get passed down, and the embodied energy of making them is amortised across a lifetime, not a lease.

The three-pan kitchen

• One 10-inch cast iron skillet for eggs, sears, roasting, baking. Improves with use.
• One 3L stainless steel saucepan with a lid for grains, sauces, blanching.
• One enamelled cast iron Dutch oven for stews, bread, slow braises.

Why non-stick is the wrong default

PTFE coatings break down at high heat and release fluorinated compounds, and damaged coatings release particles into food. Beyond the health story, the pans themselves are not recyclable, the coating contaminates the underlying aluminium. Every replaced pan is binned.

The seasoning question

Cast iron's reputation for being fussy is exaggerated. Wipe, oil, heat. Five minutes a year, with use as the actual maintenance. A well-seasoned skillet releases an egg as cleanly as Teflon, and gets better, not worse, every decade.