To me, someone who celebrates a bit more of the spectrum than most: Metal hot. Make food hot.
Non-stick means easier cleanup, but my wife seems to think cast-iron is necessary for certain things (searing a prime rib roast, for example.).
After I figure those out, then I gotta figure out gas vs. electric vs. induction vs infrared…
I’ve tried to love cast iron and just couldn’t. Stainless is the way to go for my money. Just make sure it’s hot before you add oil/butter to it, that’s the key to not making things stick. If you do it right you don’t need much at all either. And you can scrub the shit out of it with steel wool too.