I’ve always gone for tefal pans and they are for the most part pretty good but they are only good for a couple of years, after that they gradually get worse and it’s time for a replacement.
I did pick up a small stone pan for omelettes about a year ago and it’s really good. I can’t comment on the lifespan yet but I’m tempted to replace my tefal pans with more stone ones because it’s that good
Really depends on how often you cook and how seriously you take it.
If you’re a casual/occasional cool then a non stick pan from Tefal is going to last a long time (assuming you look after it) and there’s not going to be a benefit to spending a lot more on another brand.
If you’re more serious then get a decent cast iron pan, season it properly and you’ll have it for the rest of your life. If you know what you’re doing a properly seasoned cast iron pan is as likely to stick as a non stick coated one.
I have 2 Eaziglide frying pans and an Eaziglide wok that I’ve found to be excellent. Dishwasher safe but I always wash by hand which keeps them pristine. Oh, and never use them with metal utensils
I had a five year old Tefal non-stick, which wasn’t really non-stick anymore, and had also become so warped that it hardly touched the ceramic hob anymore (though would have been fine for gas). Decided to replace it with a ceramic non-stick frying pan. Similarly to @Paul8, I found Procook to be a good place to buy it. I also topped up on some banking items, which made me eligible for a free gift (good quality cooking knife) and free delivery.
I’m happy with ceramic. It takes a while longer to heat up, but does have a sense of quality and durability that were missing from my old one.
Mrs still loves her non stick pans but I’m firmly in the stainless steel tri-ply camp. A good pan can be quite pricey, but it really is a case of buy once and buy well.
Lodge are great if you’re in the USA. If you’re in the UK then they’re rather pricey to import and other alternatives are available. My cast iron pan is from Victor, about half the price a similar sized Lodge would’ve been and works just as well.
Used my ProCook carbon skillet under the grill yesterday, at 250 degrees, and was amazed that this was possible, as it never previously occurred to me that skillets could be used that way.
I definitely think carbon is the way forward. All the flexibility of iron, but with non-stick properties as well.