My $12 flea market cast iron has beat every "lifetime" nonstick pan I've owned
Three years ago I grabbed a crusty no-name skillet at the Raleigh flea market for $12, scrubbed it with steel wool and reseasoned it, and it's still the only pan in my kitchen that hasn't peeled, warped, or quit on me. Meanwhile I've gone through two $80 nonstick pans in that same stretch, both of which started flaking within a year of daily eggs and cornbread. Why do people keep paying premium prices for pans with a coating that's designed to die when a $12 hunk of iron from a folding table will outlive your grandkids?