On the humble skillet that sears, bakes, fries, and outlives every nonstick pan you will ever buy.
There is a reason cast iron gets handed down through families. With a little care, a single skillet will sear a steak, roast a chicken, bake cornbread, and shallow-fry doughnuts -- and it will do all of it better the longer you own it. The seasoning that builds up over years is a natural, slick surface that no factory coating can match.
The myths around cast iron are mostly overblown. You can use soap. You can cook tomatoes in it. What you cannot do is leave it wet or soak it overnight. Dry it on the stove, wipe it with a whisper of oil, and it will reward you for decades.
If you are building a kitchen from scratch, this is the pan to buy first. It is inexpensive, nearly indestructible, and capable of more than racks of specialized cookware combined.
