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…
Doesn’t the soap weaken the seasoning, causing it to flak off faster?
No when everything used to be lye based and acidic, sure. Soap has changed, and we know better now. If you have seasoning flakes off, it’s not seasoning.