If you use cast iron, carbon steel, or stainless pans, buy a chainmail scrubber. They are SO GOOD.

Also steel wool ball scrubbies are nice for real cast iron disasters, but they can scratch or get gross if used as a first resort.

Nonstick is not worth it and cast iron is a million times easier to care for than people make it out to be. You can wash it with soap - it was only old school lye soaps that were an issue. You can let food soak in it some. If it rusts or the seasoning is damaged, that's easy to fix. It's a hunk of iron - don't worry about babying it if that's the thing keeping you from trying it!

I find it does sometimes have food stick more rhan with nonstick, depending on whether I've been doing the extra cast iron care things recently or not, but the ability to use steel utensils/spatulas/scrubbies compensates for that very well, imo.

Tldr try cast iron or carbon steel if you haven't!