I like the anodized for exactly that same reason. I don't use metal utensils, though, my choice is either a hard plastic or silicone. The "spoonula" that Annie told me to buy at Russo's last year is terrific, I use it all the time!

Here is a link that might be useful: I think this is the one...

I don't like the anodized stuff...I have one huge frypan that I like because unless it were aluminum I couldn't lift anything that big! But generally I don't like something I will be braising in and creating a fond that I can't scour well and use metal utensils. If you scratch the anodized stuff you are through to the bright aluminum and tromatoes and other acid things are not good cooked in that.
Stainless for stock pots and everyday pans, non stick for eggs and le Creuset for stove top to oven stuff....and that huge Calphalon skillet for lots of chicken livers and mushrooms!!
Linda C

Buy a cheap non-stick pan for eggs, pancakes (unless you have a griddle), etc., toss in the trash, and replace as soon as the finish even hints at peeling or scratching. Expensive non-stick cookware is silly (IMO). The finish always goes sooner rather than later. It's just not meant to last. No point in fighting with a scratched/peeling surface just because you feel guilty about throwing away expensive cookware. Alton Brown agrees with me, if that helps. :)

I, personally, hate the anodized stuff. I prefer stainless for everything else (with the exception of some cast iron pieces). I want stuff that will last for years, survive my abuse, clean up well, and look decent.

Linda etc, the brand of non-stick fry pans that Cathy sent me and I also found at Homegoods was Cyril Lignac- which I gather is a Canadian favorite. This morning's eggs were a breeze!

I have some kind of non-stick cookie sheets that over brown stuff, so I've pretty much quit using them. I've also been leary of them since I learned that at high temps they can kill birds. People's pet birds have actually died from the toxic fumes they emit when they get too hot. I think the tempurature is 500 degrees.

Sally

I like using the hard-anodized and have stopped using non-stick. Once I get use to a pan I like to keep using it, so I wasn't happy with non-stick pans wearing out and needing to be replaced. Also I worried about little bits of non-stick surface in the food and prefer a pan that lets me use metal tools (though lately I am using wooden or bamboo utensils more too).

I like the way the hard-anodized browns and sears. It isn't affected by using metal tools. However the surface isn't entirely carefree. It can be broken down by exposure to acidic foods. I will cook something with tomatoes in it for example, but I don't let it sit for extended time (like storage in the fridge) and clean it out as soon as possible after cooking. Also dishwasher detergent isn't friendly to it so one has to hand wash. I usually scour with Bon Ami or Bar Keeper's Friend when it needs it.

One can also be concerned about whether aluminum is getting into the food. I'm not terribly worried about that but I don't cook everything in it. I also have stainless with aluminum core. That surface is the easiest care, next best is my cast iron woks - I like the thin Chinese cast iron instead of the very heavy cast iron skillets.

You're very wise to be concerned about non-stick. Teflon (and other similar) coatings are major carcinogens. The information on how very dangerous they are has been suppressed for years, but is finally leaking out to the public in drips and drabs. People who work in plants where that stuff is applied have to wear respirators that bring in clean outside air to them--even so, there is a high incidence of really serious birth defects among the children of people who work where teflon is applied.

Thing is, by the time you notice it scratching and peeling? It's already been flaking off into your food for some time.

Even just the fumes from cooking in teflon can be fatal to pet birds you may have in your home (you should NEVER use teflon if you have birds).

Best non-stick surface, IMO, and healthiest is a well-seasoned cast iron pan. I can cook eggs in mine with very little butter, and they NEVER stick. You also add necessary iron to your diet when you cook in cast iron. It does take a bit of care, but once well-seasoned, all you need do after cooking in it is give it a quick rinse to clean it. And it has the added benefit that it lasts forever--you'll be handing your cast iron down to your grandchildren.