I think submerging unsealed pans is okay, just not for an extended amount of time because of rusting

Nvm just saw the part about housemates. Beware that most people that I know can only cook in non-stick, which is violently not BIFL

Might I suggest a strata carbon steel clad pan? Their normal pan (don’t get their work) is stainless steel bottomed, aluminium cored, and carbon steel topped. You can season your pan and truly become attached to it; if you fuck up, you can just restart. As a bonus, it’s as light as a normal pan instead of carbon steel or the chonky cast iron. Only bad thing is that the edge is unsealed, but that’s really only an issue if you dishwash it. You shouldn’t be dishwashing carbon steel anyways.

I think if you want BIFL, it has to have seasoning in some way. Even stainless steel pits (pitts?).

Even when I moved on from my cast iron to the above pan, I still use my old one at my pops place

Pong

“you’re an open book”, like they thought they knew me and that’s all I’ll ever be